in Maldives 2022
Mufti Menk – Productive Muslim
AI: Summary ©
The importance of positive engagement in one's life is discussed, including the need for forgiveness and maintaining a balance between productivity and balancing. The success of forgiveness is emphasized as a way to protect children and women, and the importance of learning from others and showing one's success in achieving goals. The importance of education and empowerment for future success is also emphasized. The speakers emphasize the need for personal development and growth in relationships with people and families, and for a culture of the future.
AI: Summary ©
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my beloved brothers and sisters, a productive Muslim
is the one
who thinks of the future.
And what is to be done about that future in a positive way, and the future divided into two, that which is immediate in terms of your life in this world,
and that which is eternal thereafter, which is the hereafter?
If you think about this often,
and you ponder over ways of improving yourself, what are you going to do about it in a positive way, so that you can live your life
in a way that you won't regret in a way that you will not feel I should have done more.
And thereafter, when your life comes to an end,
you arrive
in the hereafter in the best state and condition.
In a nutshell, the one who can do this
will be much more productive as a Muslim than the others. Because it's all about focus. It's all about determination. It's all about hard work. It's all about fighting your laziness, that is a human Drakes. It's all about knowing what to prioritize, to be productive, there is no room for engaging in the lives of others in a negative way.
That's a very important rule to Ballymun Shala. Who are you who are you be nurse give good news of toolbar to the one whose own weaknesses occupy him or her from engaging in the weaknesses of others in a negative way? Why do I say in the negative way?
It's my duty to remind my children, it's my duty to remind others, it's my duty to do something positive about the negativity that might be around me. So therefore, you may involve in the life of others on condition that it is a positive involvement. I see you doing something bad. Do I back bite? The minute you back bite, your productivity is going to be diminished?
Do I slander you? Same applies?
Do I make a big deal nowadays in the age of social media? Do I start publicizing the negatives that I have seen without providing solution or in order to taint the image of someone or to tarnish their image? If that's the case, you cannot be productive, but to engage in the lives of the same people in a positive way. Number one, productivity
in terms of engaging in people's lives in a positive way when negativity has come from them, when you notice a bad habit when something unacceptable has happened. Number one,
you should pray for them. That's the beginning first step.
First step, you pray for them that shows sincerity. depicts a level of genuine feeling within your heart. Imagine you see someone doing something
and you say yeah, Allah help this person. Subhanallah you are speaking right? You are speaking the language of a genuine Muslim, a productive Muslim because you didn't say where's the phone? Where's the phone? Let's get it. Let's show the world what's going on? No, that's not what happened. What actually happened was very productive. I saw it and I thought like a Muslim. I said to myself, the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him speaks about mon Cetara Muslim and Satara Allah Who for dunya will ask era
whoever covers the faults of a believer Allah will cover their faults in this world and the next ways that hadith gone, people don't think about it in the
age of social media what covered expose? That's the word today, right? Expose quickly.
Are you really concerned
about helping community? Or do you want to just drop them to a low? Are you excited that they are vices in society? Or are you going to be productive enough to contribute by praying to Allah, that's just the first step. It's not the only step by the way, not the only step. I pray, I can go home I can engage in two units of prayer known as Torah, cat of prayer, for the sake of Allah and I can cry to Allah Oh ALLAH today I saw something from a sister of mine from a brother of mine. That was I don't understand. To me it was extremely unacceptable only you know the conditions of the hearts Yeah, Allah guide them, grant them goodness, help them so it's not repeated Yet Allah safeguard the
Ummah and safeguard me and my family members or my children, or whoever else, it may be from the same.
That was step number one.
What Step number two, step number two, think about how best you can solve or resolve or assistance in that matter, so that it does not repeat itself.
Depending on what authority you have, and who you are, if you're a parent, you can deal with it a little bit differently. But the productive parent is never harsh beyond the point. You can be hard, but you don't get to harshness way, especially in today's world where the children feel you to the degree that they will do whatever you told them not to do behind your back. That's what happens. When you engage your children when you speak to them. When you tell them listen, this is how it should be when you penalize them for the wrongdoings that deserve penalization in a way that is not
so hard, that is beyond what it is deserving of. You have a naughty corner nowadays. In fact, I can tell you something better than the naughty corner, take the phone away, it's done. It is worse than caning the child. I've come across and I did it myself some time back asking children. If you do something wrong at home, would you like your father to cane you or to take your phone away? Guess what the majority said he was just with us, but leave the phone with us.
Imagine that, to me was a response to say we're not going to whip you we're going to take your phone away.
And what for so long that they become agitated and they begin to hate you. That was not the aim. But discipline, each wrongdoing deserves perhaps a correction equivalent to that wrongdoing.
And sometimes, if it's a mistake, your productivity needs to acknowledge the error of another and forgive it. That's very productive. Why? When people make mistakes, and sometimes even people who acknowledge something that was not necessarily a mistake, they did it intentionally.
They acknowledge it they apologize, it is very productive to consider forgiving them. And perhaps forgive them because obviously, again, depending on what exactly it is, you know, you can come and tell me someone raped someone else or molested them. And then we come to them and you know, just forgive, just forgive No, no, no, no, we need to do something to protect our children, to protect our women to protect our men and boys and whoever else it may be. And therefore that will be dealt according to its level. But I'm talking of generally you look at it and by forgiving, you have freed your time to concentrate in that which is upon that which is far more important. That's what it is.
When you have not forgiven there is a burden that you hold Allah says in the Quran, while among sub berawa in Nevada Can I mean as mill Omo, the best thing you could do is to best suburb and to forgive. That does not make you any less of a man. I remember in one of my talks, I said, Learn to forgive people don't worry, don't hold it. And someone said this guy is not a man. Look at him. You're supposed to be a man show that you are masculine. Don't forgive people punish them hit them. That's not masculine. It is the most masculine thing to forgive, lay specially to be surah in number Shahidullah the applicant of several indelicato
A powerful person is not one who can out wrestle others and I can show you how strong I am. A truly powerful person is the one who can control their anger when the tempers are flaring. Similarly, if you can forgive Allah says it's better for you. Like I said, it depends what it is. It's not just a blanket rule, but generally
you have released a burden from your shoulder
Is that has freed your
what can I call it a harddrive?
What can I call it an SD card? What else can I see the memory of your phone, you've deleted that which was unnecessary and delete double so that the speed of your device became better.
You were able to put that which was more important and concentrate on something, otherwise your mind does become occupied. And your emotions are definitely
negative because of that negativity you hope.
So if there is a child who needs admonishment, we admonished them within the limits, that also is goodness. And we need to rectify the issue. Like I was saying, you saw someone you prayed for them. Now, if you're a speaker like I am, you might want to address the matter at a certain point in a way that does not embarrass the particular person. Productivity is when you know how to address a matter in a common way so that the person is included without feeling that this was only directed at me. You know, when I speak or when I tweet, sometimes people say Did you know what was going on in my life? The answer is No I didn't. I just know generally what's going on in the lives of all of us.
We're all human beings. So what I said was connected not to you to someone something sometimes a thought sometimes a discussion, whatever else it may have been, but you're included in it because the benefit should be brought again from the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him.
One day, people came to his wives and ask them questions.
And when they heard how productive he was, and he was a prophet of Allah, the One said, I'm never going to eat meat again. The one says, I'm going to pray all day, the one says, I'm going to do this and that and so on. When the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him came back and he heard about it. The talk or the lecture that he gave, he didn't mention names. To this day. We don't know who it was.
I give you another quick example. There was there was an Arab Bedouin Arab who urinated in the masjid. Have you ever heard that story?
Have you heard the story? There was a Bedouin Arab who came in to Masjid the neighbor, we at one stage, and without knowing he was desperate to use the loo, he went into one corner and he peed.
To this day, we don't know his name. SubhanAllah. But we just know the story. Because the lesson is for everyone, the lesson is more important than
individualizing it to the degree of embarrassment to the individual Subhanallah what was the point? Imagine calling out your name and saying Right, so and so this is what you did. This is what happened. This is very bad. You shouldn't do it again. And so and so and so you know what? The proper Islamic way of doing things if I need to tell you because I'm a headmaster at a school or I'm a parent, I may tell you individually without embarrassing you, like the Prophet sallallahu Sallam went to this man and told him
you're not supposed to be in this Masjid. The Masjid is not for this. It is for Quran. It is for dhikr remembrance of Allah. It is for Ibadah it is for Salah and so on. And the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him made him understand what it was all about. The man was so happy. Watch the productivity of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. That man was super excited. Do you know what he said? He says Allahumma Romney or hum Muhammad and Walter humma Anna.
Oh Allah have mercy on me. Have mercy on Muhammad peace be upon him. But besides the two of us don't have mercy on anyone. Why did he say that? Because the others were shouting at you. That's why the others were literally shouting at him, scolding him, admonishing him, and he felt it imagine Subhan Allah
may Allah Almighty grant us a lesson from this beautiful sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. So when he got up the Prophet salallahu Alaihe salam to address the matter of those who visited the home inquiring about his productivity. He says Ma Ba Lu Akua mean what a beautiful terminology in the Hadith. He says, What is it with some people, they promise that they will not do this and one promises he will not marry and one promises he will not eat meat in one ration and one promises he will do this and that we should strike a balance between all matters. That was the message. You have time to pray you have time to rest. My beloved children, you have time to play you
have time to pray and you have time to rest. Productivity is when you can
and manage the amount of productivity is when you can manage the time that you are going to be on your phone and we are all guilty, including myself, why should I take myself out of it?
We get carried away
on our phones. And sometimes people are talking to us productivity is to know when to put your phone aside. May Allah grant me the strength to do that.
Say, I mean, at least for me.
And may Allah grant all of us the strength to do the same mean. Mashallah.
So, when children play games, you need to know the limit of it, you can't play all day all night, you've got other things to do. I'm not saying don't play productivity is that you do have a portion of time that you play within but beyond that, come on, control yourself tomorrow, inshallah. Look at football, they also stop at 90 minutes, don't they? They do. Majan if they had to carry on all day, every day, he wouldn't even survive.
If it's really getting extremely exciting. They push through to extra time, don't they? How much is it? They tell you? 15 minutes, 15 minutes? I think so right? After that. What happens? They call it a sudden death because now we need to stop. Come on, guys. Now whoever scores this call, that's what it is. They'll go to penalties after that. There we go. But it stops at the point. What I'm trying to show you is there is a time frame for everything. You cannot pray all day. There are other duties you have, you need to go out and earn fighting laziness is one of the keys to productivity.
And you are you have to do it. Nobody is going to be able to do it for you. You have to push yourself in the morning to get up, wash up, cleanse,
put on your clothing and go do what you have to
during the virus. I remember from a psychological perspective. They used to say to us still get up in the morning worship dress up put your clothing as though you're going out but don't go out.
That was because we had a virus because if you did not do that, what would it result in, you slide into negativity your body starts you know becoming weak, you become lazy. You don't do exercise any more. So you become accustomed to sitting and lazing around all that will be negative and it will result in a lack of productivity long term. Long term, you become a lazy person, then you don't want to get up if they are from amongst us. Those who feel they don't want to get up in the morning I plead with you, my brothers, my sisters, try it out, push yourself, push yourself to get up Salatin. Fajr is the beginning of the day of a Muslim some of us a little bit earlier and some of us a little
bit later, a little bit later meaning earlier as insalata tahajjud and later meaning the beginning of Fudger or at least before the ending time of Fajr.
You get up you wash up you fulfill your Salatin Fajr or you are engaging in vicar. If for example you're not praying due to menstruation or whatever other reason, it may be a valid reason. Then my brothers, my sisters, what we need to know when you started your day on the right foot, your day will be blessed.
Your day will be blessed.
Allah Almighty has granted us such energy such goodness, such a beautiful body that it is more sophisticated than any computer. It is more sophisticated than any robot. It gets accustomed to something.
I said it in Malaga the other day that if you are used to getting up at a certain time like clockwork, when you set your alarm, automatically your body will wake up one minute before the alarm and you will turn it off. I see people nodding their heads because yes it's true it happens
for young people sometimes they might be too tired it may not be happening but put your clock don't allow yourself to hit snooze more than twice
because sometimes we it snows sleep snows sleep it becomes it becomes a habit. We snooze about 10 times until everyone is late and everything every day you're rushing.
Why is it that when we say
that we will be there at eight o'clock? Come eight o'clock people are still waiting for us. It happens right? Why can you not be there at five to eight for a change? Mashallah. Can you not be there a few minutes early for a change? We need to not just create an impression but change the world
Don't be there on time. And this is why salah is a gift in a Salah Turkana Talon, mini Nikita
buta, how Allah describes it that Salah is prescribed upon the believers at fixed times. One of the benefits of those fixed times is to be able to help you through your day
to lead your life in a timeless fashion, so that you're not late for things. Salah has an expiry some of the Salas are shorter in their duration or the duration within which you can fulfill it. Some of them are shorter, some of them are a little bit longer all that is the plan of Allah. You know, I was sitting pondering over certain
rules. One of them is the ruling of those prayers that are
with a recitation that is loud. And those prayers that are with the recitation that is soft. Have you realized during daylight hours, all those prayers Allah says fulfill them softly with a soft tone, imam in the masjid soft tone, there during daylight hours, there is an exception of Juma and Eid, and perhaps the Salawat with an exception.
But the five daily prayers generally the ones during daylight, they are silent.
And the ones that night when the sun is down, they're all loud.
Have you thought of why? How come? Well, the true reason is Allah decided that's the true reason. But if you want to ponder over it, you will come
to, to so many different reasons that that could have been the case. I'll give you an example. The hustle and the bustle of the day requires that for productivity you take a bit of a break.
They tell you let's start off our lesson. We are here at this beautiful college mashallah I visited here earlier today. And I met with some of our young boys and girls on the scholars and the the learners. MashAllah Tabata Kala, I tell you, you have a subject one period, and after that, another one, perhaps maybe a third one, but you have a break. You have a break of 15 minutes, 20 minutes, you go out, you have a bite something, maybe you might want to do something freshen up a little bit or just go and chill, relax. And then what happens? You come back after that, and you have another three or four lessons and then you go home. What's that all about? Why are the break because it is
better for your productivity
to break from time to time when you are concentrating on something Allah Almighty himself makes you break at a certain point because for salata, Lobo, you have to break anyway. Even if you're fasting, you it's not a lunch break anymore. It's a prayer break. That's what happens. Why? Because Allah has made us such that you will come back energized. Now you the hustle and the bustle, everyone was talking, everyone else is speaking and whatever you was there was there, the traffic is moving, the movement is happening. The sun is shining, the plants are photosynthesizing. And here you are when it's time for the prayer during the daylight hours, Allahu Akbar, dead silence. Dead silence.
Imagine how you are being recharged and you're concentrating in absolute silence and you're not upset you're not angry. It can't be bothering you because it's silent. It cannot be bothering you at all. It's silent.
During the hustle and bustle of the rest of the creations noise, the Almighty is telling you you be silent when you stand in front of me at that time. And then when everyone is supposed to now go back recline and so on early morning prayer Fajr you got up what do you do at a time when you're not supposed to be disturbing the rest of the people in fact, for Salat al Fajr it is supposed to be allowed in JAMA. So you come up and you know what the Imam wakes you up that's the beginning of my day and you reading it sounds beautiful loud it's in my ears melodious. Amazing versus certain sewers are preferred in Salatin. Fajr, for example, and I'm just listening to them. And that's the
beginning of my day. I've got a beautiful message. And now I start my day after that. And then when I come back from work, for example, my vote and also is already done, it was silent. The mercury is short, but loud.
Notice it's short, but loud. The Isha is a little bit longer and which is the longest of the prayers, the Fajr I'm sure you're aware of
sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. All this is magnificently decided by Allah, you're a Muslim, understand the plan of the maker, the one who prays five times a day has a unique life of productivity that you cannot imagine. And when I speak on productivity, I'm talking of holistic productivity, not just for this worldly life, my brothers, my sisters, many from amongst us, we're very productive, but only for one side, we've forgotten that there is another side, the eternal side of it, the akhira, the future, the hereafter, and this is why I say we get up for school at seven o'clock, but we could not get up an hour earlier for Allah.
So what is the productivity Subhanallah the productivity is that we need to maintain a balance between the two.
And make sure that you do your best.
Like I said earlier, if a person is engaging in the life of another person negatively, they cannot be productive,
because they are already occupied. You know, when the Prophet sallallaahu Salam was making dua against an enemy, he used to say, Oh Allah occupy them with themselves. That's what he used to say, Oh Allah occupy them with themselves. Allah Houma Shireen, who been of CE O 's she real whom be unfussy him, Oh Allah occupy them with themselves why so they won't be any productivity they will lose. Imagine making dua
in the case of those who used to plot against the Muslims, Allah is saying, or the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him is saying, Oh Allah, rather than them occupying themselves negatively with us, let them be occupied with themselves. And that's what would happen. They start crumbling, they start having their own issues, and now they are occupied. The same happens with us, when you would like to achieve something in life, understand, shrug off anything that's holding you down. When you want to fly, you need to be like a bird, you need to know the weight, you need to know how to flap your wings, you need to know what will bog you down, you need to know what is dangerous, and you need to
stay away from it. You need to know what is beneficial, and you need to have it and then you fly and see where you go.
See where you go.
May Allah Almighty strengthen us.
So it is our duty to help one another to lift one another up. If you think that you are the only one who is supposed to have achieved and everyone else should not have achieved that is short lived, it will live with you and it will die with you. And you will not leave behind the legacy because you did not include others in what you've achieved.
But the minute you realize I need to share what I have with a maximum number of people so that perhaps they might excel beyond me and assist humanity to take this thing to some other level. That's when you are much more productive.
How many of us have witnessed people who have businesses the day they died, the business died with them because they did not even teach their kids or let anyone know how they did the business. We saw it happening.
But if they had empowered someone, this is why the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him has emphasized teaching. Teach people reach out to them. Remember collectiveness is far more important.
Teach people reach out to them. Give them empower them, show them be happy when others learn from you. The hadith says you teach someone goodness, you get a reward of every one who is taught the goodness even from that person and the next person and the next person until the Day of Judgment, you will continue earning What reward? Why? Because you were concerned not just for yourself or humanity at large. These are all my family members. We're all connected and related. We're all on the earth. Surely if someone is achieving mashallah Tabata kala they would succeed in a greater way if they could within the boundaries of what is good. SHARE with others.
You know what, I just discovered this, Marcia, what did i What did you discover? I discovered that in order to eradicate a cancer, for example, you need to have an alkaline diet. Whoa, that was discovered a long time back. So to fight cancer, you need an alkaline diet, just an example. Now, another person will take that and take it
beyond what you just said, and perhaps find a solution for that, because of what you started, but if you died without having told people, what happens, it died with you. Where's the productivity? What happened?
My brothers, my sisters, to care about others
to care about others is one of the cornerstones of productivity. It starts at home, why does it start at home, because your family members were chosen by Allah, to invest in your children
will result in great productivity not just for yourself, for them to Subhanallah you invest in them, you spend time with them, you teach them, you sit with them, you correct them, you commend them, many of us don't commend. If you'd like to see productivity in a child, even if you're a school teacher. When the child achieved something, tell the child well done. Very proud of you. MashAllah well done. You've really achieved, give them an award, give them a prize, the others will see and want the prize? What did you do? You stirred within them the energy that wants to make them more productive? And what else did you do? The child whom you appreciated, will excel beyond because they
loved what just happened?
Acknowledgement appreciation, not just a school teacher, even as a parent,
one of the worst things you could do is to promise a child something upon an achievement. And when they achieve you change your mind, no chance. They say you become a happy I'll take you for Umrah Why did you make such a big promise when you know you cannot afford it? Right. And when they become happy to see ya, I know. But now you're making too many mistakes, excuses excuses, right? Don't do that you break the child, you break the person whom you made a promise to, if you achieve this, I'll give you this, make it a small thing.
Make it a minor thing, if you achieve, for example, if you become a half it will go on perhaps a cruise or a tour or something you know, you can give. And then when you've given them more, it's going to be a bonus. But when you give them less, you are destroying the productivity in them, they won't believe you. And children need incentives, they are extremely intelligent, but by nature and due to the environment of today, they are more inclined towards playing games and just playing the fool. But when you when you do when you help them dedicate upon something, and when you show them and teach them and you know how to help them grow, you might need a professional to assist you in
that they will grow beyond your imagination.
I'm going to say something I don't know if it's the right place to save. But let me say I think that the children of today need to start with their school one year before what it was. That's what I think. I know they've come up in a lot of countries with grade zero, which is a grade below grade one. I think it might have happened here or maybe they call it something else. And then prior to that you have the infant but the children are so sharp, they are exposed to so many things they they are extremely intelligent because of this exposure that is there. And subhanAllah there is sometimes so bored, so bored. Yes, they need to play yes, there needs to be a balanced Yes, you should not
take the childhood away from that child, but at the same time, they should start learning things. They should start learning things. That's just my take on it. Productivity May Allah subhanahu wa taala grant us goodness, my brothers, my sisters, I would be failing in my duty if I did not tell you that part of productivity of a Muslim is to spare your time to declutter somehow and create the time every single day to spend with the word of Allah.
What is the word of Allah the Quran? It is my duty. I should be ashamed of myself as a Muslim. If I have not read one verse during the day.
Is it too much?
How many times did you look at your phone today?
How many times have you read WhatsApp messages today? A young boy is saying 10 If the young boy is saying 10 An adult like me probably 100
Right.
So if you could do that so many times a day What about the word of Allah once a day just once open that app inshallah try. Discipline yourself like we said, if you want to achieve and you want to be productive, you need to be disciplined.
to
discipline, open the Quran, read one verse read its meaning and then ponder over it, you close it and carry on you didn't understand something, ask someone think about it next day, another verse, before you know it, you would have covered so much of ground and you know what happens? The Quran is such, when you start with one verse a day,
it magnetizes you, draws you towards it, it becomes two before you know it, and three and four. And after that it's a page a day, and then it becomes a quarter juice a day and the juice a day. And then you want to listen and so on.
In order to be productive as a Muslim, you must spend a portion of time, even if it is a small amount of time, per day with the word of Allah, the Quran, learn something new about your faith, learn from those who have learned the faith. Don't learn from the enemies who only want to pick on things and create doubts and confusion out of nothing. Subhanallah we're living in an age of social media. I remember I delivered the lecture many years ago on a topic. And later on people fabricated that I said something totally different from what was said. And I was thinking to myself, should I or should I not respond to it? Because when you respond, the response doesn't get to the haters.
But they love pedaling what they were peddling and they still pedal it. But the clarification I realized they have never invested time in listening to me anyway, why should I waste my time in responding to them?
Why leave them? Let them do as they want. That brings me to another very interesting point. Productivity demands that you ignore haters. As far as you can, I say as far as you can, because you might get to a point where you have to turn and say a few words. But as far as you can you ignore the haters let them see the naysayers for it, who didn't laugh who are more Bill ofii were added by ninja healing. Allah says you know what? Forgive
and instruct people to do good and turn away from the ignorance turn away. Allah says we're either Fatah hormonal Jai he no naka who Salah
a true worshipper of Allah when the ignorant addressed them they just say salaam which means BS you walk away the man swears you act as this about you that about you. You look at him you give him a broad smile saps and you walk away he is irritated because he tried to really bog you down he tried to make your blood boil and what happened? It didn't boil Subhanallah it's not tea is it? MashAllah
so this is how we are more productive. We are focused Masha Allah Tabata Kala,
my brothers and sisters.
Every opportunity you get given by Allah sees it. The hadith of Muhammad peace be upon him says and it's regarding productivity, religious productivity, as well as worldly secular productivity to achieve in both ways. The Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him tells us seize the opportunities before they are no longer what are the things that he speaks about? He speaks about seizing your young age before you get old when you're young you can achieve use that to do something you want to learn how to swim, go and learn. You want to learn how to fish go and learn. You want to learn how to dive go and learn. You want to learn? Sorry, I mentioned all of those because we're in the Maldives, right?
But you want to learn a language go and learn you want to learn something you want to do a subject do it do extra lessons now you are young, you are able you are capable, you will be able to push yourself, push yourself
to the limit.
Use your young age before it is overtaken by old age. When you're old, you won't even be able to move may Allah grant us goodness and make it easy for us at that time. Or if not as dramatic as you won't be able to move then at least when you're old you won't be able to do what you're able to do right now.
Right. Then what else did he say? He says Use your health before it is overtaken by sickness similar. Then he says Use your wealth before it is overtaken by poverty. If you have the means to do something today, do it. You have the means to be charitable do it. You have the means to build people to help them to for the sake of the Almighty to empower them do it you will find the reward of it will be the blessing
things in your life and the lives of those around you.
It's not just about me.
You know, we're in a school. So let me talk again about teachers, we have globally, if you check it out a shortage of teachers, people don't want to be teachers anymore, or very few want to be teachers. You know why? It's a very difficult profession. It's one of the few professions where your success is determined by the examination result of someone else. Have you thought about it? I'm a teacher, I did my best. But I'm teaching a class of children who failed. What will they say? They will look at me and say you failed. Agree. But it wasn't me. It was them. They were playing, they were not listening. They were this they will, they'll say, We don't care what it is, you, you are
the problem. Right? So who wants that? Who wants to work in a way where they determine my success based on other people's performance that I learned Allah?
Right? Have you thought of it? That's why people don't want to be a teachers anymore. They say no ways. I'd rather look, I'm the top I'm this I'm that and I performed and I achieved results. But I tell you, the blessing of being a teacher is unique. The Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him at the time of battle when they had captives of war and the captains of war for the muslimeen will always manage respectfully. He told them, we will free you
look at productivity. We will free you from this captivity, if you can teach 10 of our people to read and write.
Hey, subhanAllah empowering now. I want to pause for a moment because there's something that will make me cry that I'm about to say. I always think about it and it brings a tear to my eyes.
For them, what were they going to achieve?
They were going to teach someone to read and write remember, this is not a directly religious thing you learning from a non Muslim how to read and write, right? That's what it is. And now that you're learning how to read and write, what will they achieve as a result, Freedom.
Freedom to do what you can go now you free you no longer a captive why? Because you taught 10 people how to read and write. That was an instruction from Allah to the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. It happened he did it. And they will freely What did they get? They got what is called Paradise for them. Because this worldly life for those who still keen of Makkah, who never believed in anything besides the worldly life, they were released back into what they termed paradise do as you want, according to them.
Don't you think? If a Muslim had to teach people how to read and write, Allah would free them to?
Don't you think Allah would give them something they also would consider a paradise for them?
Don't you think it's worth it?
May Allah bless all our teachers
requires a lot of determination requires effort, they are investing in the children. You watch how the dedicated teachers, veterans, look at the children who cannot perform, and they make it their projects. This child is my project, the child cannot perform. I promise you in two years with the help of Allah, this child will be an a star student. Has it not happened? It has happened? I recall teachers who invested in me
on all levels, that's why I'm standing here in front of you today.
So at times, it's not about how much money you're going to earn. It's not people say why should I go to school? You know what I if it's all about money, I can earn money without going to school. I agree. The in principle, what you just said is like some of the richest people are the thickest people. Sorry.
But it's true. And some of the most intelligent are not necessarily wealthy at all. Right? Allah is showing you but is it about being the richest? Or do you just need enough to be able to live and enjoy life and worship Allah and be as productive as you can build others who perhaps will serve in different departments of living communities and societies, whether it is spiritual, whatever else it may be, I was taught English I was taught so many other subjects by people who were not Muslim, and a time came when I channeled into
this that I am right now so I'm
speaking to you,
but it was a lot that happened. So, when you are teaching someone the reward of it the blessings of it is what is more important.
The blessings, you will find contentment, you will find your own children will achieve a lot
in sha Allah,
you will find other goodness perhaps Allah gives you good health perhaps Allah gives you a respect amongst society. Perhaps Allah propels you to something you didn't imagine you wouldn't have got had you not been in that particular position.
All this is something beyond wealth. Money cannot buy you respect. People respect money, but they don't necessarily respect you.
Driving a flashy car either as somebody greeting the vehicle, not you. It's the car, same guy come back tomorrow with an old 1960s Don't even look at you when? Yes, why? Because that's the world. That's what has happened today. Money cannot buy you certain things understand this.
That's why when you have it Allah tells you part of productivity is to initiate projects that will be an endowment for you beyond your death, either mattogno adama in kappa Anwar Amma Lu Illa Mills Allah to
look at productivity again from this hadith. The Prophet sallallahu Sallam says when a person dies when the son of Adam meaning a human being passes away, his deeds the real meaning the deeds are cut off from him at that point. Besides three things, what are the three things? One of them is knowledge that they taught you taught someone while you're going to keep on getting a reward, even after you die? Allahu Akbar. I didn't really get a salary because I was a teacher. I was a mother as a teacher to make it even worse. Right?
I didn't really get a salary, they paid me a few, a few dollars, a few coins. That's it, I couldn't really afford much. But when the man dies, or the woman dies, the reward clocks anyone who's benefited from you and benefit benefited from the one who benefited from you and benefited from the one who benefited from the one who benefited from you and so on and so on and so on. The reward keeps clicking until when Isla yo milky Yama
until the Day of Judgment.
That's a sadaqa jariya it's a charity why would the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him tell us that it is such a grand charity that will continue in reward way beyond your death because of its importance. And because it is sowing the seed of productivity. Bearing in mind that when you were teaching, without you realizing your teachers all clocked the reward, keep on clocking and their teachers and their teachers and so on. It's it's just something magnificent, I sometimes sit and I think of how
there is a there is an app, it's called Flight radar or flight aware, right, where you can open it and you see all the flights, you want to follow a flight where it is when it is landing, when it is coming where it is right now. And so many other details of the aeroplanes and so on, you see all these yellow aeroplanes across the globe in real time. Right?
When I sit in think of the reward of a sadaqa jariya, especially when it comes to that which is continuing after your death. And I say to myself, imagine if this was actually shown by these lines and marks, it would be a globe filled with so many of these lines and marks going all over because of you and just for you.
That's the reward. mind boggling, mind boggling.
May Allah grant us goodness. Thereafter, he says,
a person
a person who has taught something, a person who leaves behind the child who's going to pray for them. What did I say earlier? Invest in your children teach them and the first things you teach them, teach them about religion. Teach them about Allah, that's the first thing that should start
in the life of your child. The reason is, you don't know how long the child is going to live. You don't know how long you're going to live? Yes, the education of the world is important. But that is temporary. Many people do not have the education and they've still made it in life. But not many people have not known about Allah and then made it in the hereafter. In fact, that's not possible. Unless by the mercy of Allah somehow.
But Subhanallah you teach them when you teach them what will happen? You pass on they won't say my father's did. Now I can quickly claim all these in *.
instance.
What did you just say?
Are you okay? In your mind?
Your father just passed away? Why don't you say Allah humma? It will help. May Allah have mercy on him, it will help. But rather than that people are after all other things.
Material materialism should not take over to that degree. No. You invested in your child. Well, Adam Saleh, um, you know.
And the third thing mentioned, and it's not in the exact order, I'm saying it, but it's in the Hadith sadaqa jariya, a sadaqa jariya, where you have given a charity, the benefit of which extends beyond your life, that's called a saga pattern, Jerry, I built a school,
I drilled a borehole
I planted trees,
I put up an endowment, the benefit of which is going to go to the poor, the widows, the orphans, or those who can't afford fees and so on, or to clothe people, whatever else for as long as your charitable deed that you did. In order to benefit long term for as long as that continues you clock a reward? Why? Again, it goes back to productivity and nothing else. You thought about the future? What did I say the first sentence today? I said, Those who think about the future? And do something about it positively? What is the future? Not just for me, all these people? How will they benefit? So what will I do? I'm going to repay this road, I'm going to come up with an initiative, we're
going to put up a bridge, we're going to do this, we're going to do that. It might seem like that is just worldly, but I promise you, if people have benefited from it, you will have a reward. Evidence of it is the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him says whoever planted the tree. Every time someone gets shade from the tree, or fruit from the tree? That person gets the reward.
Shade from a tree you get to reward?
Who got that shade? Not use someone else? Other people or fruit from a tree? If that's the case, what about a bridge? What about repairing the road? What about the borehole for the public? What about something for people for everyone? And anyone? What about that for animals and so on? Do you think about the future? Do you come up with these ideas? Do you plan 50 years ahead and tell yourself you know what, I need to do something let me SIP let me think let's gather our friends. It's not just about me.
The whole reason why we're talking about this topic today is in order for us to be the most successful, both in this world and in the hereafter. That's the reason why we're talking about this. And in order for that to happen, we definitely have to build the relationship with Allah. I've already spoken about salah I've already spoken about Quran, and that itself will lead you towards your beautiful dress code, your lovely way of speaking, your beautiful mannerisms, your etiquettes, character, conduct, and so on all of that in its place. But you also need to care about the future of mankind. You be productive by engaging
in projects that will preserve
the world. For those who are to come. We talk about preservation. It's not my field. But I can tell you from a religious perspective, you would get a reward to ensure that the see is not contaminated so that the future generations can benefit from it, you would get the reward to ensure that the environment is not contaminated to the degree that the others will not benefit rather, we protect it so they can benefit. The thought, the planning, all of that is part of Islam. It's part of the life of a Muslim, think long term. When we sit and talk today about Muslims in Islam. Many times we talk about even Xena, we talk about the people who lived a long time ago we talk about their
achievements. What about my achievements, what about your achievements? What are you going to do? What are you achieving? What have you achieved? We can we have we should we must
but it requires great dedication.
My beloved brothers and sisters I ask Allah Almighty to open our doors. I ask Allah Almighty to open our minds to help us strike a beautiful balance the balance between that which is beneficial for work the worldly life of ours here, and that which is beneficial for the hereafter.
And we ask Allah Almighty to help us to be an asset to our family members to begin with to our societies and communities, to our cities to our nation.
And, and to humanity at large. May Allah really make us amazing people, we don't have time to bicker, we don't have time to talk to one another in a derogatory way, we don't have time to be belittling one another, being petty, all of that we need to do away with it. Come on, let's mature ourselves and carry good discussion, even when disagreeing. This is the fourth time I'm saying it in this country, even when disagreeing, we need to disagree with respect, because there is a disease nowadays.
Even amongst religious people, when we disagree, we have to swear we have to insult we have to be liberal, we have to say some derogatory words. That's the only time we've made our disagreement clear. That's not it. That's not a productive Muslim. That's not the quality of a Muslim at all. You disagree. You can disagree as strongly as you want, but in a mature manner, in a proper fashion. You say, Listen, I do not agree with what you've just said. But you know what? I respect you. It's okay. That's your opinion. This is mine. Well, I might say, let's discuss it. We can discuss it without swear words without raising our voices without insulting each other. Because the minute you do that,
you lack productivity, you're going nowhere. It's going to become a matter of screaming and swearing and insulting. Whoever can insult louder. They are the winners. I went to Egypt once many years ago. Some of you I'm sure you might have visited.
And the driver who was driving the car,
the taxi, he bumped into the guy in front. He bumped into the guy in front, he came out. And he started swearing and the other guy was swearing. And he swore louder and that guy was screaming louder and this guy, and I'm thinking to myself, it's not such a serious bump anyway, I thought maybe they call the police anyway, five minutes of screaming and yelling in this way and that way. Then he jumps into the car, and he drives off. I told him what happened. He said, This is must. This is Egypt. He says nothing happened. I just told him don't do this again. I said what is it? I said, Whoa, I was quiet. I didn't want to insult him further away to say anything because
the culture at that time was whoever can scream louder. One Demetri jump into your car goodbye. I feel good about myself and I'm gone. Come on.
I thought to myself one day I need to talk about this man. He don't just do that. Even if you jump out of your vehicle. What happened? Did anyone die? Are you worried about anyone? You're worried about life? Is anyone injured? Does it require any medical
assistance due to emergency? No? Then you thank Allah. Now let's look at the vehicles. Okay, how is the damage? Can I move can I not move what to do? You may want to call the traffic police or whatever the law is in the land that happened. And you might want to continue but do it with respect no need to get agitated? People get so angry accident is called an accident because it is exactly that. It's just an accident. No one bumps into you purposely and they come from the back with their car or their motorbikes and booth the bumping and say, Sorry, sir. The kitchen that happens? Not at all.
Or they say I just wanted to see what it I just wanted to feel what it felt like to bump into you. You know you have a nice car, by the way. Oh, and does that. It's called an accident. But have you noticed how when an accident happens? People get angry? Couldn't you see you have eyes or potatoes? Say Oh, relax. So potatoes.
Can't you see? Can't you think What are you doing? What are you thinking? It's too late to get upset and angry. Don't get angry. You might want to say look, this shouldn't happen again. And perhaps you are wrong. They may be penalized. They might pay a fine and we continue May Allah Almighty grant us ease. I've spoken for a whole hour.
I think I should carry on right. So Kenya Michelle, everyone's saying yes. My brothers and sisters in ado. This is a beautiful place. This crowd has always been a beautiful crowd I see faces I recognize from the last time some of them and others I don't. But Masha Allah may Allah bless you and grant you growth may Allah subhanahu wa taala grant you development not just in your city, but even within your hearts within your connection with Allah. May Allah Almighty bless your nation, and may Allah Almighty take you from strength to strength. Amin Akula Kohli hada sallahu wa salam ala Nabina Muhammad