The Straight Path Convention in Kuala Lumpur discusses the Divine Rights this year. This lecture is regarding the rights of Muslims upon other Muslims.
Mufti Menk – Rights of Muslims
AI: Summary ©
The importance of sharing common parents and faith in Islam for security is emphasized, along with the need for a greeting in a better way to avoid harms. The use of hate speech and social media is discussed, along with the importance of forgiveness and balancing character and conduct. Being aware of one's body's potential health and well-being is emphasized, along with the need for everyone to stay safe and stay healthy.
AI: Summary ©
Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.
Bismillah al Rahman al Rahim, we always commence In the name of Allah subhanho wa Taala Most Gracious, Most Merciful Alhamdulillah we thank Allah subhanho wa Taala. For everything that he has bestowed upon us, we thank him upon the goodness that he has granted us, we thank him upon the challenges that he has placed in our lives, we seek His help to overcome those challenges. What was suddenly what was suddenly moholoholo
Nabina Muhammad Ali, he was happy blessings and salutations upon Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam the best of creation, the most noble of all prophets, the one who was sent to us to teach us all this goodness, we indeed owe him a lot. And the minimum is for us to send blessings and salutations upon him at all times, whenever we can remember. And whenever we say his name, we ask Allah subhanho wa Taala to bless his household, his companions, and every one of us in the Omaha Lodge, my brothers and sisters in Islam, I have a topic to discuss today, which is absolutely important for every one of us, the rights of the Muslim upon another Muslim. Now you and I know that
not everyone is related to you in the same way. Hence, the rights that need to be fulfilled, would actually depend on how close you are in relationship. For example, if a person is a Muslim, well, let's start off with someone who's not a Muslim. If a person is not a Muslim, they have rights over you, you need to help them you need to reach out to them you need to be honest and genuine, you need to be a person who cares in the sense that a single life as per the Quran, if you were to save a single life, it is as though you have saved entire humanity. That right is not just for a Muslim, but it is for enough's for anyone like Allah subhanho wa Taala, says, woman,
Jeremy,
whoever saves a single soul, single person, no matter who they are, it is as though they have saved entire humanity, it goes to show how sacred life is. So that is, even if a person is not a Muslim, but when a person is a Muslim, they are related to you in two ways. One is humanity. And two is they share the same faith. So we share the same makeup. That's why I'm related to you. I tell you why. Or I tell you how.
Your brother or sister from your mother and father, how are they related to you? And why are they so important, because you share a common parent of both parents agreed. If you have both parents in common, the relationship is far greater than if you were to have one parent in common. But that too, is a great relationship, you are mahamudra meaning you cannot marry each other. You there are so many rights to be fulfilled. And the bond is you have one set of parents. What if you have one maker who made you, your related what's my relationship with the rest of the Jews and the Christians and the Hindus and the Buddhists and whoever else?
My relationship is, I believe I was created.
And I believe that that creator created them to
that's my relationship. So I need to be concerned I need to reach out to them. Goodness, I need to make sure that they are not harmed. There is no injustice happening. And at the same time, I need to remind them of the maker to say you know what? We are made by the maker. Let's worship Him alone, whether they choose to do it or not. They are free because Allah subhanho wa Taala says,
de
domina ye a beautiful verse just after ayatul kursi Allah subhanho wa Taala says there is no compulsion. When it comes to entry into the faith. You cannot compel someone that's the test from Allah. So you cannot force someone to write an answer that they perhaps do not feel is correct. But it's their duty is definitely their duty to look into it. And it's our duty to make sure that we worship our maker alone. So that is how we are connected to them. We have the same maker. But if you have the same maker and the same parents, you are related in a stronger way, if you have the same maker and you are following the same set of rules and regulations and the same messenger you belong
to an oma so they have more rights. It's not like the others don't have rights and the reason I'm expanding on this
A few moments is because there are so many people who think that when we talk about the rights of a Muslim upon another Muslim, it means the non Muslims have no rights whatsoever. That's why I'm telling you that non Muslims do have rights. But the Muslims have more rights because there is a little bit more in common, just like if someone was a Muslim, and they were your neighbor, they have more rights, and they have some unique rights because of the fact that they are your neighbors. If someone is a Muslim, and they're your neighbor, and they are related to you, they have even more rights. So Han Allah, so this is what we are saying, my brothers and sisters, let's try and
understand that when Allah Subhana, Allah, Allah created us, He created us in a certain way for certain reasons. And every time there is an opportunity to gain closeness to Allah through the way he made us. Amazing. So if Allah made you a certain color, certain race, for example, certain nationality, you were born in a certain country, there are certain things that we had no say in whatsoever. That's a challenge. It's a test for you. What are you going to do about it? I always say, when Allah has given you, the test is what will you do with it? When Allah has not given you the test is, what will you do about it?
I don't have, for example, wealth, or I'm not married, for example, or I don't have a qualification, whatever, maybe I don't have something that others do have, what am I going to do about it? That's the test. And if I do have the money and the power and the everything else, what am I going to do with it? That's the test. When you have it, it's what are you going to do with it? When you don't have it? What are you going to do about it? And that's your test. May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us pass our tests. So the first thing that we always talk about when it comes to the Muslim is the name of Islam. Islam means peace and it also means to submit so he who submits to Allah, the she who
submits to Allah subhanho wa Taala, they will definitely attain peace by the will of Allah subhanho wa Taala. But there is a greeting known as a Salam as well. So you greet
salam, aleikum. Subhana Allah,
and that greeting is so important that it is a guarantee to your fellow Muslims that you are not going to harm the Muslim.
Now one might ask that you know what, what about the non Muslim? Can I not say salaam aleikum to them?
And if they were to say a salaam aleikum to me What should I say? Well, I need to remind you of something beautiful, that it's not wrong to greet or to respond to a greeting, a cultural greeting, for example, with a non Muslim, however, at the time of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam. There were certain people who hated Islam and they hated him and they used to change this greeting and use words that sounded similar but had bad meanings. For example, they would say a Somali which means death upon you.
I imagine I'm innocently thinking that this man is saying a Salaam Alaikum and they just saying Somalia which means death upon you. And am I supposed to respond and how am I supposed to respond so I shall have the alarm on her she heard it and when she heard this, she responded wirelessly to someone Lana
that means Yeah, you saying did upon us okay and upon you death and the curse of the Almighty. So the Prophet peace be upon him, you know, he was sent as a mercy. He says, Take it easy or Asia relax, take it easy.
If they say something of this nature, greed, you you just say hello. So if someone greets you, and they say Salaam Alaikum, you're not sure. You just say why they come that means and you do. So if they say curse me upon you, you say you do.
And if they say Peace be upon you, and you do so they would gain either way. This is a beautiful narration. The reason why I love it is it shows us how to react. Sometimes when a person does something bad. We react in a way that makes the problem bigger, compounded no Look at this beautiful narration easily just
so panela so this is why the prophet SAW Selim says you don't have to start them with a greeting. You know, if I were to see someone who's not a Muslim, I can say Hello, Hi, good morning. How are you? What's going on etc. All these greetings are fine as salaam alaikum is a sacred greeting May peace be upon you. Yes. If I've heard it clearly from someone who's not a Muslim, I can respond it equally. I can respond to equally why the Quran says why either
I mean,
in
Tunisia in
when you are greeted with a greeting, Allah didn't say who greeted you when you are greeted with the greeting. So respond to the greeting in a better way. That's an instruction of Allah when you are greeted with a greeting, respond in a better way or if you're not going to respond in a better way, at least in the same way for how you will be axon Amina. Oh to at least reply it. Why? Because the end of the verse says something even more beautiful in Allah can Allah Krishna in a Seba Indeed Allah takes account of everything. So if you say a Salam Alaikum there are 10 rewards Rahmatullahi another 10 rewards wabarakatu another 10 rewards and if someone were to reply, and just say while
they come, they get a very small reward for it you're supposed to reply in the equal way or in a better way. Now please my brothers and sisters let's understand something
to add to an Islamic greeting that which is not from amongst the sooner would be contradictory to the Sunnah of the Prophet salaallah Salah because I have heard people say
salam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato. Mashallah sounds nice. Okay. And then the other person says, why they call salam wa Rahmatullahi wa barakato one
way Take it easy.
The professor solemn would have gone well beyond that hadn't been so you say La Casa La, la,
la La, la, la. Now Now what did I do? I converted now into a draw. So I stopped at about a quarter because the process of selling stuff there and I will continue with a draw for the person May Allah give you gentlemen Allah bless you. May Allah grant you good health. May Allah give you the best in the dunya and the afra. May Allah really give that to all of you. I mean,
and me too.
So my brothers and sisters, that's a beautiful greeting. If I if someone has greeted me that way, I must reply it better or in the same way. This shows us when someone does good to us, we need to do better back to them, or at least don't harm them. At least do something similar. I usually am going to say something first of all, okay. Sometimes online when I get a chance, I see some hate speech. Sometimes people who don't know you, they have not interacted with you. They don't know how you move around. They think perhaps you're eating the money of the people. They don't know how much you have spent from your own pocket for the dour, etc. They know nothing about you and they start spreading
hate and when they spread this hate you think to yourself I think to myself sometimes the sister this brother, they don't know who I am. They have no clue who I am. Imagine. The only thing I've done is I've helped them I've tried to teach them I've tried to reach out to them and in return instead of doing something better, which I did, I don't even want they cannot even do something equal. Which Okay, I still don't want but they cannot even remain quiet. Which is the minimum I would like some Hana law. They want to say something negative. This is why nowadays we say that your best friends are no longer those who help you. It used to be few years ago
your best friends are no longer those who help you. They are those who do not harm you.
Trust me The world has changed
your best friends if someone doesn't harm me well law he that's a tough person. They haven't spoken bad about me behind my back when they've heard someone else speaking bad about me. They walked away that was good enough, even if they didn't have the power to defend because people would say things but to harm Be careful my brothers and sisters that's how shaman traps us. So this is a right that we have over one another as muslimeen to protect each other behind our backs is the right did you know that?
Subhana Allah.
Allah He is a Hadith of the prophets of Salaam, a Muslim for another Muslim protects the one behind their backs without them knowing rather than that today, we do the opposite. I promise you take a look at social media. We use it to cuss people you know the meaning of the term cuz we use it to harm to say bad things to make a mockery and we are lying. And a lot of the times it's not a guided statement. It's totally misguided. We don't know the person we're referring to. And this is sometimes the reason why we suffer in our own lives is because we are harming a friend of Allah. That's why we are suffering. So you have medical problems, family problems, financial problems or
other problems and you still have hate on your fingertips when you catch your phone when you hold your phone. A lot of hatred and you're talking about this man
That woman and the sister and that one. Did you see her? She started covering? Who does she think she is? She thinks that jabril came to her in the law. Why do you have to see all of this? For what? By you making those statements? If someone wants to cover let them cover? If you have not got to that point no problem we respect you as a human as a Muslim or perhaps and we know everyone has weaknesses perhaps you will work on it but don't prevent someone else from getting closer to Allah I have had cases where forget about the rights of Muslim upon Muslim but the father the mother, they tell the daughter that you know, why are you putting on a scarf on your head you're going to cause
problems for us take it off remove it and this is happening more and more especially in the Western countries with parents are forcing their children not to be close to Allah even though the child is strong enough and says you know what? I don't mind if people laugh at me joking me I really don't mind if I picked you know at an airport for random searching because random means Muslim, you know that.
I was asked once What's your name enabled? I almost said Mr. Random, but I left it.
I left it. But I don't mind honestly. So if that's the what my little payment to please Allah subhanho wa Taala is that I'm going to be called out for one hour question. It's my opportunity to give an hour to the same person. I swear I'm looking at him thinking please stop me man. Stop me. I need to get the message across the room. So Hon, Allah I need to talk to you, please. And when the brother says, You make proceed,
punctured my balloon here. May Allah subhanho wa Taala have it all depends on how you look at it. Some people may say, Sorry, sir, we'd like to serve you. Why? Because I'm a Muslim. What do you think that's not the right way to react? Go back to that hadith of eyeshadow.
Relax, take it easy. Think about it, it's your chance, your opportunity, Allah wanted it that way. They're gonna hold you here for 12 hours, it's gonna be your opportunity. Once I had a really big problem, okay, without getting into details, but not too long ago. So I walked through and they told me Listen, sir, X, Y, and Z, meaning they read out whatever they had to read out to me. And they told me what was to happen. And I was so calm, it was with an airline. And I was so calm, and I was relaxed. And I looked at all these sisters who were there. So panela, my sisters in humanity. And what happened is that they were telling me, I was coming. And I know the instruction is not from
them. It's coming from somewhere above what we do, we become upset and angry with the person lower down who's got nothing to do with the whole thing. And I was so common, I was smiling until one of them commented to see you or the first person whom this has happened to.
And you're just smiling.
I said, You know why? Because I believe in the maker. And I believe if I am not meant to be in a certain place at a certain time, the whole world can try to get me there, and I will not be there.
And I believe that if I meant to be here talking to you, then that's what it is. And I can stand here for how many hours I'm not worried. I really am not worried, because I've tried my best. And that's it. And we will still try our best. So anyway, we were delayed for two days, somewhere. Two days, I promise you to hold it.
And guess what I did? I was just Hello. What's happening guys? I went back the next day and the same thing happened and I was just okay, no, that's fine. It's okay. Look, we're gonna try. It's not your fault. We'll love him, I hope and I pray that the mark that was left was actually a mark for Islam and the Muslims to say that there are people who have proper character and conduct I'm very far from perfection, nowhere near there. But it's one aspect that I tried, tried, only tried to practice upon. And I'm sure if there was a mark left, I promise you. These are the rights we have over one another as a Muslim, you need to I'm not going in any order here because I'm seeing what's coming to
my mind right here. And right now although I do have a list in front of me.
As a Muslim, you need to choose the best possible words when you are speaking to one another regarding anything because Allah speaks about the non Muslims in the Quran. And Allah speaks about the people of the book, you know, the People of the Book referring to the Jews and the Christians and Allah says, In that regard, oduro Allah has been a big magic.
Genie has Anna wotja.
Big, sudden
call to the path of your Lord,
with wisdom, with wisdom.
And with the best speech, the best reminder.
Allah is talking about how you're supposed to be calling the non Muslims towards Islam. And then Allah says when you present your argument Jatin whom bility he is and present your arguments.
in the best possible way. So the question I have is, if we are supposed to be talking to the Jews and the Christians and the others who are not Muslim in the best possible way, using the best examples using the best words, what do you think is our duty towards one another? That's a question.
simple logic.
one another, the Hadith says a Muslim woman Salima Muslim una melissani de vida de, a true Muslim, is he or she whom all the others are safeguarded, from the evils of his tongue and his hand, no verbal abuse at all. No bad words at all. No physical abuse at all. That is referring to the other muslimeen SubhanAllah. Imagine within your own room, your neighbors, your relatives, those who work for you, those whom you work for your colleagues, the others whom you meet in the masjid, those who are right here right now, what is your duty towards them? Well, law here, you're not allowed to harm them, abused them physically, verbally at all, you're not allowed to say one word that would be
hurtful to them, even if you are correcting them.
You may want to correct me, I may want to correct you, I need to do it in such a way that you feel so honored to be corrected regarding the instruction of Muhammad Sallallahu, alayhi wasallam, this is what it is. You need to feel the honor, if I'm telling you, my brother, you are wrong, I don't say hey, you know nothing, you're going straight to *. That's what some people are saying. They come to Muslims who pray five times a day read the Shahada, we might have a few differences of opinion. And they come and say you're a coffee.
What did you say?
That is strange. So panela?
How could you utter those words, when the Prophet sallallahu wasallam says quite clearly,
that when the Prophet sallallahu wasallam says quite clearly, that you're not supposed to say a single word that is abusive, that is harmful
to one another. So I want everyone to look into their hearts right now right here.
And to promise yourself, between you and Allah, that you and I, we will improve the way we speak to our spouses, to our children, to our brothers and sisters, to our family members, to our parents, to our in laws, whoever else. In laws of Panama, every time we speak about in laws.
May Allah forgive us? No, recently, I've been asking all along that why do they say law? Where does the law come in? You know, is this something so bad? That we're planning that we have to speak about law in law? Couldn't they have a better word like, in love or something, you know?
So that's my father in law, you know? Imagine that's my mother in love. Wow.
That would be amazing. Because you know, if you want to develop a slightly Indian accent, maybe you might say instead of low they instead of love, they say low so maybe perhaps it could happen. But no, they someone answered recently, they told me you see, you have a father, he becomes a father in law. You have a son, he becomes a son in law. You have a daughter, she becomes a daughter in law. You have a mother she becomes a mother in law. You have a wife, what does she become?
She is the law.
May Allah subhanho wa Taala forgive us?
Anyway as muslimeen we don't face that problem Alhamdulillah we don't face it at all because
for us is in love with Sharla we're in love Mashallah. Allah subhanho wa Taala bless my father in loves and my mother's love Mashallah. And may Allah subhanho wa Taala grant us all goodness, may Allah subhanho wa Taala blesses my brothers and sisters, I spoke about the greeting. I spoke about how important it is not to harm people how important it is when Allah says, Hello.
Is the recompense of goodness, anything besides goodness? Salatu Rahman. Immediately after that Allah says, For ba
ba Kuma
which is it of the favors of your Lord? Do you deny Subhana Allah
The recompense of goodness. Is it anything besides goodness, the answer is no, it is goodness, a lot of us we don't recompense goodness with goodness rather we recompense it with hurt with hate,
with enmity with destruction disunity, and that's what it is. Someone did good to you all your all your life.
At the end of the day, all you did is threw it straight out of the window. Nothing. Someone tried to teach you reach out to you people did things, you know. And that's it. A person cooks for you, a person cooks for you.
And they spent hours on end preparing the meal and the only thing you could do was to pick on what was wrong.
That's what we do.
Rather than saying, imagine you have a dish, and you are the person who cooked forgot to put some salt You see, I heard salt coming from the crowd. They know it just happened. It's normal. I think Allah makes it happen because it might be coincidental Vasco Allah, there's no coincidence. He knew it was going to happen before he were born. It was already written this day, this time, there'll be no salt, we'll be watching the angels will be writing. And as you put the food in your mouth, the angels are writing and they just see your reaction pass or fail. Allahu Akbar.
So if you were to taste it as
making the tick, you get 10 out of 10. So Pamela says this is absolutely lovely. How long did it take you to make this?
Wow, you can say you can quietly bring a bit of salt, you know, I prefer a little bit more salt. You looked after someone's feelings? That's what you did. You looked after a person you care for you love perhaps even if it was a paid cook, at least you didn't hurt their feelings. May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us and guide us. Okay, let's move on quite quickly. So there are so many integrations that make mention of various rights that we have over one another. So in one duration, there is mention of five all in a row. That does not mean that the only rights that we have over one another are these five. But these five are when they were mentioned all at once, at one specific time for a
reason. Just like when we say Who are the people who will be going to paradise and who have already been told in their lifetime that you are going to paradise, people might say they are 10, they are not 10 there are so many but 10 were mentioned once in one generation, that doesn't mean that they will only 10.
The same applies to the names of Allah subhanho wa Taala. We know 99 have been mentioned in one specific narration. But Allah has many more names than that. If you were to memorize 99, out of all of the names, that's good enough.
So this is just a way of explaining that the rights go well beyond five, but what are these,
when you are greeted you respond the greeting so to greet is asuna. But to reply is a foreign What that means is to greet is voluntary, but to reply is compulsory. One might say how come because the response is actually what was dictated in the Quran. And I've already read the verse for you, dictated by Allah when you are greeted greet back, that's an instruction, I cannot change it. It's not compulsory, Allah says it. So that's what it is, then we have.
If a person invites you, you need to respond
to the invitation, they invite you for food,
you have to respond if you're a believer, it's one of their rights. But this is not a facade, right, which means some scholars say if it is a wedding, what is known as walima. And if it is done properly, according to the laws of Allah subhanho wa Taala, the do's and don'ts are taken care of, and you have no valid excuse, then you have to go, there's no option you have to go. That's what some of the scholars say. But a lot of them say, look, it's recommended to go, it's recommended to go and if there is something wrong happening, you cannot go now, how do we understand this? We are seated here in the midst of, I think, a little bit more than a few 1000 people here.
Imagine you were to invite me and say you have to come, I can only go to one person's house, or I can only enjoy a meal with one group of people. It's possible. What about the rest, they will write you hate mail, he came he went to the rich people's house, you can come to them. Everyone uses their own excuse. You know, it's just a cheap way of explaining who we are sometimes. So you have to find an excuse for the person as well. If they cannot respond to your invitation, you need to know that there is a valid reason and you don't need to know the reason sometimes you can say look, I cannot make it so no problem. That's it. That's also a right to understand when someone presents an excuse
to understand, don't become dirty, don't become hard. You know, people say I know I've tasted this. People say you only go to the rich and famous. That's because you don't know you don't live with me my life. Perhaps the bulk of it is with those who are way, way below the general level of the poor person in your country. So Panama, and this is honest. So what I don't need to explain that to the world. But if you hate me as a result and you think you know what, this guy didn't come this person didn't respond. Like I was invited to a certain Masjid
and I couldn't go because I didn't have the time.
I was I had a duplicate appointment. And I excused myself and I got such a nasty mail. I'll never forget it.
It's not like I have not forgiven but I won't forget it. You know this business of forgiven forget, it doesn't work. I don't know if you've ever heard, forgiven forget,
we will forgive, but we will remember it. Because the audience is not even interested in Washington. murottal. a true believer has never bitten from the same source twice. So if you forgot, you're going to be bitten again.
So to say forgive and forget. Sometimes it's a way of blackmailing people, I think that Allah subhanho wa Taala help us. But what is meant, perhaps by forget is not that you don't remember the incident, but you have forgotten. You've tried your best perhaps to forget the hurt that it caused, or maybe to forget, things that you might have thought you were to do in return and whatever else. But forgiveness, definitely we cannot compromise that is definitely encouraged. Very, very strongly in Islam. That's also one of the rights. One of the rights is for us to forgive one another as far as possible, learn to forgive, learn to forgive. Okay, so if a person invites you, we respond to the
invitation then, when someone sneezes, and they praise Allah Alhamdulillah for you to respond to that with a draft for them is a right they have over you. So if I sneeze right now, and I said hamdulillah and you've heard it, it's your duty to say your hammock Allah may Allah have mercy on you. Because sneezing is a gift of Allah, it has
perhaps deflected or held back some form of bacteria or disease or anything else that may want to get into your system of foreign objects of bodies, whatever. And you sneeze you need to say Alhamdulillah Praise be to Allah.
And the person who hears that it's their right it's their duty to say your hammock Allah or your hammock, Allah if you're a female.
If the one sneezing was a female, why? Because we should think Allah upon the goodness of someone else. And that's why going straight into another right, that we have amongst one another that we fail a lot of the times is to be happy at the happiness of another and to be sad at the loss of another. That's right a
lot of Hari Sharma Amata Talia he don't ever become pleased at the loss of your brother. Why? Because there is a chance your hammer Allahu
Allah might have mercy on that person and test you with the same. So don't show like you're excited. You know, you hear that someone suffered the loss. You say? Yes. I'm glad they deserved it. None at all. Someone passed away who finally? May Allah forgive us. You don't say that. No matter what, when there is a loss, you need to make sure that you definitely feel the pain, even if the degree is small, but you're a human and on top of that you are a member of the oma. So that is one of the rights. And how do we know this? It comes and it stems from the issue of when you sneeze and you said hamdulillah there should be a response with a dryer hammock Allah and there should be a
response again coming from this Nisa to say yeah, de como la jolla. Allah, may Allah guide you and improve your affairs. This is something that is beautiful. Have you noticed in Islam, it's filled with supplication from the beginning when I see you a Solomonic that's a supplication I'm praying for who for you. sneeze supplicate your supplicate for me, we supplicating for one another hammock Allah, Allah. May Allah increase you in status? refer Allahu Allah, May Allah forgive you. These are words that we should be saying to one another. Because when I say a prayer for you, the angels are saying, I mean for me with the same prayer or they are saying, Oh Allah grant him the same, or her.
So this is why we keep on praying for one another. May Allah subhanho wa Taala Have mercy on every one of us, then, when a person is sick, and Ill, it's important for us to visit them.
It's important for us to show concern, because they are on a low, and this is why we say your expression. The expression on your face will lie. My brothers and sisters can be an act of worship, if it is correct.
Because I promise you people sit gloomy yesterday share ASIMO saying who is older By the way, he's already a grandfather of nine children. So how to live.
But I wanted to say that how you carry yourself can actually keep you young. If you scrunch up your face every day you start developing creases on your face at 30.
And people look at you and think you 50 Why? Because every day
you look at the world and your skin
Stop. But if you have a face whereby your expression is pleasant, we're lucky you won't age so quick by the will of Allah subhanho wa Taala. The reason is you have a pleasant face. And that's why even if you're 50
You don't look at
the reason is, you know, that's if you smile most of the times, you know, and you'll be lucky if your name is a smile as well.
My brothers and sisters, I'm honest with you, your expression is very important, it will uplift people, people who are looking down, they are sad and you walk in
and you smile at them. It uplifts them, even someone who's angry with you, and they say, you know what, you you understand that and you just look at them and
they have no option. It is contagious. They look at you, they sit you mad, and they walk away. That's it.
But it's so powerful. It's a right we have to the expression to up to to make someone feel uplifted in a beautiful way is a right. It's really a duty. And where do we get that from we get it from the Hadith, which says to smile at the face of your brother is a charity. That means you need to make sure you smile it may not be compulsory, but it will definitely enhance the relationships within the oma and I promise you the others who watch us will definitely say look at these people, they're so happy. But I might have more problems than you.
I might have more problems than you. That's the beauty of Islam. So when the person is sick, and Ill you visit them, but you need to know how long you've got to visit them for you don't just go with your picnic basket early morning and say I want to do an a bother. There's a hadith which says if I come to you, I'll find Allah so I'm going to sit all day and I'm going to be here, they get more sick.
So panela, especially when they watch you eating your pies and they cannot eat and drinking your coconut juice or coconut water as it were, and they cannot drink. So you need to go for a minimum time when you visiting the sick go for the least possible time unless they request your company.
Did you hear that? That's a tsunami. And you need to make sure it is a convenient time. You don't go at any time and every time and start thinking they must wake up. I'm here
with your father up here. The man had an operation the man is ill and sick. He seated Who are you to come there and say
howdy Hakuna Muslim, a Muslim is a Muslim, I'm here to engage in this act of worship, you cannot send me back you cannot send me back because it's my duty to be here. Not at all. Then I if it was me, I would read a verse of the Quran where Allah says wa t il Allah como g. g ro was gala calm when you are told to go back, go back, it's better for me.
So we need to know when to go, we need to know how long to go for. Today we have the phone,
not only about the sick, but even if you were to visit someone, please make an appointment with them, please message them, make sure they're expecting you because today, the woman needs a minimum of one hour before she can open the door
in some cases.
So if you were to just reach up at the door chances of you standing there waiting for
you rather have phoned earlier or message earlier to say you know what I'm going to be making it here same applies to someone who's sick and you, you don't just pick up and you don't come at two in the morning and so on. This is why the hospitals have a visiting time because you're supposed to be resting at the hospital. And this is why it's considered to let the family members know that you know what I'd like to come but I'll come when they're feeling a little bit better. Because I promise you recently I had a relative who was not too well.
And this person said to me you know what? I'm tired of repeating the same thing because people are coming and say what happened? They say two words what and happened and I've got to speak for 20 minutes because I really explained to them what happened.
So I said why don't you say once are recorded when someone says what happened to say hang on press the button to hear what happened to
me Allah forgive us. This is a Muslim a Muslim is considered for towards another person. My brothers and sisters This is so interesting, but I need to move in Shall I need to continue? By the way I spoke in detail about sickness and about visiting the sick in my Juma talk and it's been uploaded on to Muslim Central and various other platforms and inshallah the talk will be available at some stage even the video of it I think inshallah so you can you can look into that.
Then, if a person passes away, we all say in Allahu ala Raja, but to follow that janazah
To show an interest in it to go and express condolences, sympathy, say a little too hard for them, to make them feel good just like when a person is sick and ill. If you were to say, Allah bless you May Allah grant you goodness, may Allah cure you. These are good words. They enhance the person's feelings.
You don't go there and say, Hey, you know, looking well, man, how long does the doctor is giving you?
Two days? Hey, I think you might just go in the day.
When someone passes away, you don't say your son was on drugs. I wonder what's gonna happen now. Because you see in the grave, there's a big punishment happening. You know, when someone passes away, you don't talk like that. You give the people hope you say insha Allah May Allah give them genital fear there was no matter who they were, when Allah grant them Jana
Subhana Allah. When someone is alive, you can speak about Hellfire, you can speak about the warnings and so on. Not when they're about to die, when they're about to die. I spoke about it the other day, you can you can hear it inshallah. But you don't say that. But generally, if I were to talk to you now and remind you look, we need to do good, because there is heaven, there is * and so on. It's good to talk, it's good to remind each other about what's happening. And it's good to remind each other the goodness so we can work towards it and the bad so that we can protect ourselves from it. But
when someone's passed away, go there. minimum time again, don't just sit there and expect food. I know, in some cultures across the world, not just in this part of the world, but a lot of places. It's very expensive to die. Because when someone dies, they put up a tent in the house, they have food that they prepare for how long they you know, intercontinental comes into catering such that people are looking at tell us there's a whatsapp group of deaths. So we need to know where people have died so we can go and eat.
I hope that doesn't happen here. But I promise you it is happening in some communities, we've converted it into a punishment, someone passes away. It's so tough on the family members, someone is sick. And Ill when you go make it clear that you don't want tea or anything, you settle for water, if anything. You are going What are you here for?
You know, I have this problem at my home, where the little office that I have people come sometimes with their problems and issues. So when people come we're polite, you know, and I talk it's like a doctor's surgery, for example. They'll come with their issues, my mother always comes and says, Ask, will they have tea or coffee or whatever. And I'm like, they didn't come for tea or coffee. Or they didn't come for tea or coffee, leave them. And because my mother is, you know, still of that generation whereby she feels No, these are your guests, you got to honor them, you have to give them and I'm thinking if that's the case, I'm going to be one of the biggest buyers of coffee and tea.
And this is going to be our 10th year people will come in even if they don't have a problem, let's have some tea.
Because that's how the world's become. So when you go to someone for a purpose, make sure you make it clear. I'm not having anything to eat or drink. I've just come here for two minutes, five minutes and then leave after that. The worst guest is here who doesn't know when to go. That's the worst. Ask the women they will tell you
because they've got children sometimes they need to get up the following morning the kids sometimes sleeping not sleeping and you busy sitting there enjoying yourself talking watching TV, watching a boxing match watching a football match. That's not the quality of a Muslim. consideration is a word we need to start enacting consider be considered. May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us so when a person passes away to follow the janazah for the men to actually go to the graveyard and to bury the person great reward because it reminds you of who exactly you are, where you came from, and where you're going primarily. That's the reason.
And the secondary reason is someone somehow someway needs to bury a person who passes away if we were to all give so much importance to it. And at least nobody would just be left alone without anyone burying them because it is for bookie via which means someone somewhere somehow has to do it. If one person or if those who are required to fulfill the barrier, the minimum number do not do it, then the entire community is sinful. May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us the day we pass away and have mercy on us. Then,
when a Muslim asks you for advice, you need to be genuine. You need to give them proper advice. You need to be genuine. Not like someone says, You know, I want to marry this person. What do you think? I want to do marry them too. I think she's a very bad person. I really believe that's a no go area. Please don't go there. Why? Why are you lying? You know, just be honest and say, Well, I was thinking of the same girl. So I'm a good Muslim.
And I'm sure you're a better Muslim so you know what to do. Right? So Allah
Anyway, my brothers and sisters,
when when engaging in goodness, it's our duty to help. Because Allah says what?
We
help each other when it comes to righteousness
and God consciousness, that which is good, help each other. If I were to help you to fulfill goodness, we want to go to the lecture, let's go together, I'll give you a lift, we want to go to the masjid. We want to do this, do that. But when it comes to evil, it's my duty not to assist.
Even if it's to pass the alcohol bottle from that side of the table to here. It won't happen. It won't happen.
May Allah subhanho wa Taala guide us, Allah subhanho wa Taala help us I mean,
then to seek forgiveness for one another is also a duty. You ask Allah subhanho wa Taala ALLAH forgive my Father, forgive my mother forgive the oma. And this is why if you look at the daughters of the prophets of Allah and his son, he makes dua for the Obama was
a Muslim in our Muslim as well meaning in our minute.
I'm sure you've heard that a lot of you right? What is it it's a prayer for everyone those who have passed away those who are alive, the entire oma, Oh ALLAH forgive them, so you can also be forgiven. That's, that's also one of the rights now when we say rights, some of them are compulsory, and some of them are recommended. They are voluntary, but recommended, meaning your life would be enhanced if you were to fulfill some of these rights. And if you were to understand them and become more conscious of them.
I spoke about forgiveness. And I'd like to speak about
character and conduct.
To develop your character and conduct is a duty that you owe one another, because it is a bad, it's part of the rights of the rest of mankind and the rest of the worshipers. The rest of the Muslim mean, imagine if your character is not refined. What would happen? People would be suffering because of the way you carry yourself, how selfish we become. And this is why a selfish person will never contribute to community in a positive way. We need to become selfless to a certain extent, in moderation, moderation, meaning you don't give away everything such that you are now in need. And you don't keep everything that you're just watching the people in need, but a balance. This is why
when the Prophet sallallahu wasallam explains about charity, he tells me how to be able
to tell the people that at a certain point, once you have accepted Islam, there is something known as DACA. That is a pillar of Islam to come in underneath him for him.
There is a right that the poor people have in the wealth of the wealthy. Did you know that there is a right? And this is why when you give people who are poor in your society community, and you have a massive business, they will pray for you because they know when they walk past your store and they see this big place Mashallah they say, oh, Allah, help this man, let him do well, because some of that money comes to me.
Two and a half percent shares in that business. So panela the poor have two and a half percent shares in your business. Do you know that? That's from Allah, whether you knew it or not,
they are partners, the only thing is, it's up to you to give and you make sure you give the people I know, I have a habit when I know that this person actually gives out in charity, I make sure I go to that business and I make sure that I pay fully. And I make sure that I buy as much as I can and I need from that particular business because I know where the money is going.
It's a habit. And you know, there was a time when you know it says here to respect the scholars and odema is also a duty we have for the oma because if we don't respect the scholars, the oma loses value for those scholars, and Who then is going to give you your dean, who then is going to give you your faith and your religion. But we need to realize that scholars are not
prophets, they may make mistakes. So correct them in a beautiful way. Or at least excuse them. If that mistake doesn't need proper correction. Sometimes they may, you know, be a little bit temperamental, you might have a scholar who comes in here he's been upset because of what happened at home. And it's sometimes it reflects some people can hide it, you know, some people can hide what has happened in the morning
Subhan Allah
but others cannot hide it.
May Allah subhanho wa Taala bless us, I need to share with you something so I was waiting for my lift here just now a few minutes ago before I came here. And the brother had driven to the hotel, and he had gone to do something and I knew that this talk begins. So we were sitting in this vehicle and waiting I tried calling this
One five calling that one but I don't have all the numbers of all the relevant people and I did not want to disturb you know some of the senior guys to say small things like a vehicle when I saw that now there's just enough time to get here. I decided to jump on the driving seat and turn on the TomTom. You know, the Garmin and I typed out Metroid, I got the my friend who was with me to try it out. And I just drove off and we came here I came on my own. How did that happen? And then they phoned me said, Where are you? I said, Brother, I was going to Uber it now you can Uber it inshallah. Allah subhanho wa Taala.
But at least I got here now, would you have known that? No, I didn't have an intention to say it. But because the topic was that and I said it. Sometimes it may show I'm not angry. I'm not upset. And I hope nobody is it was a way of dealing with the issue, such that we got here on time, Masha, Allah Subhana Allah and I enjoyed it. So Allah, my brothers and sisters, remember, when we respect the scholars, we would actually be
closer to Allah subhanho wa Taala. Because the deen comes to us through them. The Dean comes to us through them. So even if you have a gripe against the scholar, even if there is something that has happened, when you want to raise it to so respectfully, the problem today is that we have people, even amongst one another when something bad has happened to say, expose this person to this to that if you expose someone fair and good, Allah will expose you. So one of the rights and the duties we have that Muhammad Sallallahu Sallam has spoken about many times, he says, Whoever covers the fault of a Muslim Allah will cover their faults in this world and the next and Allah will not embarrass
them. So if you've been going around exposing people wait for your day, it's coming. May Allah forgive us. But if you have, that does not mean don't deal with a problem. You may want to deal with it, but in a respectful manner, in a private way, in a way that you don't disturb the dignity of an individual. Now imagine,
there was an Imam in one of the massages in one of the countries in southern Africa.
And he was quite rough. And he used to know the community.
The people started leaving the masjid one by one because he used to get up and say,
you know, alcohol is very bad. This brother and he would point at the brother. And he says with his name, say his name was Eunice, for example, as his brother has been drinking for 20 years, please get up and tell us what have you gained from that? Tell us what? And this brother is like, what?
So to correct such a scholar, you need an ally. This is factual what I've told you is real. He spoke about alcohol. He spoke about adultery. He says, you know, this person here, what he's been doing is very bad. Get up and tell us what's been going on. We're hearing a rumor. And he's like, what, now they stopped coming for Salatu. Juma?
So we got to deal with it because this is a big thing. But at the same time, deal with it respectfully, may Allah subhanho wa Taala help us in this particular case, he was wrong to expose someone else even to talk about them from a member tell you why people come to get closer to Allah to learn something good to be inspired. Why are you here today?
Why are you here? You're here to be inspired to get something good to get closer to Allah to have to feel when you leave here that today I learned something today. I had a really good time. And it was so nice. I enjoyed it. They were beautiful brothers and sisters, Mashallah. We learned we laughed at the same time and we cried also. And we walked out of here better people. That's why you're here. Am I right?
Imagine if I were to pick on one of you two of you make this whole thing a big embarrassment, you would go in saying never again, straight path, no way, not at all.
Canada guide us may open our doors. So this is why we say we need to definitely respect one another. We need to be there for one another we need to understand that just like we would love to be covered. We need to cover others. We should not expose them. between husband and wife. They are more rights than they are for the general Muslims within your family. They are greater rights than they are within the general Muslim Subhana Allah. So let's try our best to fulfill this. There are still so many so many rights. And like I told you, I wrote a list here. But I want to end with one.
And this is one we are lacking.
We're losing,
respecting those who are senior. That is a duty. Someone who's older than you respect them.
This person is older than me. That's why I'm quiet sometimes. That's why I've chosen a different way of doing things. Your mother, older than you, your father, your parents. How are you talking to them. Not only them anyway.
who's older than you, even amongst us who are seated here, imagine a young person very fit, and they come in, they sit down. And then there is a slightly older person, and they struggling to walk a little bit, and you don't give your seat up for them.
I've seen non Muslims do this, meaning giving up their seats are about us. It's an act of worship, you must respect the adults. But that doesn't mean that when they are wrong, and they are instructing you to do something that you obey, claiming that and respecting the older person, or some older people use that to blackmail the younger ones, to doing things that are wrong. I know some parents who use the status of a parent to blackmail the child to stop them from doing something Allah has allowed, such as getting married,
for example, and they blackmail your parents. So what Subhanallah I will respect you, but it's within limits. So two sides to the coin, I hope you've understood both and
to have mercy on those who are young.
That's a duty someone is younger than you have mercy. Teach them in a good way. Be patient with your children, be very patient with them. Sometimes you have one child Mashallah you enjoy the child and you know, the child might be running around breaking this, destroying that maybe doing this that whatever else, then you have a second child and suddenly you know, what, you becoming a little bit more impatient. And then a third child and you find you find that you cannot sleep at night sometimes and you're getting up in the morning and it's you're so tired. And what happens you start getting upset and agitated, control, control, have mercy on these children. Have mercy on them.
That is your test. That is your agenda. That is why Allah subhanho wa Taala placed this in your life, purposefully not for nothing. So my brothers and sisters, may Allah subhanho wa Taala Bless you all I really like I said at the beginning, I've really enjoyed myself in the sense that being given such an opportunity to address all of you, even those who are listening to this perhaps online, and those who may hear it later on May Allah bless you all, Allah grant your goodness, let's work on these rights. I haven't covered all of them, but I've covered quite a few of them. And I've given myself and yourselves food for thought. And I pray that we can become better people. And we
promise Allah subhanho wa Taala here and now that we will definitely speak to one another in a better way. And we will learn to greet one another. No matter what race we are, what color we are, where we come from, learn to smile and greet and respond the greeting properly with a smile. So when someone says Salam aleikum, wa rahmatullah Baraka, you don't just come and say,
Hello. They say salam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato. And they had a smile. So you go to see ya como salam wa rahmatullah wa barakatu. And you have to have the smile. That's the minimum because that is replying equal. That's the minimum. Allah subhanho wa Taala. Help us grant us ease. I'd have loved to continue but guess what, I've overshot my time by quite a bit. akula kolyada sallallahu wasallam o Baraka Allah Subhana Allah Subhana Allah, Masha Allah, Allah, Allah