Mufti Menk – Rising Above Turbulence – A Guide to Conquering Life’s Struggles

			My beloved brothers and sisters.
		

			Indeed as an ummah, our hearts are bleeding due to what is happening to our brothers and sisters
across the globe. More so in Rosa and in Palestine.
		

			And it would be wrong for me to commence without mentioning the situation and without saying a
prayer for them. And without highlighting the situation. May Allah Almighty make it easy for them.
May Allah Almighty grant them peace, goodness, victory, stability, and may Allah Almighty change the
condition to a much better condition. We ask Allah to grant the same to all those who are struggling
and suffering across the globe, no matter who they are and where they are. There are so many whom we
know of,
		

			but perhaps so many we don't even know of they are struggling in the cause of justice and goodness
in the Cause of Allah subhanho wa taala. May Allah make it easy for them? My brothers and sisters,
when we were born, we came onto this earth, a very important question would be why did we come onto
this earth? When we see a lot of suffering? We see sometimes children from the point of birth
struggle, homeless without clothing, without food, and so much more that happens. Why would Allah
the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate, the most generous, the most amazing, the most kind, the
most forgiving? Do this? Why would he do this? Why is it that many of us those who are here, those
		

			who might see this later, and even those whom we don't know, are struggling? Many of us are
struggling just to pay our debts at times. Sometimes we have health matters. Sometimes they are
social matters, the marriage is just not coming right? Sometimes our children are perhaps troubling
us where we have sleepless nights because of what they're doing. Sometimes we have scenarios where
we can't find the job. We don't even have the basic necessities. We don't have enough to buy a plate
of food at the end of the day. Why would Allah do this? My brothers and sisters? It's an important
question. Did you know that Allah Almighty mentions why He created us in the first place, he didn't
		

			need to create mankind or Jin kind. But he says he has created us in order to test us to give us the
eternal paradise. Whereas this worldly life, one of the biggest blessings is that it is only for a
short period of time. If I were to tell you, you have to live in this condition that you are in
forever and ever. It would be very depressing to note that while I don't even have a job, I hardly
have food. I've got so many problems my brothers and sisters are dying, be it in Palestine or
wherever else it is. And here I am being told you have to live in this condition forever. One of the
biggest blessings is Allah has made this world temporary, because it is imperfect because of these
		

			challenges. Another very, very powerful point you and I as believers need to realize is when Allah
says He created you to test you Wallah, he, it is proven because every single human being is being
tested, there is no one, be it Muslim, or non Muslim, be it old or young, be it in Africa or in
Europe, be it in the third world or the first world, there is nobody who can say I'm not being
tested. Either a health matter either some other problem. If you have all the wealth in the world,
perhaps you cannot sleep, perhaps there is something challenging. It goes to prove that when Allah
says I created you to test you, and I just want to see how you react with the test, are you still
		

			connected to me or not? That's it, then you know that it is true because everyone is tested? I
remember speaking to a group of young boys who said, Well, what proof do you have that we were
created to test us? And I told them well, you are being tested right now. That's the proof. Everyone
in this Masjid. Now you have a challenge, don't you? You have some form of a test as you grow older.
Perhaps your health might not be as it was when you were young. What is that about? It's a test.
Allah says Never mind about all of that. You're going to return to us just now. Just now you're
going to return to us and if you return to us with a good connection with us good news to you. If
		

			you are disconnected as a result of your tests, then you are at a loss. If you disconnect from Allah
because of a challenge he put in your life, then you are at home
		

			Last so the question is, well how long should I struggle for? I want to get closer to Allah, I have
my problems I am making dua, I am fulfilling my salah, I am fasting. I am steadfast I try not to
commit my sins, but it seems like the problems are getting worse. They're not getting any better.
Allah says don't worry, take it in your stride. And you will continue to take it in your stride
until the day we decide to take you away. What that means is you're not allowed to decide when
you're going to go. Allah says, We decided when you came onto the earth, we will decide when you
leave it.
		

			The Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him says none of you should wish for death because of a problem
in your life. Because of hardship or difficulty that you're going through. You say, Oh Allah, keep
me alive for as long as you know that life is better for me and take me away when you know that it
is better for me to live amazing. It means Oh Allah keep me alive for as long as you know that with
this life that I'm going to be having, I will get closer and closer to you than the life is better.
And oh Allah when you know that I am at a point where I'm the closest I am to you and things might
just get worse than take me away. So that I got back to you in a condition where it was the best of
		

			the days. And this is why another dua the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to say
Allah Who Majid al Farah a year Mina our Hirahara we're here are Molina how our team haha Oh Allah,
make the best of my days, the last days of my life and make the best of my deeds, the last deeds
that I engage in. And this is why please make this dua constantly Oh Allah take me with Eman Oh
Allah take me in a condition where the deeds I did just before you took me were the best of my
deeds. Masha Allah, Oh Allah let the days be the best of the days. Just prior to you taking me away
right at the end. May Allah Almighty make it easy for us? Yes, life is a struggle. Yes, you will
		

			continue and I will continue to struggle on different levels, some heavy more than others. One might
ask, how come I have a bigger problem the new while I tell you lie you can live long enough son in
law was sigh ha. This verse is unique. It means ALLAH does not burden a soul with more than it can
shoulder. Allah gives you a capacity. I have a capacity. Some people, they have a pinprick on the
baby finger. And for them, it's the end of their lives. And others they've lost limbs and they're
still happily moving forward. A believer will always happily continue to look ahead and look forward
no matter what. Why Buddha Rebecca had. Dr. Cal Yachty Allah tells Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
		

			sallam worship your Lord unto death overtakes you until the end, the term Yaqeen according to the
MOFA city refers to the end the death. So the end of this world is not the end of your life as such,
the end of this world is not the end of everything. In fact, it is the beginning of an eternal,
everlasting, most beautiful life. If you have had the struggles of this world, you need to know that
Allah will grant you the best of reward for the patients that you endured. And for this reason,
Allah says, In AMA, you have a sabe Runa.
		

			Be ye he is.
		

			Indeed Allah rewards those who bear patients without a limit, unlimited reward. So what's my reward?
My reward is equivalent to the patients that I bear. But when I bear patients for the sake of Allah
in a beautiful way, as taught by Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, Allah says, For you, there
will be an unlimited reward. What do you want?
		

			Imagine people going through a terminal illness and years have passed and they are struggling, they
cannot walk, they can barely talk they cannot understand. And those around them are taking care of
them and saying, When will this end? It happens right? When will this end? Well if you are to bear
patience and make the most of every single day, whenever it ends, Allah will grant you such a
massive reward because the purpose of him sending you on earth, you fulfilled it correctly. You go
patients upon the struggle
		

			goals, and you develop the best connection with him until you met with him. And he says, oh my
worshipper, when I put struggles in your life you endured for my sake, here is your paradise forever
and ever. As you want what you want, whenever you want, however you want, it's all yours.
		

			Imagine that day when we return to Paradise, when we go back to Allah and Allah gives us the eternal
paradise. May Allah Almighty gather us in Jannah tougher dose.
		

			A believer when goodness comes in your direction, it should not make you arrogant, haughty, or
proud. And when difficulty comes in your direction, it should never make you lose hope in the Mercy
of Allah. Have patience. Look at our brothers and sisters in Gaza. How when the life is being lost,
and when our brothers and sisters are being killed? You find some of the remaining family members
with one sentence of this. They've taught entire humankind a lesson in faith. One sentence, you and
I have not been tested on that level. May Allah not test us on that level, we are weak, we are so
weak that we don't even know at times what to do in our own lives. And here are people saying
		

			Alhamdulillah Allah colohan Praise be to Allah upon all conditions. And what has happened 45 members
of the family killed because of an entire building that was blown up with women, children and all
innocent civilians. May Allah Almighty protect them and us. And you find one surviving teenager
saying and hamdulillah What are you going to do? Well, Allah looked after me all along, he's going
to look after me still. And here we are losing a job. And it's like the Yama has come. Literally, we
have one health matter and it's like the end of the world I can't live I can't survive. Look, learn
a lesson from those who have real struggles in their lives as compared to ours. May Allah Almighty
		

			make us grateful people.
		

			My brothers and sisters, the struggle is real. I do not wish to belittle the struggles of any one of
you. I have my own struggles to when we look at each other. On the face, you may not notice that
this person is struggling, because many people have the self dignity where they won't show you that
I cannot make ends meet. They won't stretch their hand to beg, even though they desperately need
anything that comes in that direction. And this is because they want to bear beautiful patients. A
Sobral Jamil a beautiful patients is when you can still worship Allah with a smile but your life is
absolutely negative. The only positive is that you have Allah
		

			Len Allah wa Mallanna but Allah He had,
		

			what do we have? We have Allah and besides Allah, we have nobody. Don't expect people to come to
you, Allah will come to you. Continue knocking on his door.
		

			Continue worshipping Allah. Don't ever say when is this going to end because you're questioning
Allah. But continue to ask Allah Oh Allah keep me alive for as long as you know life is better for
me and take me away when you know it is better for me to go and oh Allah in the interim, make easy
for me, my world, the worldly life because I have to live here. Another sunnah of the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
		

			where he said
		

			Allahumma Asli Lana de Nana, a lady who are Esma to a marina Oh Allah make good for us. Our faith,
because it is the main issue of our affairs. It is the main affair. The main matter of our lives.
		

			Make good for us. Our Deen our connection with you Oh ALLAH. Deen is the most important thing if I
have a connection with Allah, and I don't have anything in this world. I have still succeeded
because I have a connection with Allah. Allahu Muslim li Dini, a lady who are Esma to Emery Oh Allah
make for me make better for me make good for me, my faith, my Deen my religion, my connection with
you because it's the main matter. It's the main issue. There's nothing more important than my
connection with you. Was Lenna duniya Anna Latifi ha ha Shuna Oh ALLAH. Make better for me my dunya
my worldly living
		

			Because I have to live in it. So why do I want a better worldly life? Because I am forced to live in
this world by whom? By Allah, who brought you into this world, not you, Allah, who chose where
you're going to come, what race you're going to be.
		

			Which family you're going to be born into. It was ALLAH, ALLAH chose it, I have no choice. I have no
say. And this is why we as Muslims, and as believers believe that we're all equal, because none of
us chose where to be. We're all equal. We're supposed to be equal. It's only the forces of the world
that came along thereafter and made us think that some were better than others. Whereas in the eyes
of Allah, He says in a Croma como
		

			de la he had come, indeed the most honored from amongst you, in the eyes of Allah are those who are
the most conscious of Allah, those who have the best relationship with Allah, those who are fearing
Allah's punishment the most. Those are the best. If I'm conscious of the punishment of Allah at all
times, and I'm more conscious than others than I would be better but part of my belief in Allah is I
don't know if there is anyone better or not. I need to ask Allah for steadfastness until the day I
meet him, because shaytan will keep coming to make me feel you're better, you're better. It's not
about me being better. It's about me trying, Allah will declare who is better on the day of piano?
		

			Who knows who is more pious today in this Masjid? Allah alone knows who is more pious, they could be
a person seated somewhere in the section we cannot even see right now who might in the eyes of Allah
be the most pious from amongst us, and you and I wouldn't know you look at the person dressed with a
big you know, huge God big beard say this guy must be the pious, the most pious from amongst us
without knowing Allah alone knows, fella to Zack go full circle, Hua, la mobi Mani.
		

			Allah speaks about when people develop a sense of self righteousness. He says he is the one who
knows who is the closest to him who has the greatest tattoo. Ah, that's Allah. So we continue to
live our lives in a way that we develop a relationship with Allah Almighty, and Allah Almighty will
grant us the best of this world and the next, my brothers, my sisters, never, ever lose hope in the
Mercy of Allah. victory comes to those who are patient here alum Anas Rama has Sabra you need to
know as per the teaching of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that victory comes with
patience within yours. Are you ready to endure? Are you ready to be patient victory will come in
		

			your direction. Two things can happen to a believer. Number one, Allah subhanho wa Taala gives you
what you want how you want it, or makes things easy for you. So you have a victory on Earth. Number
two is perhaps you do not have exactly what you want on Earth. But up to the point of death, you may
have struggled and then you died. So one of two things, either you got the victory in the world or
you got the victory in the hereafter Have you lost you haven't actually lost. It's called Dell first
name at the time of war. Allah Almighty taught the believers that look, if there is this particular
war and a person happens to win the war, they've gotten victory in the world, and if they lost it,
		

			they have victory in the Hereafter. This is the whole idea of the listener again, you have victory
upon victory there is no way that a believer can be at a loss. Here's another Hadith the Prophet
Muhammad peace be upon him says
		

			I Jabon the Amarillo meanie for in Amara who could love who love the affairs of a true believer are
amazing because no matter what all his affairs are good for him or her in the case of a female. Why
are they good for you? Because if goodness comes in your direction, it connects you with Allah more
you you make what is known as Shaka you thank Allah that is gratitude. I got so much mashallah my
business did well I got my job I got married, I have children, I have this I have good health. Allah
says did it humble you. If it humbled you and brought you closer to us? That is the only time you
are successful. Otherwise you have failed. No matter what you think you have everything no you fail
		

			Subhanallah the brother says I have a role
		

			X,
		

			and he drifted away from Allah. And one day he saw his X rolling. And he realized, whoa, I shouldn't
have been arrogant. Just because I have a Rolex. What happens with your Rolex? If it brings you
closer to Allah Alhamdulillah, you will be rolling.
		

			And if you are distanced from Allah, what happens? Your family breaks your relation breaks your
connection with Allah breaks. Is that what it was all about? Thank Allah. Make yourself humble. And
the same Hadith, speaking about hardship and difficulty says, a true believers affairs are amazing,
because when they face hardship, they bear sober, it's better for them. What a great reward. Didn't
I say moments ago that sober is an act of worship, that Allah says He gives you an unlimited reward
for it. So was it a loss? No, it's a win, win when you have a test, for example, that you're going
through, and you need to be checked for a disease and your results are coming out after the lab is
		

			now testing your blood and what have you.
		

			And you're waiting. If it is negative, you are happy because it's clean and clear. It should bring
you closer to Allah. Oh Allah Thank you. And if it is positive, yes, it's a concern. But it should
bring you even closer to Allah. Allah is giving you a chance to say my worshipper, I want you to
come close to me, you will not coming close to me. So I put a difficulty in your life. Now that I
put this difficulty in your life, you better come close to me, a sign of my love is for me to put
challenges in your life. This is why the Hadith says when Allah loves someone, that's when he puts a
challenge in his life. He wants him to get even closer to him in Allah either a hubhub Danny but
		

			Allah, when Allah loves his slave, he tests him with greater tests. May Allah Almighty never test us
with tests that will be too difficult for us to pass.
		

			So these are some of the pointers that I thought of today, being a blessed Friday in this lovely
East London masjid. And as you see the masjid is being renovated. I want to make sure that some of
what Allah has given me is used to be a part of the renovation of the masjid. And I invite you all
from the member on this beautiful day to spend a little bit of what Allah has blessed you with, to
also participate in a huge investment for the hereafter by putting some of it towards this house of
Allah that you frequent and you often come to May Allah subhanho wa Taala bless us. May Allah grant
us goodness May Allah Almighty grant us the best of this world BarakAllahu li Walakum filled Quran
		

			he was soon that you want to find the what year can be Murphy him I mean, it will take mighty Akula
Kalia the worst of Allah Holly welcome Melissa it is Muslim in a festival who in who who Allah for
Rahim