Severe Hardship for a Believer

Mufti Menk

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Channel: Mufti Menk

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Episode Notes

26 July 2019, Harare, Zimbabwe

 

Does man not see how insignificant he was one? Wallahi those who don’t believe this world is a test are deceived. 

This jummah khutbah is related to the severe hardship a believer faces in this dunya.

Running water from the tap is something we are accustomed to while for millions others dry riverbeds are what they are accustomed to. To them running water would be a luxury.

Allah never does anything to a believer except that which is the best for the believer.

For a true believer, anything and everything that happens to him or her is good for them.  Nothing is bad. And the only thing that fills the heart of a believer is when a believer is content with what Allah has chosen for him or her.

Please continue to listen this talk to understand why hardships happen to us and what to do when it happens, because it will happen.

 

 

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Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.

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Bismillah al Rahman al Rahim al hamdu Lillah wa Salatu was Salam ala rasulillah Allah, Allah, he was happy.

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We praise Allah subhanho wa Taala we send blessings and salutations upon Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, his household, his companions, we ask Allah Subhana Allah to Allah to bless them.

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And we ask Allah Subhana Allah to Allah to bless every one of us and to grant us goodness and acceptance, forgive our shortcomings. and grant us the loftiest strengths and paradise my brothers, my sisters,

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we are believers, when we say we are believers, we actually believe in the unseen, that which we haven't seen, we believe in it.

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You and I know that we have forefathers, father, grandfather, great grandfather, etc, to a certain point, you will know them. beyond that point, you will not know them. But you do believe that they exist. Because even though you haven't seen them, the signs are known that these people lived at a certain time. That's how I came to be.

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So in a nutshell,

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we all believe as human beings, to a certain extent, in that which we haven't seen. But the evidence of it may vary from person to person within their understanding of the term evidence. So some people will say, I do believe that I had great, great, great grandfather's, even though I haven't seen them because there's a sign of it, what's the sign? Well, they will give you so many different signs, and they will tell you so many different things. But we believe that it goes way beyond that we can actually pinpoint certain facts, that sometimes the evidence may not be acceptable to others, but it's acceptable to us because we are believers, the minute the Prophet peace be upon him, Jesus made

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peace be upon him, Moses May peace be upon him, the other prophets of Allah subhanho wa Taala May peace be upon them, when they told us we had the first of our species known as Adam, may peace be on him, created by Allah, we believe this, to the degree that there is not a blemish of doubt in our belief. It is in the Quran, it is in the previous scriptures, and it is everywhere. So panela people later on came and started doubting or creating doubt, etc. That's up to them. We are still believers, we still believe that we have a maker who made he created. And he chose the method of creation, absolutely. for himself, by himself.

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My brothers, my sisters, this creator created us for a purpose, we have to constantly ask ourselves, what's the purpose that he made us? Why, when we keep asking ourselves will have different responses within our minds, our hearts, our belief will lead us to understanding that this life of ours needs to be dedicated and focused, dedicated and focused for the one who made us because it's temporary. It's so short, people are dying, at what age at 10, at 20, at 30. Just after childbirth, at 50. Some of them are dying a little bit older than some they have a good death and some have a terrible death. Nothing you will I will do we'll stop that it's the degree of the Almighty. So all I need to

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do rather than get depressed when I see others die, is to learn a lesson from that death. That's what is common sense. Common sense. If you see so many people going, you need to tell yourself that i'm also going and you need to keep telling yourself it's nothing gloomy. No. Is it something that you need to stop your life because of nor is it something that should stress you to the degree that you suffer with OCD or whatever else it may be, but rather, it should help you to prepare for that day. When is that day? If I were to ask you, when are you dying? What's the true answer? What's the true answer? I don't know. I don't know. I could drop right now. It has happened. So if you are in

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preparation for the day, you're going to meet with Allah. It would mean all the time. You believe this could be the moment. That's what it is. So Allah says Allah Tambo

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Muslims

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don't die, except in the condition of submission.

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What does it mean don't die like I know when I'm going to die? No, he's telling you always remain in the condition of submission so that the day you die, you will be submitted. Now we are weak, we are human, we like things here. Allah says, hang on, all these things are made beautiful. Think about him. When you came onto this earth, you had nothing. When you leave, you're going to have nothing. Don't get too deeply involved. Don't dig in too deep because when you dig too deep, that's the same hole you're going to be buried in. May Allah subhanho wa Taala grant us an understanding, you can enjoy what is in this world unconditioned that it does not hinder the main focus. Imagine you are

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traveling from here to Johannesburg by road. And suddenly you stop at a place called Ruby. And you find the beautiful scenery and the view and you take out your food and you're having a picnic and you forget where you're going. And you enjoy it so much and you start living there and staying there. What happened? Are you ever going to get to Johannesburg? Never no chance you forgotten about Johannesburg? That's Joburg Suhana. La. We're talking of gentlemen. So Pamela, a lot of us we know we're aiming agenda, but we find the small end in our lives. What did we do to that end, we sat we laid our picnic, we enjoyed the food so much. We went for seconds and thirds. We liked the view. We

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went for another one and the third one and we forgot the focus a lot time came there was no Salah, time to do things. There was nothing because we didn't prepare for what was the reality? Because we were distracted. So Allah tells us all mankind Don't be distracted. Yeah, are you?

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One

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of you who believe or people,

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be conscious of your up who made you? And be conscious of the day? What is that day that day? When you want to be on your own? Nobody will help you. You have to give your own accounts. What did you do? You got to say I did this, I did that I did this. I did that. And I didn't do this. And I didn't do that. And Allah says falada, one

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to

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one.

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Don't let this worldly life deceive you. Don't let this dunya this worldly life deceive you. And don't let the big deceiver deceive you Who is the big decision? The devil? He promises you small things, very short lived things as though they will be eternal adultery, how long does it last? And the regret is forever. But he makes you think this is going to be a nice thing. So it's a moment a little thing.

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Perhaps few minutes, perhaps a short time, perhaps the excitement of a fling for a period or a season or a year or two. And after that what happens? You come crashing when you steal the excitement of pinching. It lasts five minutes a I got $2,000 how I pinched it from somebody's wallet.

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Hey, we are lucky we have bond notes no bigger than a five right? But at the same time to be honest with you. If someone did steal Allah subhanho wa Taala will definitely let them face the punishment of what they did. You can't take something that belonged to someone else, no matter how.

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How, how much it seems to be so delicious. stopzilla it's not. If you were to pinch, let joy will be so short lived, you will be worried your entire life. What if I'm going to get caught? He has an anti corruption coming? What if this happens? What if that happens? People are worried? Why are they worried? Because they're crooks? That's the reason. You're not a crook. You're not worried? You're a cook. You worry. That's what happens. Right? The point I'm raising has nothing to do with the actual robbery it's got to do with the fact that when we do for Allah and prepare for the Hereafter, we will not regret the day when we meet with Allah because the troubles of this dunya are so small

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compared to the trouble that would come on the in the hereafter in this world what's the worst that could happen to you? Not much, perhaps a little bit of a punishment here and they may be the worst case scenario a life sentence life sentence. And what you're still sitting breathing, eating conditions will be tough. But I tell you, if you are to struggle in the Hereafter, that is the worst. So if we keep on asking ourselves, why did we come here we'll come to the response the answer

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Your nature, naturally uncontaminated, you'll start thinking people came into the world they lived for a while they went to some of them died poor, some of them died, which some of them died powerful. Some of them died famous, they all died, they all had to go after a while. Nobody remembers your name, I can ask you,

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your father's great grandfather, what was his name? Anyone in this machine knows your father's great grandfather's name, you're lucky, perhaps the older people might know a little bit. But the rest of us, you don't even know his name. And that's your blood lineage. Imagine who's gonna know your name, your own grandchildren, great grandchildren, perhaps it will stop at your children's grandchildren or great grandchildren, some way they won't even know you existed. And today, I'm a big deal. I'm a man, I'm gonna steam this, I'm gonna do that. I'm going to cook this one I'm going to make that one's life difficult. I'm gonna fix that one. Forget about fixing that one. You won't be able to fix

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yourself when you've decomposed in your own grave. You can't fix yourself, Why? It's gone. It's history. Who are you? So Allah says, our lamea will

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fall upon a human.

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For Eva who

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ob does not see how insignificant he was at one stage, he was a mere droplet. And now he's come up, and he wants to argue and fight like he's the big deal. Unless there's nothing you're going to go back to where you came from. What law he those who don't believe that this world is a test are deceived, they are deceived, they don't know what they're talking about. It's a test, do good deeds, behave yourself, be the best person, Allah guarantees you contentment, he doesn't guarantee you billions and billions, because you don't need that. If you have water, you have drink, you have a little bit of food, you have some form of a you know, to cover yourself a little shelter to stay no

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matter how it looks, you have got enough to survive.

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Now I come to this point I want to raise today.

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All of our complaints today in this country, Zimbabwe where we don't have electricity, we don't have water, we don't have a lot of things. We don't have a lot of foodstuffs, and bread is missing. And people can't afford things. And really, life is tough. I promise you, all our complaints are connected to that which is beyond mere necessity. But the problem is, because it's not on the level we're used to. That's the reason why we are complaining. And we are struggling and we as we claim to be suffering. But suffering is a word that is connected to to what your brain connects it to. There are people who never ever had electricity in the whole world. They've never had it ever, ever, in

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many cities and villages carrying the same country never had electricity has their lives changed. They're still happy and excited. They have nothing to complain about. The problem is you got it. Now you don't or it comes a little bit now you can't survive. Why? Because you want to survive on your level of survival. You're not prepared to adjust. It's a switch in the brain. If you tune yourself, we're not going to have electricity you will be an excited person. Water.

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Water from a tap it's a luxury which we got accustomed to. You might say yeah, well you know modernization, this modernization, go and live in the village for a while. Go and choose your village and stay there. They are so happy when they find water in the river. They are excited because there's water but they won't walk kilometers. They fill the bucket on their heads and they came back they were happy super because their brains were accustomed to this for us when the river is dry. Or there's a problem but for for for you and I we live in the cities. How can you ever have a tap without water? I tell you what, stop thinking that way the water is not coming. Did you hear

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that? Let's go and make a plan. It's not coming. Stop thinking about the electricity it's not coming. I'm going to try to train you to think it's a switching the brain. If you are accustomed to it you enjoy life you make the most of what you've got. Do you have an avocado? Yes you do. Do you have a little bit of perhaps something else to eat with it? Whatever is there whatever you are surviving unless I gave you the necessity but you when you're whining you complaining you're stressed, you're depressed. You don't know what to do what not to do unless I gave you fertile land in your yard. If you had planted a few tomatoes, they would have grown but you were lazy. You didn't

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think of that you just clicked around doing things.

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on your own. We're not prepared. You know why we are accustomed to life of a standard. If we don't have it we will say Allah has given us nothing. But Allah gave you and I materialistic things to a certain extent beyond what he gave the loved one

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He's and some of his messages too, in fact, all of them. None of them had water running from a tap, not one of them.

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None of the companions of the Prophet SAW someone who was the best to create this list, some of them after the prophets of Allah subhanho wa Taala. They never had electricity. They never had water from a tap. They never had bread the way we have it today. They never had the luxuries, a car, a plane, a bicycle, they didn't have these things. But what type of life did they live? They were so happy and excited. They think aloud. morning, afternoon, evening night, late night and early early in the morning again. They think della did they have clothing like you and I are not at all. with us. We've got the latest but we complaining. Let's stop complaining my brothers and sisters. Allah never ever

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does anything to a believer except that which is best for the believer. The best if not even better, the best. Only when you do bad deeds with your own hands, then you taste some of the costs that comes in your direction. If you are living to be a reasonable decent, good person thanking Allah constantly praising Allah fulfilling your ibadah and you're fulfilling what Allah subhanho wa Taala has asked you for to fulfill. I promise you my brothers and sisters, in a hadith of sohaib Missy Nana Rumi robiola Muslim. He says the prophet SAW Selim said

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he says, you know, a true believer in the faith face the issues the matters of a true believer. Amazing, amazing, always amazing. Never in a bad situation Why?

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I definitely am remote, many for a number of hula, hula hoops. Because everything, every issue, every method that happens to a true believer, he believes in the control of Allah, the destiny that Allah has chosen, he believes in the goodness that comes from Allah. So it's only good for him, there is never a bad thing that can happen to you or believe when Allah is with you, even if it took away so many things from you, even if people around you have died. And even if you are suffering with a health problem, Allah says it's not bad for you. You're a beaver, how can you think it's bad for you, your main aim is paradise. It is the hereafter in this world, all those 100% of those who

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are searching for the way they want things, things don't happen the way they want it. Show me the richest, the most powerful, the most popular, show me them that way, whatever they want has happened. Not one, not even one, you will be surprised. Sometimes the wealthier you are, the less you can even sleep because you have so many worries, you have more money than your whole generations would need. But you still want more. So you don't know how on earth, you're going to get that more so your sleep is not lost because you don't have but because you want more and you're thinking of how to get it sleep is gone. Imagine what type of sleep is gone. So the only thing that can fill the

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heart of a believer is when a believer is content with what Allah has chosen for him or her and you will be happy. Allah chose this for you. Allah chose your sickness, Allah chose your condition, Allah chose for us, we won't have electricity, make a plan, forget about it. We make another plan. We think Alhamdulillah get used to it. water from the pockets. What's wrong with that? You know, you might be laughing at me and saying, Look at this man, there is no option. You have one of two things. Either you get depressed about it, or you enjoy it. What are you going to do? You're a believer, enjoy it, enjoy it. It's a thrill. You got clear crystal water.

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But it only comes a little bit of it. You got to fill the bucket, somewhere down the corner, go make an effort. People are excited they happen. I know it may not be any is not a standard that we are accustomed to. But I'm trying to tell you as a believer, there's no point in getting depressed over what is going on around you when you think it's negative. But Allah says it can never be negative for you. It's impossible for a true believer to face negativity, the financial crunch, the crisis, whatever else has come. It's not that you think it's bad. Look at it from a different angle. It's good for you. Allah brought you close to him, and was helping you to prepare for the hereafter to

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show you that which is two grand stories, and the rags to riches stories allow us to show that are you thankful. So the hottie says for a number of hula hula hoops, a true believer, everything that happens to him or her own his affairs. All his matters or hers are good for her. What can you believe in a man who chose for you your life Allah who chose for you the problems Allah. This is an exam life is an examination. That's what I believe that's what you have to believe. That's what makes us believe

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It's a test who chooses the questions of the test? You are the examiner. Come on, come on, come on. It's the examiner. He's going to tell you I'm taking your money away. I'm taking your job away. I'm taking your health away. I'm taking your family members away. Right? Answer the question.

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You have to look at the question and say Firstly, Alhamdulillah Allah, Allah, you are my, my Creator, maker, you are in charge. Only what you say shall happen. I surrender to you. Never mind. This is a test. You helped me through it. Now Allah subhanho wa Taala makes your life easy.

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We we know we are here for a test. We want to choose the questions that we to use to corruption Allah forgive us, when we choose the questions as well. We want the answers to when it doesn't come our way we got a problem now, Allah subhanho wa Taala, forgive us. Law says no, I will choose I'm going to tell you what I'm going to affect you by everything that human beings consider hardship is an opportunity to earn an opportunity to get closer to Allah when someone loses a loved one and they bear Subhan. Allah says because of your service, I'm going to give you a gentleman. Wow, wasn't it a blessing, they had to die anyway. They when they passed away, there was nothing that was going to

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stop them, they were going to die. Now how you reacted to the death is how you, you know it would determine how you fared in that examination. Now Allah subhanho wa Taala make it easy.

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While a Celica in

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this type of goodness, it's not for anyone, no one will taste it, no one will have it unless you're a true believer, when you believe in Allah, you know, he is in full control not have not gotten a three quarter full control. Allah isn't

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accurate. You know, something's out of my hand, I told you earlier, when Allah has given you a little bit of capacity to do things and you do them wrong, you taste a little bit of what you did is your fault. But when Allah hasn't given you the capacity for so many things, and he's doing things here and there, you you are totally out of the picture in terms of capacity completely. Then Allah says, just surrender to this. It's called Live. It's your destiny, we have kept it for you.

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So if you're a true believer, you have the perk, what's the purpose of contentment? I'm happy. If you're not happy, you're not content. There's something wrong with your belief, even though you're going through big problems. No, look at basics are you surviving survival?

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couldn't go to eat at that restaurant, you know, it's like a it's like a day of judgment for some people because they couldn't have five star food, who said five star, go and eat something basically.

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Allah subhanho wa Taala is when the doctor tells you not to eat, you won't eat because you want your body to be fit. When a lot takes the food away a little bit and says, Wait, I don't want to eat right now you're going to eat once a day, then suddenly it's like the world came to an end. So Panama, cut it down. Maybe Allah has something bigger. He definitely has far bigger than what the doctor had. May Allah subhanho wa Taala strengthen us. I tell you, it's in the Hadith. The prophet SAW Selim says, in a samba to Salah Shakira, Karna Pharaoh La,

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la,

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la La simple, is beautiful. We learned so many times. When goodness comes to a believer. Goodness means when what you want happens to you what you want it comes in your direction, then you are thankful a true believer is thankful. Thankful. How do you show gratitude to Allah, you become humble. So if Allah blesses you as well, authority, power, whatever else, you know, so many other blessings. If you want to know that you're the true believer, it will humble you bring you down to earth make you courteous to people, your character becomes lovely, you really greet people like they are the biggest VIPs yet you know, Allah has given you much more than all of it. But the way you

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make people feel, also determines how close you are to Allah, because those are the creatures of Allah He created around you. Purposely it's part of your test. Give people importance, the person who least expects you to be good to them, very good to them, they'll get a shock. It's priceless. It's worth more than giving them $1,000 when in Zimbabwe, the guy might say will treat me rough, but give me the back. Allah forgive us.

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But you know what I mean? So, if you're a true believer, goodness, will humble you bring you down. When you don't have proper belief. What happens? The minute you get something, you've got a chip on the shoulder. I don't greet these people anymore. Why are they only earning 20? grand, nearly 200 million? No way. Don't ever look at people like that. Tomorrow, the tables could turn. Anything can happen today. Right now. Things can change. Allah says we gave you when you leave the earth. You're going to leave blank the way you came.

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You're gonna have a few pieces of cloth, you fortunate because why? We just out of respect, but when you came in, you had nothing. So Panama.

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And the last part of the Hadith says, when things don't go the way you want them to their patients, thank Allah, what type of patience or beautiful patience. when things don't go my way I'm looking for a job, I didn't get it. I was fired from here I got a health matter. And this person was bad to me that person this happened, you know what, humble yourself, same effect, come to Allah cola to him. One after the other day will come when you will smile, such a broad smile, that you won't believe how Allah has blessed him. But the condition is, you need to persevere, don't become lazy, persevere, work hard, and have full trust in Allah. Allah alone will solve your problems, nobody

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else your friends will run away. Your friends will everybody else will run away. Yesterday someone sent me a message a beautiful message. It says true friends are not those

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who make your problems disappear.

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But true friends are those who don't disappear when you have problems. Whoa, did you hear that? Who's your true friend, Allah is the only one who won't disappear. In fact, your link with him becomes stronger when you have problems. Amazing the rest of the dunia the world when they know you owe someone a big amount of money they are gone first and out into thin air. And if they come to your rescue, they are not genuine. They want to eat you more than those who you owe the money. That's how the that's the nature of this world. They will be very few exceptions in this world. But Allah He won't let you down. tend to him, pray to Him and persevere. Allah gives you the energy I

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want to end on this point. There's no point in Islam, to pray without making the effort when Allah gave you the power.

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Allah says, I gave you your hands, I gave you a feat I gave you the ability go look for the job, go everywhere. Do whatever you have to go and try and keep trying. And you know what, one day alone open the doors 20 doors were closing doesn't mean someone did magic on you to block your path. No one did magic. Allah is in control. He is the one who didn't give you because he knows the day you get what we want you to get is going to be bigger than all of these people. There's a story I don't have the time to tell you. But the gist of it is a man who didn't get the job. And he searched and hunted the day he decided to open his own thing. He became so big within a few years that he started

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supplying all those where he went to ask for jobs and just telling you a story. So when Allah opens your doors, you work hard. You think Allah you have hope in Allah, there is zero chance that you will lose your contentment because your contentment is connected to surrendering to the decree of Allah with happiness, Oh Allah, you wanted me like this, I am like this is going to make me stronger with you or like help me. Oh Allah grant money, goodness, may Allah bless all of us. The topic that I chose today was connected to the hardship that we are facing in this country at the moment. And I pray that the few words that I have said would actually boost us to surrender to the decree of

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Allah, we have no problems. We only have problems connected to our brains, our minds, it's a switch in the head. Like I told you, there are people across the world, even in this country who have lived all their lives without water without electricity without bread. We were just used to it. That's why we feel depressed. They never ever had it. They are excited worshipers of Allah. Let's adjust our lives. Allah azza wa jal