Mufti Menk – Starting Off Correctly

			Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.
		

			smilla rahmanir rahim al hamdu Lillah wa salatu salam ala rasulillah who Allah Allah He was happy he
vomited.
		

			All praises indeed due to Allah subhanho wa Taala blessings and salutations upon Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam, we ask Allah subhanahu wa Jalla to bless his entire household without exception,
all his companions without exception. And we ask Allah Subhana Allah to Allah to bless every single
one of us in our offspring goes to come up to the day of BM May Allah subhanahu wa Jalla. Grant us
goodness keep us steadfast. May Allah subhanho wa Taala. Grant us Jenna, when we actually get to
him, post the day of the AMA, my brothers and sisters. Normally, when we commence we would commence
with Salaam no matter what you do when you are Muslim in you start off by greeting one another
		

			Assalamu alaikum. And what is preferred is to add something from the Sunnah to that which would be
what I meant to learn about our cattle.
		

			The reason is we are declaring a two out for you to say I will not harm you. That's what it means.
Many of us translated literally as Peace be upon you. If you take or if you are bothered to take a
deeper look at it. It actually refers to the term Peace. Peace is the opposite of war. So I'm not at
war with you. That's what is meant by it. I will not harm you. I am your brother, I am a Muslim, I
care for you, I will ensure that I protect you behind your back and in front of you. So this is the
method of greeting. And this is what we should commence with at all times. Even if a person gets up
for example, for a lecture. It is the sooner to start off by greeting and to say a Salam aleikum wa
		

			rahmatullah wa barakato. Similarly, the Hadith speaks about it very clearly saying, a fella do lucam
Allah either fall into the habit of should Salama cook, should I not show you something? If you were
to spread it amongst you, it would actually increase the love between you, you would become from
among those who love one another truly spread the Sallam between you. And this is not a hypocritical
greeting, it is actually a genuine greeting that will have the desired effect. If it is
hypocritical, it will actually have the opposite effect. May Allah subhanho wa Taala grant us
goodness. So as we commence we are also taught to add more to the dua. I do not just wish for you
		

			peace, but I want the mercy of Allah upon you. And I want the blessings of Allah for you as well.
This is why we add water to law he wabarakatuh make sure my brothers and sisters when we greet each
other, we take it as an act of worship. We concentrate on what we are saying and we mean it from the
bottom of our hearts. Thereafter you will find the praise of Allah in fact before the praise of
Allah subhanho wa Taala we are taught to say Bismillah for everything that is important that we are
about to do, or to say anything of importance to Heidi says good luck. Good luck, Emily Leigh
Berlin. Lemieux that fee Bismillahi for
		

			anything of importance, if you are going to start off without the name of Allah, it is going to be
cut off, cut off in terms of profits, cut off, cut off in terms of blessing, cut off in terms of
goodness, cut off in terms of any positive outcome. So if you start something important, no matter
what it is, you're supposed to say Bismillah In the name of Allah, in the name of my maker, he made
me in the first place. So this is Allah subhanho wa Taala his declaration, the declaration of his
name will definitely bring about blessings in what you are about to do. You get up in the morning,
Bismillah you put a cup of tea to your mouth, Bismillah you want to eat Bismillah you leave the
		

			house Bismillah you want to enter your motor vehicle Bismillah you want to enter the masjid
Bismillah no matter what you want to say something important Bismillah This is what we are told
hence you find I started earlier today by saying Bismillah he will hamdulillah The first thing you
do is you greet the second thing you do is you take the name of Allah Subhana Allah to Allah. You
have to say this is in the name of Allah. Like I said, the hadith of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam is very clear. If you do not start in the name of Allah. Don't expect goodness out of what
you are trying to do, you will eat but it will not benefit you you will drink but it will not
		

			benefit you. There will be no blessing in the energy that you will derive by the food that you have
consumed. The same applies you want to go into your
		

			business you opening your business, whether it is a shop or you're employed or working for someone,
you will not be able to get any form of goodness if you did not start by the name of Allah you will
make. So this is why my brothers and sisters Let us become more conscious of getting into the habit
of saying the name of Allah, no matter what you're doing Bismillah May Allah subhanho wa Taala grant
us goodness, even in the clothing that we wear, when you go into the bathroom, for example, you want
to wash your face, it is important to say Bismillah get into that habit where Allah subhanho wa
Taala granted to us and within Bismillah is something very interesting, just like Assalamu alaikum
		

			you could have stopped there, but you are taught to increase what not to lie.
		

			When you say Bismillah you can stop there, but you are taught to continue if you wish to say R
Rahmani Raheem the two most blessing qualities of mercy that Allah subhanho wa Taala has a Rahman Al
Rahim. I don't deserve goodness in what I'm about to do because I'm a sinful man. But I believe in
the mercy of Allah subhanho wa Taala that is what is going to make me achieve the goodness, His
mercy. I say I start in the name of Allah and I know he is most forgiving, Most Merciful. He will
give me Baraka in my food in my drinking my clothing and my family in my work and all the other
points that which we've mentioned in that which we have not mentioned. So let's try and increase on
		

			top of Bismillah we will say a Rahmani Raheem, Bismillahi Rahmani Raheem, and this is how we are
taught by Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he always commenced anything of importance with
Bismillah. And he wants us all to say if you are not going to start Bismillah it is going to be void
of all goodness, one might ask what if I have forgotten, we are human beings we forget. So if you
forget whenever you remember, you say it by the word of Allah subhanho wa Taala sometimes like when
it comes to food, if you forget to say Bismillah there is a slightly different to how that you may,
if you know it, read if you have forgotten and you remember later, if you don't know it, no harm,
		

			you can repeat the Bismillah whenever or you can say it when you remember,
		

			thereafter, we are taught something even more important or of great importance. Alhamdulillah that
is how we start Alhamdulillah All praise is due to Allah subhanho wa Taala Why do we need to praise
Allah, I might be having a difficult day, I might be having the worst day that I've had in a long
time. But I want to relate it to Allah to say Oh Allah, all thanks is owed to you alone, or praise
belongs to you alone. This is how I will invoke the mercy of Allah subhanho wa Taala. No matter what
condition I am in, I will praise a man I have suffered, I may have lost loved ones I may be
struggling in terms of my health, I may be having a problem in terms of my business, I might have
		

			lost I might have suffered an accident. We may have just been diagnosed with an illness or sickness
within our family or so on whatever it is. It is never ever worth not saying Alhamdulillah you must
say All praise is due to Allah. You see, a believer is always happy. I genuinely am remote meaning
for a number of
		

			amazing the affairs of a true believer, all his affairs are good. If goodness comes in his
direction, he thinks Allah so it's good for him.
		

			And when something of calamity comes in his direction, he bears patience, he is forbearance.
		

			And he still in goodness, he knows it could have been worse. And this is why we are taught never to
compare ourselves with someone in a better condition in terms of the world and the world key life
note because you won't be able to thank Allah correctly. Always look at those who have less than
you. For example, you are struggling, you didn't get a salary but Mashallah you have fruit that is
growing in your yard. So maybe you are eating from that fruit think about those who are in the
desert and struggling without clothing in the cold and they are suffering What about them? And you
say Oh Allah I thank you Alhamdulillah I praise Allah. This is why hadith of examples of the Allahu
		

			anhu he says the first people to be called out to enter gentlemen will be those who used to say
Alhamdulillah on all conditions with a good came in their direction of bad came in their direction.
They said Al Hamdulillah Do you know who those are? They will be the first two intergender a woman
New Zealand genetti Latina una La la la the first people to be called out to go to Jenna will be
those who you
		

			To say, Praise be to Allah, in good days, and they used to say, Praise be to Allah, even in bad
days. That is a quality of a believer. I invite you to taste the sweetness of thanking Allah
subhanho wa Taala in the most difficult days. It's something really amazing. It will boost you, it
comes you, it improves your health, you become a person who is convinced that Allah will take care
of my problem. Allah will take care of my family's problem. Allah will take care of my community's
problem. Allah will take care of the problems that Obama is facing. Yes, you will do what is in your
capacity in terms of goodness, in a positive way. But you will rely on Allah and you will still
		

			thank Allah a day for you, and the day against you, no matter who you are, your days cannot be equal
one day for you, and one day will be against you. So this is Alhamdulillah we praise Allah subhanho
wa Taala. On top of that, we are advised to add a great quality of Allah. Allah Allah mean, just
like we said about Salaam you can add something just white, like we said about Bismillah you can add
something The same applies to Alhamdulillah. You can add something, what is it Alhamdulillah
		

			Alhamdulillah have been and I mean, he is the Robin means the one who created in the first place and
the one who is in charge of everything he created in every way
		

			possible. So I am praising him. And I'm declaring you are in charge of me. So I have to praise you,
you have the solution to my problem. You have the happiness that I'm searching for you own the
contentment that I'm longing for. When I praise Him, I will automatically feel a little bit of
contentment. No matter what I've gone through. We ask Allah Subhana Allah to Allah to bless us. And
this is why we say Alhamdulillah Allah Allah mean, we praise Allah subhanho wa Taala you know, a
simple translation you will find, it says Lord of the worlds, but the term Robin prefers to create
nourish cherishes, sustainer, provider protector and so on. It's a long, long term, the one who
		

			gives the one in control of the one who kills the one who sustains everything is included in it. So
let's get used to saying Alhamdulillah Allah means alameen The problem was us. Something happens. I
know you can even go in a country like this. Although they are attempting to repair the potholes.
You might hit a pothole and the first thing that comes out of your mouth is a swear word. That's
what happens.
		

			But let's replace that we are believers. Al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil alameen. You know, I heard one of
the scholars when he was ill and he was asked What is wrong? He says, I cannot move Alhamdulillah I
really am bedridden. Alhamdulillah they are thanking Allah, what about us? Our problems are not even
that grand and we don't think Allah learn to thank Allah subhanho wa Taala you will see positive
results in your life. Thereafter, we will always see and I'm sure you have heard Bismillah R Rahman
r Rahim al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil alameen What do you hear after that? Was Salatu was salam, ala MV
mursaleen or sometimes Ashraf will help you many blessings and salutations upon the most noble of
		

			prophets, the greatest of all creation? Why? Why do I start in that way? It shows us that Firstly,
we declared the praise of Allah subhanho wa Taala. We started with that. Thereafter, Allah chose a
means for the goodness to come to us. We were taught something we were taught something goodness,
something of goodness, the arm primarily. And then the entire lifestyle of a certain man who was
sent and chosen as a messenger, the highest of creation, the most noble of all prophets, Allah chose
him. It was not up to me. It was not up to you. It was up to Allah. From amongst us, Allah chooses
who he wants to use for certain things. It's not up to me, I cannot become jealous of you because
		

			Allah gave you money. You cannot become jealous of me because perhaps Allah might have given me
children, or I cannot become jealous of this person perhaps because Allah has blessed him with a
very happy home. It is Allah who chooses. If Allah gave prophet to the knowledge to someone, it is
Allah choice, he chose by us becoming jealous of the person, we would actually be insulting Allah
choice.
		

			The same applies with Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam we declare that he is the greatest and the
best of all creation. Without a doubt, Allah chose him. So part of our gratitude to Allah is to send
blessings and salutations upon Mohammed
		

			A lot while he was sending so much so he says, whoever hears the name Muhammad peace be upon him and
does not say peace be upon him or sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he has a curse from Allah subhanho wa
Taala.
		

			So whenever you hear the term Mohammed, it is an honor for you to say sallallahu alayhi wa sallam,
you're acknowledging the favor of Allah upon the messenger, and the fact that he favored you by
teaching you, he actually taught you some goodness, the recompense of goodness is only goodness. So
when someone taught you something good, and when someone has worked hard on you in the way that
you've benefited, the minimum you owe them in return is to pray for them, is to ask for goodness for
them. This is how you would be able to actually create competence, those who have taught you,
ultimately, Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam we are taught was Salatu was Salam O Allah ashrafi
		

			nambia.
		

			We are acknowledging his prophethood we are acknowledging so much of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam, and at the same time, we are sending blessings and salutations. The Hadith says when you
acknowledge it in this way, 10 times the blessings will actually be received by you. We ask Allah
subhanho wa Taala to grant a similar blessing. And we ask Allah Subhana Allah to Allah to open our
doors. It's important in these beautiful days to remember that Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
indeed, has sacrificed so much for the goodness to come to us. It doesn't stop there. It continues,
what do we say? While he was happy he edge main three words I want to talk about Allah, Allah He we
		

			are sending blessings and salutations, literally praying for his entire family. Not just one of
them, not just two of them, his entire family because they all sacrificed, they were with him. They
worked hard, they were dedicated, they supported him. So we always include the entire family of
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and then we say as happy, all his companions, without
exception, not a single exception. We will send blessings and salutations upon every single one of
them. You don't remove one, what may have happened in terms of perhaps some form of
misunderstanding, once or twice in the lives of some of the Sahaba
		

			we have no role to play in it, we will still say hope your loved one, may Allah be pleased with
them.
		

			So never ever insult the companions of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam by excluding them from
this, we ask Allah subhanho wa Taala to grant us every form of goodness. And we ask Allah subhanho
wa Taala to make us from those who can acknowledge the status of the Sahaba of the alarm. I know
that a Germany is very important. The reason is, it means all of them. I don't want to take sides, I
don't want to involve in dispute. For example, these were champions, did you know that a lot of the
stories connected to dispute that happened among the Sahaba are actually false. They were fabricated
by those who wanted to create division in the Muslim Ummah, when you read stories about some of the
		

			Sahaba having fought against the others, a lot of these stories are false. They were fabricated a
long time back by those who wanted to destroy the unity that was enjoyed by the Sahaba of the
luevano. Therefore, it is not up to us to involve in the nitty gritty that we may have read about.
We have come generations down. It's up to us to declare our ob Allahu Allah, may Allah be pleased on
all of them. And may Allah be pleased upon us. Now imagine if you greet one another with goodness
and if everything you do is for the sake of Allah in the name of Allah subhanho wa Taala if you
believe that He is the Most Merciful, most forgiving and you are concentrating on achieving that
		

			forgiveness and that mercy, and on top of that, you declare his praise upon all conditions, like I
said, and I want to repeat it because it's important, the hadith of him nampa Solomon who clearly
says, a woman you ll genetti, Latina, Medina, ALLAH hafiz savoir Baba, the first people to be called
out to gentlemen will be those who used to say Alhamdulillah during easy days, and during difficult
times, they used to still praise Allah, those are the first they deserve paradise. They understood
the test of this dunya a day for you and the day against you. So if you are keen on praising Allah
upon all conditions, and then you are intelligent enough and to understand and acknowledge the
		

			status of Muhammad Salam
		

			My name is Adam and those through the chain the Sahaba of the along the time between those who came
down teaching us goodness, then inshallah we will be able to achieve a greater reward for ourselves.
Man Salah Allah
		

			Salallahu alaihe Bihar Sha, Hadith the Prophet sallallahu Sallam says whoever sends blessings and
salutations upon me once Allah blesses them tenfold as a result of that. Another integration says,
the one who is most deserving of the one who is most deserving of the intercession of Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam on the Day of Judgment is the one who sends the most blessings and
salutations upon him. So Panama. So every day, increase the amount of blessings and salutations you
send upon Mohammed Salah. You stand a greater chance of achieving the shefa and the intercession on
the Day of Judgment of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam thereafter, if you are going to
		

			acknowledge the status of the family of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam without exception, and
you are going to acknowledge the status of all the companions without exception.
		

			What can you be losing May Allah Subhana Allah Allah grant us every form of goodness and May Allah
help us to start everything important with Bismillah May we be from among those who greet one
another sincerely and genuinely and may we be from among those really, who acknowledge the status
given by Allah subhanho wa Taala Allah to the messengers of Allah, primarily to Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam to his family, his companions and so on. May Allah grant us also elevation on the
day of judgment was on a level with cinema albaraka