Jawatte Masjid
Mufti Menk – Surviving the Melting Pot
AI: Summary ©
The importance of learning to handle media challenges and being conscious of one's own values is emphasized in Islam. The speakers emphasize the need for women to be more aware of the negative impacts of social media and encourage them to be their own. The conversation ends with a brief discussion about the negative impact of the recent flu season on the economy.
AI: Summary ©
salaam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.
smilla rahmanir rahim al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil alameen wa Salatu was Salam ala
nabina Muhammad wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa
ala Medina.
All praise is due to Allah subhanho wa Taala blessings and salutations upon Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, his household, his companions, we ask Allah Subhana, Allah to bless them to bless every one of us, to grant us goodness to bless humanity at large, and to save humanity from chaos and disaster. I mean, my beloved brothers and sisters, you and I know that we are most meaning we belong to the faith of Islam, we actually
have chosen that religion of Islam, we have chosen it, it is by choice that we are Muslims, but in the eyes of Allah subhanho wa Taala. It is his destiny, he is in power, he is the guy. For us, it's okay for us to say this. But in actual fact, the will of Allah subhanho wa Taala is over and above everything.
What we need to realize is the world will continue changing, the globe will continue changing. And when it does change, we need to maintain our identity at least some people shy away from Islam, and they begin to feel that it's an embarrassment to be a Muslim now to be loved. May Allah subhanho wa Taala protect us safeguard us. In fact, when the world has shown the torch, or can I say when the spotlight is upon the muslimeen that is the time for us to actually display who exactly we are. Sure, there is a lot of noise of the window, something blowing, you can turn off the fans if need be. There is something blowing into the microphone every little while and it's disturbing us.
So it is a gift of Allah subhanho wa Taala.
And it is the time when we should be displaying the true characteristics of a Muslim. But how are we going to do that if we don't know what it is that we're supposed to be following.
So while we are supposed to be navigating through these times, we must realize and understand that without knowledge, you will never be able to practice through Islam, you need to make an effort to learn Islam.
Many times people say we are Muslim, we might be praying five times a day. We might be for example reading the Koran, but we've never looked into its meaning perhaps we don't have any deeper understanding of Islam. And then when people talk about Islam in the wrong way, we begin to think that you know what, it's actually an embarrassment to be a Muslim. Because we don't have an answer. We don't know how to talk to them. My brothers, my sisters, we need to know Islam is a beautiful religion, if only you understand it, I have seen non Muslims take the Quran, open versus totally out of context and bash unsuspecting, uneducated Muslims regarding verses that are in the Quran without
the proper context without the proper understanding of those particular verses. And I've heard this so much. Just yesterday, someone sent me a clip of a person
who happened to be speaking to a Muslim who was a good Muslim, reading Salah, you know, perhaps understanding how to read the Quran, but no deep knowledge. And they started asking them deep questions about how oppressive it may be
about how oppressive it is as being a Muslim and how you do you believe that those who do bad are going to burn in the fire?
And then they say that that is blackmail Subhan Allah, do you believe that? The answer is hang on why do you want to word it that way? Let us unite let us come together with all Semitic faiths. And we all would actually say that the Almighty has issued a warning. That warning is if you were to do bad, then you would actually receive bad not only in the Hereafter, even in this world. Don't we agree that if you do bad the evil
That will come back to haunt you. We always say that. That is an Islamic teaching when you do good goodness comes back to you when you do bad bad comes back to you. Now, if the Almighty has warned us, that is the warning that he has issued. It's between the person who does the bad and the Almighty.
And I don't need to become embarrassed about it. If your father tells you listen, if you swear I'm going to punish you. I'm going to reprimand you how He will punish how he will reprimand is up to him. What is he trying to do for you? A lot of the times it's a deterrent. We are parents, I'm a parent. If I were to tell my children do not do this, if you do it, you will be punished. Sometimes they do it but I decided not to punish them. I just talked to them and I say don't do it again. Do you agree? That's what happens with us when it comes to Allah subhanho wa Taala we live our lives in such a way that sometimes we don't even deserve the mercy of Allah subhanho wa Taala because we are
far from Allah. But through Allah has mercy He keeps on giving us he keeps on giving us one chance, another chance a third chance. Sometimes we engage in Toba, we seek the forgiveness of Allah subhanho wa Taala and we say Oh Allah, I won't do it again. One week later, we are busy doing the same thing again. So what happens is, Allah forgives you once he forgives you twice. He forgives you thrice. He forgives you in an unlimited way, on condition that your repentance was sincere. So if someone were to say you're going to burn in *, I will say Hang on, hang on. I have hope in the mercy of Allah subhanho wa Taala that we will enter general freedoms we will enter general fulfill
those
May Allah subhanho wa Taala grant us an understanding in the meantime, I need to make sure that I do my best to learn like I said point number one knowledge without knowledge you won't know how to worship Allah how to navigate through these testing times you will just melt in the pot with everything else and when everyone else
a little bit of pressure comes you cave in and embarrassed to even say my Muslim name. Allah He if that was the case, then all those who are champions of any good cause when they face challenges, should they give up the good cause? When they face hardship, should they give it up and just say it's okay, it's fine. I'm no longer a part of this. No, if you have sound knowledge, it will lead you to soften up soften.
knowledge comes with softening if it is sound and if it is received with a sincere heart with a heart that is conscious of Allah subhanho wa Taala when you lose consciousness of Allah when you do not have Allah within your equation, in other words, when you've removed Allah from your life, you will not become a softened person. You will not be a person who appreciates the others, you will not look at others and think to yourself, this person is just like I am a creature of Allah subhanho wa Taala
Islam has given so much of importance to make space for people when you are sitting in a gathering, either gala
majelis FAFSA, FAFSA in
October when you are told in your gatherings to create a little bit of space for others make that space for Indeed Allah will open for you as well.
That's what Islam has taught us make space for others why others in the same way I want to be here the other person also wants to be here. Let's share the space and squeeze a little bit and make space for them. But if you don't have Allah within your equation, what will you do your space instead of just one you want to take up three or four spaces make sure no one is next to you. No one is behind you, etc etc. No, you make space for people You must be happy when you are slightly squashed up a little bit even in Salah in prayer. Some people get angry as you come through and you try and tap them to say please make space for me know the true believers is no problem I make space
and even if you are a little bit squeezed and squashed you know Oh Allah reward me even for his Salah. Wow, when you get into the first stuff, yes, we might become a little bit selfish because it's a very big reward. But if there is a little bit of space, try and create something to let another person come in as well. What does this teach us? It teaches us the concern for other people. We are concerned for others what made me concern for others my consciousness of Allah the knowledge I have the sincerity I have what did it do for me? It softened me but did I give up my post? No. Did I give up my belief? No. Did I give up my values? No. If adultery becomes rampant in society, does
it mean we should give up the path that we are following and
Stop committing adultery like it is the way forward. No, we need to ensure that we have our morals and values. We know them. We know what we stand for. And we will follow that. If someone else would like to follow something else in a free country you need to understand, let it be. Let them do what they have to you do what you have to. Does anyone force you to swear? No. Does anyone force you to become vulgar? No. But because you are conscious of Allah, you don't swear? Even if the whole world sways? Have you noticed something the young might have realized this already? Nowadays, the way people talk, they add a swear word. They add the vulgar word every so often in the sentence, they
add it and it becomes cheap talk Subhana Allah the language becomes very low, but they don't mind. That's the way forward. You know, if that is the case, what should the Muslim do? A Muslim needs to understand
that he or she must speak with respect, even if the whole community and the whole world is speaking in a disrespectful way. You don't add those dirty words. The reason is, you have values that are high.
Sometimes when you get a chance, you can tell your friends. You know what, I think it's not a good idea to add these words, try and deduct them, try and use more respectable, respectful words. They might tell you, who are you, Oh, come on. We just living there. You know, you can explain to them if they don't want to listen, what was your duty to try with them, you try it with them. And at the end of the day, you continued in your good ways. The same applies to alcohol, intoxicants and drugs, for example, on different levels. But if someone
happens to intoxicate themselves, let's use the example of drugs, rampant in societies and communities across the globe. So many people are guilty, including those who call themselves Muslim. And you and I know is bad. Take a look at smoking. Smoking is a bad habit. The Globe will tell you it's a bad habit. When we say as Muslim men don't do it. People say look at this man. He's being extreme. He's not being extreme. It's on your box, my brother. It's written on the box. Nowadays. Sometimes it's written on every cigarette smoking kills, smoking kills. But you know what the young people say, you know, when something is really great in some communities is Oh, it's killing man.
It's killing. That means it's so good. It's great. So when they say Smoking kills it, oh, it does kill men. You know, that means it's great. It's huge. I wonder what they mean on the box. In actual fact, in real English, proper terms, it means you will lose your life.
You know, so Pamela, it's like they say he killed it. Man. That means he nailed it. Man. That is colloquial language. That is slang. It's not the proper understanding. So don't ever come to a cigarette box and only say Smoking kills man. That means it's cool, man, stop. That's not the meaning of it. But if society gets to that meaning, you will still know in actual fact, this means killing in the real sense. I should stop this bad habit. I should stop it. Is it wrong for me to promote from the pulpit of the masjid to everyone to say, try your best to give up this bad habit? It's not wrong. It is noble for me to remind myself and yourself to give up all bad habits.
And like I say, drugs even less, less. And when you see society doing it, they consider you cool. I don't know what's so cool about that. They say you you actually have to hurt yourself. It's not cool. People inject themselves with a drug. Some people smoke the drug. So they liked, they liked it. And then they smoked it. And some people have it in the form of a pill, etc. They say it makes me feel good. It makes me feel hi Subhana Allah, it makes you feel high. How high Subhana Allah.
That feeling is very fake. It is very temporary. It messes your health. It messes your brain, it messes your mind. It does not solve your problems for a moment you think your problems are solved. Therefore, while in that intoxication, you may commit and perpetrate hideous crimes. How many criminals there are in our jails. If you go and study their lives, a lot of them who have harmed others, they have harmed others in a state of intoxication. They did not really know what they were doing because they melted in the pot. They did like everyone else. In fact, when I read the topic melting in the pot, I thought to myself in some cultures and societies weed is called pot. Do you
know that they call it pot
This guy smokes pot. So don't melt in that pot. My brothers and sisters, for law say you need to understand, we would have to work very hard to protect ourselves number one, number two, if you have fallen down, you have to work even harder to come back up. We have hope. We have lots of hope in you, you are our future. The young the youth, Mashallah even the older people, if you have a bad habit will lie, you have a future known as genital failure, dos, Heaven, paradise. Just give up these bad habits for the sake of Allah become a flag bearer of goodness, become a torch bearer who can hand the torch over to the next generation in a beautiful way. My brothers and sisters don't we
find crises across the globe. Our children look at the parents and you know what? They don't see a good example. They don't see role models. Let's change that. We are all we have children in a lot of cases. May Allah bless those who don't have children with children say Amin.
Subhana Allah.
But when you do have the children, will you not quit your batteries? I know of non Muslims who have quit smoking and drinking and who have quit alcohol and drugs. When they've had children. They say no, I'm not going to do this anymore. Why am kids now I've got kids now. I need to be a good example. But the muslimeen Kids Mom, look after the child and going where did you go is gone to the club. He only comes back at 12 midnight One, two, the mothers are complaining etc. And sometimes it's the other way around. Some of the sisters would actually just throw the child and say you know what, look after the child and coming come back after two days, May Allah forgive us.
And when she comes back husband would dare even ask when will you
things are changing across the globe. You know, someone might ask whose duty easy to look after the children the male or the female. The truth is both of you, both of you.
You are the parents, Allah blessed both of you with the child, the children did not just appear with one parent, they were both so it is your collective duty. You need to share the responsibility depending on what you are cut out for and depending on your job, your work, your surroundings, the reality on the ground, what you're doing. May Allah subhanho wa Taala make it easy for us to become role models. If you're not going to be a role model for your children. Don't expect those children to succeed. It's the help of Allah that may make them succeed. But there is a greater chance if you continue to pray to Allah and try your best keep on trying. Ensure that you have looked after them.
You have eradicated your bad habits. This is the way that Allah has taught us. So without knowledge we will not be able to achieve secondly, without sincerity, we will not be able to achieve what is sincerity. You are sincere for the sake of Allah sincere towards your fellow brothers and sisters sincere towards the message of Allah subhanho wa Taala through Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, I need to be sincere. My heart needs to be clean. When you have a dirty heart. It is filled with jealousy, envy, hatred, enmity, negativity, that which is bad. We don't need that type of a heart. We need to be sincere in the same way I want goodness for myself. I want it for the rest of
me, no matter your hip belly, it might have been enough. See, none of you are considered true believers until you love for another what you love for yourself. Why is that? That would mean
that you cannot call yourself a believer in Allah. If you only care for yourself and you don't care for others. You cannot call yourself a believer because you might be praying the whole day, but you have not reached out to the other creatures of Allah. So much so that when you come to pray, the Hadith says Never mind benefiting people don't harm them, even if it was just through your bad breath. Imagine a person eats onions and they come close to you. And they tell you Santa Monica, straighten your nose and you're like,
you know, are you bleeding the onion so you're greeting the man you don't even know you're confused. And the Hadith says don't do that. When you come to the house of Allah. Make sure you wash your mouth thoroughly so that the foul smell of the fresh onions which was so tasty, which you enjoy. It does not have to affect someone in the machine. You don't want people to come to the house of Allah and then they are affected by something bad that you have said or done or even by an odor. And then they say I don't want to go back to the house of Allah. When I went there. I was feeling sick. I stole federal law, who would be the reason and the cause. You and I if we did not cleanse ourselves
for that reason. There is something known as Voodoo you gargle your mouth in that model.
So Kerala you wash your feet in the Moodle? Have you ever thought of it? Some people break their will do through going to the toilet. Some people break that Moodle through the passing of women, some people break that Moodle in a different way, but every one of them has to wash in the same way some Hana law for as long as it's just Voodoo that you need to do no matter what you have to wash in the same way. I have to wash my feet as well. I have to wash my face as well. I have to wash my hands as well. I have to rinse my mouth as well. I have to clean my nose. Why? Because I am cleansed spiritually physically. And I need to arrive at such a level that I don't harm others with a foul
smell. You know you and I walk whole day right?
Well, if we don't walk then we work I vote
what happens to your feet you're wearing socks and shoes as you take off your shoes what happens? A lot of the times you have this musty smell you know salty smell something because you know your feet are in shoes compact all day, the heat etc. You take it out, what do you have to do you wash those feet before you can read Salah you need to come for the sake of Allah with clean feet. Wow. Amazing. If you don't have to do you will make it part of that ablution before you pray, includes ensuring that your feet are washed.
So no one can say Subhana Allah The place is smelling of people's feet.
I am in the house of Allah subhanho wa Taala right now none of us would have our shoes on. But guess what, there is no odor or smell of socks or feet, etc, etc. Because all of us are clean. We have cleansed before we came here. What was it for Yes, for your spirituality for your physical cleanliness. But over and above that you need to know it was also in order to be able to protect others from the harm of the older that you might release had you not washed yourself.
That is called maintaining the standard. That is a high standard very high standard. If that is the case, I need to go beyond that. I need to benefit people I need to worry about and think about ways that I can help people in whatever I am doing. People say how do I serve Islam? Serving Islam is not only getting up and teaching people it's not only getting up and lecturing, it's not only leading the Salah, or standing on the moon, but all of us in our own way we should be thinking how can I serve humanity at large? What can I do for my neighbors? What can I do for those who live with me? What can I do for those whom I interact with? What can I do for the poor, the needy, those who have
suffered when the flood came those who have who are struggling, the widows, the orphans, the concern if you have it makes you a good Muslim.
But we're lucky we've become so selfish we forget about everyone besides ourselves. It's reality. The Prophet sallallahu Sallam says he who is concerned about the orphans and the widows is similar in reward to the one who stands in prayer, the one who fasts every day. So Pamela, where are we? Secondly, if we are not going to live as Muslims, how will we as I said at the beginning of this talk, showcase Islam to our neighbors, to those who we live with? When will they realize what we are who we stand with? Meaning what we stand for, and who we are? When will they realize that we need to start thinking of how do you reach out to your non Muslim neighbors, those whom you live with? Can I
show them my kindness, the kindness that was taught to me by my faith by Islam? Am I an honest person in business? When I deal with the non Muslims? Do they see that I am different because I'm honest, when I interact with those who don't like Islam, do I leave a mark such that they have to at least nod their heads and say I met one good guy from the Muslims.
They shouldn't just be saying one good guy. They should be saying these guys. They are honest.
Let's face facts, what happens today? Today when the Muslims give you something you need to watch out, you need to be careful, they will have turned right. When someone says I'll pay you just now five minutes that five minutes can become five years, sometimes five years and you are still fighting for your money. That should not be the case. My brothers and sisters we are taught that society and community can drift whichever way it wants to you don't drift you must remain on the straight path. Every day we say in Salah today we repeated it a
tepee Guide us to the straight path Guide us to the straight path. We are saying it so many times. Have you thought about it. When you want something when you want a job. You go to someone you say please give me a job. If you were to ask that person 17 times a day give me a job. Please give me a
Job please give me a job but you don't even know what you're asking. Sometimes he's telling you Okay, come for the job, but you haven't even heard him because you don't even know what you're saying you keep repeating this and you know what, you've lost the job. The reason is, you're not concentrating, you're just saying a statement that you've now forgotten the meaning of what happens to us. We ask Allah for guidance, but we are saying a statement we don't even think about Oh Allah guide me but I'm not trying to achieve that guidance. Oh Allah guide me to the straight path Salah confession and snoring Allah guide me to the straight path or am I ready last Ramadan, Allah guide
me to the straight path Salah I'm not even there. Allah guide me to the straight path I'm swearing, shouting, screaming and being vulgar. Allah guide me to the straight path. I cannot quit smoking. Allah guide me to the straight path I don't leave and quit adultery and fornication in morality and evil Allah guide me to the straight path. I'm not making an effort to dressed in a modest and correct way or Allah guide me to the straight path. I'm not making an effort to stop teaching and stealing and deceiving. Allah guide me to the straight path I'm not making an effort to remove hatred and jealousy from my heart. Then what type of straight path are you looking for? What type of
straight path are you looking for? You're not prepared to worship Allah alone. You're not prepared to follow the Sunnah Muhammad Sallallahu sallam, you're not prepared to give up any of your ways and habits. You're not prepared to be cautioned and warned about materialism. Then what type of straight path Are you referring to? When you say so many times a day? You're supposed to be saying it in a Serato Mr. T. It is a straight path. It requires an effort to walk upon to tread that path you need to make an effort many of us have a temper. We can angry with whom those whom we love the most. The most vulnerable from amongst those around us. Some you went to work, something bad happened. You
could not shout at your boss. So you came back home and you shouted at someone whom you thought you were the boss of.
That's what you did. At your children. You snapped at them. Why? Because your boss snapped at you monkey see, monkey do. That's what happened.
But you did it somewhere else.
Why did you snap? You have a problem at work? Do not let it seep through to the house. When you go at least be quiet. They might ask you what happened today. You might say You know what? My boss shouted at me but it's okay. inshallah, may Allah guide him. Or tomorrow I will try and tackle the matter and see how best I can resolve it. You don't come home and snap at your wife and children they were waiting for you. A lot of the times our family members whether it's the wife or the husband either way, the one at home waits for the other.
And the children in particular they wait for parents, and you know what they say?
They wait to get a glimpse of you when you arrive home have a smile. Bring a sweet if you don't have a sweet what is tastier than a sweet is a nice big hug.
And what is tastier than a big hug is a kiss suhaila kiss. Did you just say kiss? Yes. Kiss not not double s with four S's. So Pamela it's a bit longer you notice?
Yes, may Allah subhanho wa Taala help us understand it's very, very valuable. It's very valuable. They are waiting for you to embrace them to tell them a good word. Ah, I missed you today. I thought of you three four times Subhana Allah send them a message. Even if it is on auto send, send it. One young boy told me my father loves me every day 10 o'clock, he sends me a message. Father told me this auto send.
I told him Don't burst his bubble. City three, four times. Next time you tell me father sends me 10 o'clock, two o'clock, four o'clock without failure. Unless a hotel lets you down. Allah subhanho wa Taala forgive us but we don't make use of technology. Because why we become melted, melted in what? Something else, the big pot melted in it. I forgot that I have a family. Therefore, I start committing adultery. You need to discipline yourself. My brothers. My sisters, discipline is key. You want to have a happy life. Focus on what Allah gave you. Don't focus on what Allah did not give you. I'm saying that again.
If you want to have a happy life, focus on what Allah gave you don't focus on what Allah did not give you. You will become miserable you will lose what you have. If you focus on what Allah did not give you. Allah gave you a family. Allah gave you a spouse, Allah gave you children, Allah gave you goodness, focus on it, work on it, spend time with the family guarding the gift of Allah. The same applies with materialistic items. That's another point I wanted to raise this evening. If you look at the world around you, materialism is advertised aggressively all over. Everything is advertised. You see the phone this brother has
It possibly is an iPhone. Is it?
How do I know? I use Samsung brother?
So it's an iPhone. I'm sure when the new one comes, he looks at it. Don't you look at it. Okay, he's nodding his head quietly pleased. I am not picking on him because I like the way he's smiling. So I'm just interacting with him. So he looks at it when he looks at it. Isn't he happy? I'm seeing it. Wow, it's a new form, right? Wouldn't you like it in your heart? If someone said Hey, take this new form you would swap anytime again. There we are. Brother says yes. Don't worry. You're not the only one saying yes. I can also nod my head in front of the whole world. Yes, I wouldn't mind it and hamdulillah it would come. What I do with it is by the way, you know, I've got so many kids when I
get the phone they say Dad, you remember what you were preaching be happy with your phone. This one can be mine can be mine. Masha, Allah Subhana Allah,
Allah grant us ease. So what happens no matter what you have, you still want the next one. You have a car, you buy the latest vehicle. When you see another one, you still want that one. Hang on. You are allowed. You are allowed to have the latest, let's be clear on that. You are allowed to have the latest form the latest car, but your heart is not allowed to be so attached to it, that it distances you from Allah. That's what it is. Don't let it distance you from Allah. Some people are fortunate. It's very easy for them to get it. Allah bless them with Well, it is a test. It is a test from Allah. What did you do with your old phone? What did you do with your old clothes, some of us in our
wardrobes we have pairs of clothes we have not used for a long, long time. Every function we buy another pair of clothes, every function we get new shoes, every function, new hairstyle, every function, new perfume. Well, if Allah has blessed you with so much of money, which is not the case, in a lot of instances, you need to know what you did with what you have already is key to determining the type of person you are. Number one, don't make it a habit of running behind the world. The world will always run faster than you you will never catch up no matter what latest you have a moment later. They have something more late more later.
They have a new latest Should I waited that way.
But what did I do with my old clothes. And when I say old I'm not talking of waiting until it's tacky and tone and destroyed. And then you take this and you give it to someone and you say Please brother, my old clothes or take this it's really brand new. I remember one day there was a certain Auntie who came with some clothes.
And she was giving them to the poor and she was telling them brand new. She used it for about 10 years. Brand new I promised you brand new I just worried once or twice and I'm thinking to myself Auntie, please don't say brand new just say look, these are some clothings inshallah, if you find it within yourself to wear it or if you would like it, take it If not, please give it to someone else. Be respectful when giving someone something, we call them hand me downs, we are proud to receive them. Someone gives me something hand me down that I know I'm going to utilize or my children will utilize, we would be helped, we would be thankful to Allah subhanho wa Taala.
But my brothers and sisters, Gone are the days when we think about one another we think about only ourselves. When you see something good. Someone gave you something you want to purchase something Do you think to yourself? What does my neighbor have? Do you know in Islam, if your neighbor is of poorer standing than yourself, you should not allow your children to play with toys that your neighbors cannot afford. Did you know that? The reason is their hearts will incline towards some negativity rather than positivity. That's what will happen. So if my children are playing with the latest toys and the neighbors are all poor people who cannot afford those toys, what will happen?
There's going to be some jealousy in the heart. There's going to be some sadness, sadness, to say the least in the hearts of those children. They will look at your kids and say, Daddy, please buy us this and father will say I can't afford it. Or he might say one day I will get you every day one day one day. So what happens with the child father says one day I will get you son says when is one day coming? So the father says count the days of the week, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, there is no one day. One day never comes. You have the days of the week. So this is a ploy of lying to the kids. Please I will buy you this one day. Don't say I will buy you this
one day I will buy you this Monday. Then we are talking business Mashallah Monday.
My brothers and sisters we need to be so conscious of the people around us that when we cook food Islam teaches us
That share it with your neighbors share it with those around us not that once the meat is burned to say, Oh, this is burnt, go give it to the neighbors. No, we want to give them good things we want to give them that which they can make use of.
This is the religion that you are taught. This is the religion of your
Nabhi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. May Allah bless us one of the biggest gifts, look at the life of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he gave preference to others over himself. There is one narration that speaks about how he gave a piece of clothing to a person who was asking him that he himself needed. So Panama and he gave the piece of clothing the man came to ask he gave it
and not only the messenger, but he trained his companions such that if someone needs something, it is very rewarding to give them that thing.
Even if you were in need of that thing. Wow. It's not compulsory to give them if you're in need, but it's rewarding. Where do we get this from? The Quran? praises the Quran praises the answer. The answer are the people of Medina munawwara. When the people of Makkah came, Allah says, while you Fiona
Can I beat him kasasa they gave preference over themselves to others, even though they were in dire need of what they were giving away to Pamela. I'm sure you know of so many stories of how the unsolved we're ready to share whatever they had half half.
How many of us are ready to share? Not with Mahajan who came from Makkah with our own brothers and sisters?
We have a wall in the house because I have more you have less. Sometimes Sometimes the wives say how come they have this? We don't have this thing. My brothers, my sisters, I go back to that point. concentrate on what Allah gave you. Don't concentrate on what he did not give you
be focused upon what he gave you. If you want to look at what he did not give you you will be depressed. Did he not give you food? Yes. You see from amongst us there are some who are very wealthy. We are sitting in the house of Allah. They are sitting in the midst of those who may not be wealthy. Right. So if I were to share with you something interesting, a man who goes to Shangri La to have coffee, and the other man who had coffee at home, sometimes the coffee at home might taste better. And guess what? It costed one 10th and he enjoyed it and he filled himself. Let's say it was a meal, for example.
And in no ways Am I belittling Shangri La I'm just giving you an example.
That man spent 100 US dollars and he ate a meal. This man spent one US dollar and he ate a meal. A love filled both bellies one spent much more than the other. The chances are the more you spent on the meal. The chances are the less healthy The food was.
You find the poor man's spending $1 a day on his meals. What will he get? It will be healthy. He's got more time for all these you know fries grind food, perhaps desserts with a lot of sugar in it and so much of food that might be not so healthy, etc. It's possible he would probably be healthier. How much did he spend one
once they are both filled, their bellies are full of them something both of them will refuse. Both of them will refuse well nowadays there's a new generation of young people no matter how full the belly is. The one young man was telling me you know uncle My stomach is elastic. That's what I learned at school. You give me I will eat it. I will eat it so panela I will eat it and then if you offer dessert What do they say they say you know dessert No matter how much you eat, it finds its way into the gaps in the food. So bring Bring it on, bring it on. You know some had Allah Mashallah, that's enthusiasm, I hope and I pray we could meet Salah with similar enthusiasm that you know, the
sooner and the nothing just fills the the mistakes you might have made in the forum. The shortcomings, slight shortcomings, so let's bring it on. Let's read more and more soon and nothing but that people won't do. Why? Because it requires great effort. Shaytan comes to you and says you fulfill your Salah. Yeah, four of you did work out. Why should I work on soon and nothing is not fun. That's what shape man comes to tell us. Sooner and nothing is not for the statement might be correct that sooner and nothing is not foreign. But be careful at the conclusion that you arrived through that statement. If that conclusion is going to make you upset
Abandon sooner and nothing
sorry soon enough even if the conclusion is going to make you abandon sooner and nothing by claiming that sooner and nothing is not followed, then you have arrived at the wrong conclusion. But sometimes Allah you may want to say inshallah, I'm going to establish this and wait to get to it. I call on myself and yourself, my brothers and sisters. Don't let yourself melt in the pot of walking out of the masjid or forgetting about your Salah. There is a Sunnah where you can read or you should read your Sunnah and nothing at home.
It is the only time you don't need it at home is when you know I'm going to get lazy when you go home. See my wife see my children see the food I'll sit there a little while later be on WhatsApp and so on and what will happen i'm going to be lazy to fulfill the Salah in that case better you fulfill it in the machine before you go home. The problem is a lot of the machines now are offering free Wi Fi. Free Wi Fi.
Free Wi Fi what is happening is you know the youngsters are coming now. Mashallah. Coming coming to the machine all the youth are there. Why free Wi Fi Unlimited, fast 5g. Have you heard of 5g? Well, I haven't either, so it's okay.
So my brothers and sisters, it's interesting to note that when you become distracted, you tend to turn away from Allah don't let that happen while you are in the masjid. you fulfill your Salah before you go home the two more units. need four more units. Leave your sooner a few times, read your nothing get used to it without forcing yourself to do good you will never get used to that good you will melt in the pot.
Many of us fulfill our Pharaoh Salah Mashallah we come really far out, we are gone. we fulfill it at home. I want myself and yourself to promise that we are going to work harder to be able to go beyond just the foreign but you have to work hard on that it won't just come without working on it.
Beautiful teachings of Islam.
Don't give up your faith, learn to smile at people look at Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam when they harmed him, he was kind to them. When they did that to him. He did good to them. How many of us are ready to do that? When they harm us? What do we do? Nevermind harm them, we harm ourselves.
Today the world is looking at the Muslims and claiming that Islam is a barbaric, backward religion filled with hate and filled with extremism, terrorism, etc. all the isms that are negative are used against the Muslims. What is our job? Our duty is to prove them wrong. We are Muslim since birth in most cases.
Since generations, in a lot of cases. We will never that Wait, where did all this hatred come out from where did all this ignorance come from? Because we are melting in what materialism and ignorance lack of sincerity. We lose sincerity. I no longer sincere sincere to whom
a dino naseeha. You know what that means the deal is unless he heard the term unless he would also translate his sincerity and genuineness. Because advice follows a genuine feeling when I see you doing wrong, I will not advise you. If I don't have a genuine feeling for you. I won't be happy that you're doing wrong.
You know, when you're traveling on the highway, I don't know if it's the case in this country. But sometimes when there is a speed trap, what happens? People flash the flash at you. What is the flashing all about? They're telling you a slow down somewhere down the line. They are people tracking, right. So they flash which means slow down. They care for you. They care for themselves as well because if you are speeding, sometimes I flash at people just to greet them, but they don't realize they slow down.
they slow down and as they're passing away with them. So Pamela you know they have a code that I don't understand some of the public transporters, they have a code they flash each other they put out a finger two or three I don't know if that's supposed to mean two kilometres down three kilometres down. I just put all five fingers
but that's a genuine feeling you want the brother to slow down because you know a you know you're gonna put everyone's life at risk not only your loved ones, but mine too.
So it's better to have safer roads, we care for each other because that's our life. What about caring for each other for the sake of Allah subhanho wa Taala to be able to advise you I need to have a genuine feeling towards you. You see a person on the street and he's really wasting himself. Are you going to go to him and say uncle don't smoke? He'll say Who are you? Am I related to you? Do Do I look like your son? That's what he will say. Yes, I've heard young people say that you're not my father. To look like your son. So panela you're a human being so am I am advising you people don't like advice but the genuine person will love
Advice for as long as the one advising you is correct, take it take correction. If you don't take correction, how will you excel and improve yourself however, going to back going back to the point I was raising, and naseeha also means having a genuine feeling of being sincere towards sincerity towards Allah, the line when you know Sunni sincerity towards the messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam pause for a moment, let us talk about who he was sallallahu alayhi wasallam the best of creation, the most noble of all prophets, the most perfect of the creation of Allah subhanho wa Taala, the one whom we expect his intercession on the day of tiama sallallahu alayhi wa sallam he
whom if we were to hear his name, and we did not say sallallahu alayhi wasallam we would actually be insulting ourselves. And if we were to say sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, Allah would give us a reward tenfold. So Pamela, Salama sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
sincere sincerity towards the messenger means I will learn about him I will follow his example I will follow His ways his words, I will ensure that I appreciate the fact that I am one of his followers, one of the aroma of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
Then we have sincerity towards our leaders, genuineness towards our leaders sincerity towards the common man that Allah be sincere towards them. Some people, they wait for an alum, a scholar to make a mistake in his speech, one mistake and they get it. Sometimes not even a mistake, but the sound bite and they want to nail him like we said earlier, nailed it.
That is not genuine, this you will damage the deal. Someone's made a mistake, correct them, go to them, ask them, speak to them. be genuine about it. Imagine, you hear let me give you my example. I must have spoken millions of words, I surely have made a few mistakes. I'm a human. While I'm speaking whether it's a linguistic error, sometimes this error that error, I have reflected some of what I have even said,
I have corrected myself many times to Panama.
Because we are human beings. If you are too proud to admit that you are wrong, you will never succeed, you will never succeed. But it requires genuine people to come forth to correct us. Someone might come and say Brother, you know in language, you made a mistake, brother, when you were quoting the verse, you made an error. Brother, this is a view you mentioned there is another view, I have become more understanding of different opinions, we understand them much better than before. Because as you progress, you learn more and more SubhanAllah. So what should it do to you, it softens you. It makes you appreciate people it makes you love people, it makes you care for people. That is true
sound knowledge coupled with genuineness, when you see others you are filled with love, why they are part of your family. They are part of the oma or they're a part of humanity and you have a responsibility towards them. Social Responsibility, spiritual responsibility, religious responsibility, whatever other responsibilities you have, including environmental responsibilities, you need to ensure that you don't go out destroying the the the infrastructure and the environment, the ecosystem because others have to benefit from it. And you will ensure that you planted three where possible because the Hadith says whoever benefits from its shade and its fruit, the plant will
be getting the reward for it amazing.
So my brothers and sisters, what a beautiful religion we have, I was telling you this genuineness and sincerity towards one another. We should be feeling that beautiful feeling of love and kindness. And I want to tell you, if you look at people and you feel hate towards them, you are the one who is sick.
If you look at people and you feel hate towards them, who is sick, who needs help, you need help. Because
you should be feeling a feeling of goodness when they are going wrong. You might not like what they are doing. I can hate a bad deal. I dislike with a passion immorality, for example. I may hate
drugs, but the one who's on drugs. I care for him enough to want to see him have that addiction that is bad for him.
You follow what I'm saying?
our parents, our mothers, our fathers, they pray for us even when we are going astray. The same should be for all of us. Black and White, short and tall, rich and poor.
From this tribal that this side of the world or that we are all brothers and sisters, we are all one. That's what we are.
We care for each other and at the end of the day. What was your duty to try? I tried to help him Unfortunately, he didn't ask
Except my help, what should I do? I will keep on trying in a beautiful way to help him. Maybe I might die, and he might not be held during my life. But after I die, he will remember my words and he will then come right, what happened, I will receive a reward. How many of us our parents tell us so many good things, we don't listen to them. When one parent dies, we start thinking my father was right. We changed our ways. We changed our habits.
I remember a family of wealthy people, and one of them was not so wealthy, and the father passed away. When the father passed away, the wealthy were just waiting for that wealth of the father, who was also wealthy to be distributed so that they could become more wealthy.
And the one who was poor, he was the only one who's to make dua for his father, and tell people my father was a really great man. So Panama. I'm not saying the others forgot their dad. But what I am saying is the life of this one changed after his father went away.
And he used to say my father was a very good man. May Allah grant him Jenna. So my brothers and sisters, remember, people can also benefit from you and what you try to give them after you went to me. And if they did not, still you have the reward with Allah. Allah will not magnify your reward you try and you worked hard. That was Allah subhanho wa Taala he gave you He bestowed upon you the opportunity and you see is this that is a Muslim. Now, when you help others come towards goodness, what will happen when you help others come towards goodness, the minimum is you will be protected from evil.
If I keep reminding people of Salah my brother's Salah, my brother Salah, what will happen come time for Salah, I'm going to feel guilty, I'm telling everyone to fulfill Salah, and here I am not even interested in it. You see, that's going to affect us negatively. So we get up and we fulfill the Salah, you keep on helping people to come out of bad Allah will save you from that bad.
Keep on reminding people about good, Allah will give you the acceptance to do that good. Let's not be selfish, my brothers and sisters, let's think about others, whether it's materialistic things,
whether it's our wealth, our clothing, our food, our shelter, etc. Reach out to others who don't have an even in religion, reach out to others, perhaps who might not understand who may not know, guide them help them even in their habits. If they are bad habits guide them, they will appreciate it.
This is why when someone is sick and Ill It is assumed not to go out to them and to be visiting in a way that will make them feel that they belong to community and society and people are caring for them. When something negative happens to anyone. It's our duty to go to them and give them a kind word. You never ever go to a person who is suffering or who is sick and ill and you say let's go and visit the sick when you go to the six a brother, you are sick because it's a punishment of Allah he's punishing you and you're not going to get better because you were an evil man. Is that what we are taught to say? No, no matter what that person has done, you go and say May Allah grant you cure
because the angels are saying Oh Allah give the same to this man as well. So when you say May Allah keep you sick, the angels will say,
Oh Allah, give this man that as well. So you have no option but to make a good job. That's why Be careful. While I hate to say in LA you know, the evil plot and plan is not befitting according to allows words. The evil plot in the evil plan is not befitting anyone besides the one who deserves it. He who deserves it. For example, you may have plotted evil against someone not realizing that that same evil is what will result in your downfall and the upliftment of that particular person it has happened in societies, communities, in nations as well. You plan the downfall of another perhaps that was the plan through which Allah wanted to raise you. A quick example that comes to my mind is
that of use of a salon, his brothers were planning his downfall as a result of that particular plan. He became higher than that.
Had it not been for that plan, no one knows where he would have been
Subhana Allah so this is why we say we visit people we visit the sick and the ill in order to give them a good word, let them smile. It is a time to resolve matters. You hear that someone is not well go to them speak to them nicely, may Allah cure you may Allah God to goodness, May Allah forgive me and you May Allah forgive us all, etc. Perhaps if they have had a dispute with you, they might say brother, forgive me. I caused the problem. Let's resolve it.
You know, you don't go and lift your sleeves and say hi brother, you're on your deathbed solve this problem. Otherwise you're going to go to allied you're going to have an issue. No, there is a way of speaking. You need to understand that realize you go to them and you will speak with kind words, goodness, may Allah cure you. May Allah bless you. Someone passed away in a family go to the house and make a do out. For example, say May Allah give them Jenna Subhana Allah they will be happy, right?
reach out to them form them if they are at a distant land and say May Allah give them Jelena forgive their sins in Allah He
might brother, we share your loss, we feel your pain. Why do we do this? We do this because at the moment where people are suffering loss, they are on an emotional level that is ready to accept a lot of goodness, a lot of goodness, a person's business burned down. You go to him and say Brother, don't worry, Allah will return to you more than what was taken away from you.
Those good words will make him smile. Give him reassurance give her the reassurance someone went through a divorce. You don't go and say yes. Now let's fix those x in laws of yours. The EX is gone. They will be happy with someone else. I want to pause for a moment because we melt in this pot a lot of the times you know what happens to us.
In the case of marriage, we become hypocrites. In the case of divorce, we become even bigger hypocrites. Sometimes you find very religious people, very religious. They read Salah they claim to be giving czaka they read Quran you find them doing lots of good but when it comes to marriage, they follow their desires. They don't follow what align is Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam have taught? What is it? My son wants to marry this person. No, no, I don't agree but shave my brother. You read Salah in the first stuff you are supposed to be close to Allah. Allah tells you if the deen is okay, that is okay. Let it happen. No, they are not from my tribe.
They are not from my part of the world. They are not from this clan. They are not from here and they hang on. Those are words of Allah and ignorance. Gone are those days gone are those days if you belong to Allah, you understand that person also belongs to Allah. They couldn't be better than anyone you could have come up with. I know of parents who have very good children who have married where the parents want and they are suffering as a result of the wrong choice made by the parents. I know. And I'm sure you know so many like those, don't you?
I heard a few yeses there Mashallah. May Allah forgive your parents. Allah hates a crime against humanity. It's a crime against humanity to force your kids to marry someone crime. If they don't want, tell them I'm your father. It will not happen. If you're not happy, it's not going to happen. And if they want something for as long as it's not Haram, my brothers and sisters let it occur. Be happy for it solve your problem, you will not have an answer for allowing the Day of Judgment. If you block something Allah allowed.
I repeat that you will not have an answer for Allah subhanho wa Taala on the Day of Judgment, if you blocked and stopped something that Allah allowed Allah loudly but you say no, I'm not allowing it. Who are you? lavaca May Allah subhanho wa Taala make us realize our mistakes don't melt because the rest of them everyone has a big wedding. You want to have a big wedding some annaleigh very big wedding have a simple one start a new trend has a simple way that
we cannot afford to get our daughters married because we don't have the money to have the party. What party but a few sweets from across the road and give them in the masjid and that's it. That's your name and nothing wrong. I gave it I gave a bit of food. I love the culture here in the masjid. They given small pack of food Am I right? small pack that was so beautiful after that we don't even need a function. Do you know that that's enough as a walima
if you want to have the functional hamdulillah Be careful. Even if you are wealthy wealthy have a simple function to make it easy for others stop setting a trend and a month where people are melting in your pot. They don't know they cannot get married because it's too expensive. They come and borrow and imagine you got so many daughters so many sons what's going to happen who you hold in your head.
May Allah subhanho wa Taala make it easy. nikka is so simple. There was a companion of Rasulullah sallallahu Sallam who walked into a house in order to ask for his friend who was waiting outside
according to one narration, okay. It's the point I want to raise from it. And he says you know what i have so and so he wants to marry your daughter. That's how simple it was. Today we make it so difficult when you go you need to take parcels you know these
parcels how many it's more expensive than the whole marriage sometimes on parcel this that we taking everything Cartier, Rado and we bring the jeweler with us to confirm this is not Faker.
Subhana Allah, there was once a marriage. They exchanged very expensive gifts. So these people had the the watch was called a Patek Phillipe Patek Phillipe, you must have heard that name. So marriage broke.
I asked the guy, they were trying to get back some of the stuff they said the watch, they can leave, I said, why it was fake anyway. I said, Subhanallah Look at this. That was fake Anyway, what are you doing? It goes to show that it's all about showing, I gave you this, I gave you that I did this, I did that. Why make life difficult? Don't let it be simple. If you respect my daughter, and you honor her, and you don't swear her and you don't abuse her, and you give her the level that she deserves one law he I don't even need a single gift from you. That alone is the biggest gift. Don't you agree? So all the men sitting here, let's honor the women that are with us that honor our wives and
all the wives. Let's honor our husbands. Let's respect them. Subhana Allah. So I was saying, when we married, there is hypocrisy. I showed you how it is a lot of hypocrisy, it becomes a show. It's a It's a lovely wedding. But it's not a good marriage. You showed everybody what you could afford what happened half the time it's borrowed money. Trust me, you went to the bank who sweated you gave the title deeds of whatever you own, and you took the loan in order for your your daughter to get married to your son. And you know what happens? Marriage is broken before the loan is paid back.
Now in the marriage is broken, what we do.
Again, we melt in the pot hates with ill feeling but there are children involved no matter what, when you have children, you will always be connected to the father or the mother of those children. If you are one of the two, there is no ways that you can disconnect completely, there will always be a connection, do not speak bad about the father or the mother of the children. If you are one of those two,
you are the father don't speak back to the children about the mother of those children. Because at the end of the day, it's the mother of the child. We make those mistakes, but we need to correct ourselves. If you are the Mother, don't speak bad about the father of the children to the children, many of us what we do, we don't realize that May Allah forgive us, we start speaking bad. We speak bad In what way? We want to win the children over to us and by doing that, we stop them from seeing the other parent. For what? Again, I asked you a serious question. What answer Are you going to give Allah subhanho wa Taala when you have done that.
Another very interesting point.
We for a small matter that we might have between spouses, we want to break the marriage. Hello. I can't get along. I can't get along with her anymore. I really I need to end this marriage. Why? Because when she came in, she doesn't greet me doesn't greet you. Subhana love.
That is a minor issue. We can correct it. We can rectify it. After a month, two months she will greet you with a kiss. Like I said earlier.
May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us small things. Sometimes the way of speaking might need correction, corrective work on it. Don't just give up things.
You bought a beautiful car one scratch? Does that mean you throw the whole car away? No, you repair it and sometimes you live with the scratch. It's good. It will protect you from evil eyes but someone says Oh lovely car Mercedes. s 600 beautiful they see one scratch or scratch evil or you're protected right? protected slate because they were impressed. But that impression was actually a little bit tainted. It was good for you right? You see a person absolutely Mashallah you forget to say much.
And what happened a little while later you see the one tooth is missing. Okay, you have to breathe out. As you breathe in you breathe out again. Make it easy for us. Remember to relate goodness to Allah we say Oh Allah grant us goodness bless us with goodness. This is why all of us cheated yet we will have some flaws some faults some person noses this way eyes are this way teeth is that way he is this way cheek is that way finger is this way. Nobody here is perfect. It was only Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. One of the poet's see It was as though he was created the way he wanted to be created. sallallahu alayhi wa sallam May Allah grant us May Allah grant us the companionship
of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in the era say amen.
Here we are my brothers and sisters. Here we are. What a beautiful day it is.
You know it is quite warm in this Masjid. And I was telling the brothers
Earlier that I'm trying to increase the threshold the level of heat that I can take. So therefore we're turning off the air conditioning units we're turning off the fans because if you're used to the air conditioning every day The minute you come out you will die off the heat and there's not even much heat the locals will tell you Mashallah beautiful weather you are like
you people are dying here. So hello. So to get used to it, sometimes we need to turn off these things. It's okay to sweat. It's okay sometimes because this is what makes you used to something Same applies like I said earlier in my talk, you want to get used to leading Salah or even reading Quran you will have to force yourself initially morning I will get up I will reach out to four units too soon and too far. After that. I will sit for five minutes how many minutes? Five, not more than five the same five fingers we were showing the guys who we were flashing lights to remember five units only five minutes. I will sit for five minutes and read Salah sorry read Quran every day, five
minutes of Quran is it a lot? Is it a lot?
Is it a lot? No. All of you who said no. Tomorrow morning, five minutes in Sharla five minutes of the Quran you read it by the will of Allah I promise you it will change your life. I swear by Allah it will change your life. You know why? It is the word of Allah your maker. It is Rockpool. Allah mean he has the solution in it for the sickness of the heart. He found Lima.
He has in it.
The cure of all diseases, my brothers and sisters May Allah strengthen us. May Allah strengthen us so we don't evaporate and so we don't melt in the pot. May Allah subhanho wa Taala make us proud of our religion in a way that it humbles us. When I say proud I'm not talking of arrogance. I'm talking of happy I'm I'm happy to be a Muslim. What is your name? This is my name Muhammad, for example, or Abdullah? I am proud such that within a short space of time, the entire nation will witness that Voila. He these people are really good. They're really good. wonderful people, they reach out to us they smile the greed they talk they are honest etc. They pray they do good but they are such lovely
people. May Allah Subhana Allah Allah bless us all. May Allah forgive my shortcomings and yours may Allah subhanho wa Taala bless those who put up this Masjid May Allah subhanho wa Taala bless those who made this possible. Bless every one of you for the time you have taken to come here today. Bless those who are watching this live and bless those who are listening to it live. Bless those who may listen to it later. And even those who have not listened to it and will not listen to it. May Allah bless them and guide them May Allah subhanho wa Taala guide us all akufo Neha masala Salama Baraka Allah Amina Mohammed Subhana Allah He will become de su kinda Colombo behenic Chateau La ilaha illa
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