Mufti Menk – The Islamic Year 1445H – Lessons from Muharram
AI: Summary ©
The conversation discusses the history and importance of Islam's decision to stop war and avoid major deaths, as well as the need for patient and compassionate handling of difficult situations. The speakers emphasize the importance of embracing change and embracing the idea of becoming a better person, preparing for the upcoming year, and allowing children to care for their parents' mental health. They also touch on the importance of technology and technology in modern society, and the need to be mindful of one's actions. The segment ends with a call to action for action in action.
AI: Summary ©
Bismillah Alhamdulillah wa Salatu was Salam ala Rasulillah he were Allah Allah He was so happy here Jemaine
my brothers and sisters when Allah Almighty created time, he decided that
time will move in years and each year we'll have 12 months and every month we'll have 29 or 30 days. This is the decision of Allah subhanho wa taala. The year will have 12 months from among those months, there will be four months that will be considered sacred.
Allah Almighty mentions this in the Quran.
In that shooting, Delilah Hefner I shall Russia whom are indeed the number of months
with Allah
is 12 months
fee kita been here Wuma fala pas sama.
The day that Allah created the skies and the earth,
he decided this. So it's the decision of Allah it's amazing. It's something unique.
Mean Ha, don't hold on from those 12 There are four that are haram haram means sacred. Haram also means prohibited.
Why prohibited? Every time you hear the term haram or haram there's something behind the term that would be connected to something prohibited because of that term being used. Like you have the Haram in Makkah and Medina, it's because certain things are haram
that are prohibited, they're
different from if you're not there, for example, hunting and so on in the condition of haram. We call it a haram right when you put on the two pieces of cloth and you're going for the minor or major pilgrimage the Umrah or Hajj. So, in this instance, it is prohibited in these four months to commence warfare.
To start up a fight prohibiting a legitimate war between two nations or two warring factions based on something that perhaps has resulted in it would actually be prohibited in these months, but what if someone slaps you know what, what if someone starts a war? What if a murderer or murderers or what if someone has run away
and then you catch them during this time?
In that particular instance, the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him says it's okay to retaliate. It's okay to
go and apprehend someone during these particular months. So what are these months? It's quite an interesting question, what are these months?
So, three of them in order consecutive and one is separate. The separate one is the month of Rajab. The month of Rajab is a separate month. It's one of the four haram months sacred months, the Arabs never used to start war at the time, even though perhaps, like for example, the people used to take away the land and property of others. But if it came to the months of
that are declared haram by Allah subhanho wa taala. They will step back, step aside. We're not touching anyone why these are haram month. It's like known sacred, you can't touch anyone. So Rajab is one of the months. The other three are simple verrucae, the ledger and Mahara. They're all in in a row.
So three of them are from the month of
hajj, and the one
the one is separate.
So my brothers and sisters imagine
in Islamic history, we have had instances where people have actually ignored this.
People have ignored this and began to fight, not just
ordinary fights, but among each other.
May Allah Almighty grant us protection I always say, history is recorded in order for us to learn lesson and take heed otherwise there was no point for it. The Quran is filled with stories of the past not for entertainment purposes, but rather to learn a lesson. Look at what happened. Take a look at this. It was
is not a good thing. But at the same time
later on peace was made.
And we learned a lesson.
One of the lessons I learned is in this ummah,
there is a lot of hatred amongst ourselves.
smaller groups, larger groups, and different groups. So much of hatred that we don't talk to each other as brothers and sisters sometimes solve the problem solve the matter. What did you learn from Islamic history? What did you learn from the issue of
was the that took place because of two people, they fought over something.
I was in India, two days back.
And one of their scholars was telling me
about how a war took place between nations
as a result of a pit
that died, and I couldn't believe it. I said, I've never read this. He said it's a fact of life. So the two started fighting.
And they started hitting each other, killing each other, whatever it may be, their families, their clans, their generations to this day, they don't even want to look at each other.
But your brothers, it started off with something small. The biggest favor you can ever do yourself is when you have a problem. Work hard to resolve it today. Which means urgently, as soon as possible. Your own spouse, you don't go to bed without solving a problem.
You can have a big heart. I'm not saying give up justice, but I'm saying talk about it. Be reasonable. Be compassionate, learn to forgive, learn to embrace, people make mistakes. If they sit I'm sorry, and seek forgiveness, learn to let it go. It's better for you better for your family better for generations to come.
So we are
in the year 1445 already already.
In my age. I recall back in the day, my earliest memories are 1400 1400 We already 45 years down 1400 I see some of our elders seated here. They must be smiling at me saying we know 1316 1370 We still remember those add dates.
To be honest, we are in 1445
Do you know how quickly time is ticking. It's a sign of the hour.
But in these years, every time a new year comes in, we're excited Mashallah. New Year, this is a new year, the new lunar year do you know that in the eyes of Allah, it is a lunar calendar. This the moon, one of its purposes of creation, is that it has a full term
the moon is born. And then what happens? You see the crescent, it grows Mashallah. end of the month, you find there is a new moon being born. beginning of the month, you cite that moon, that's how we work
12 months and you come back. Some of the months are 29 days, some of them are 30 days.
So
every time we have a year that comes in, we're growing older.
The argument is what do we do? Do we celebrate? Do we celebrate that we're getting older? Or should we become sad?
The reality is what is of greater importance than the discussion of celebration of becoming sad is change your life you're getting closer to Allah, you're getting closer to the day you're going to meet with Allah do something about that day prepare even in a small way that's important.
As we grow older, suddenly you have a bone that's aching some way you know mashallah the nice happens to all of us.
As you grow older, you start seeing a little bit blurry compared to what it was earlier. It's normal. It happened you clocked 14, you start going downhill because on average, if you're going to live 70 8060 7080 somewhere then nowadays people die at anytime. And like I say, it's not like we do mean people but it is just a reality. You need to prepare for prepare for it. Allah is looking for anything to forgive you. And to grant you and I Jana, we are in his house today. It's such a big blessing. So every time we getting closer to Allah, surely it should make us look forward to improving ourselves for the sake of Allah. Yes, when you're young and you're in
energetic, perhaps you might have forgotten Allah at times. And you might have done things that I hope you're embarrassed about if they were wrong within yourself. When I say embarrassed about within yourself, all of us, myself included, there are certain things I've done in my life, I'm embarrassed about its history, nothing majorly, majorly, you know, humongous or anything but something we shouldn't have done. I mean, I didn't commit murder by anyway.
But what I mean is, as you grow older, you start realizing what was that all about? I didn't have to do all of that. Oh, Allah forgive me. Allah says, Well, the fact that you haven't died, you're still okay. The fact that you are still healthy and you're seeking forgiveness, you're forgiven, have opened the Mercy of Allah. It's okay, we did things we're not too proud of the new year has started, we make these resolutions. And it's not like that I waited for the new year in order to make resolutions. But all I'm doing is I'm renewing it to say Listen, 1445 is clocked in no way I better start changing my things, ways and habits and Inshallah, I'm going to be a better person, we're
going to have a better year, I'm going to work hard, I'm gonna get up early Wallahi. The Baraka that Allah has kept in getting up early is something only those who get up early contest.
You get up early in the morning and Subhanallah you're at work before you know it, mashallah you, you've done whatever you had to in this time of the day, because Allah has kept Baraka in buku buku, meaning being early the early bird is the one that gets older.
Yes.
Now,
there are a few pointers we need to speak about.
Number one is the new year has commenced, we're nine days in almost 10 days in the 10th of Muharram. Were supposed to be fasting, if possible, with the day before it, or with the day after, and a quick look into that particular reasoning. When the Prophet sallallahu Sallam arrived in Madina, Munawwara he instructed the muslimeen and he said, Musa alayhis, Salam was actually saved from Iran on the 10th of Muharram. And therefore, in order to celebrate the savior of the Muslim ummah, and when we say Muslim, we're talking of the submitters, one might argue that Musa alayhis salam was a Muslim. We believe that they will all submit us and the term submission is Islam Muslim, they submitted Unto
Allah. It's like the issue of Ibrahim Alayhi Salam. Allah words it in such a beautiful way in the Quran, where the debate of whether Ibrahim was Jewish or Christian
is actually quelled in the Quran. Because Allah asks
a simple question
Yeah, hello, kita Bielema to ha Juna V. Ibrahim. Warmer Ooh own Zillow team tempura to one in G. lambing back then. FL at RP Loon, oh people of the book, oh Jews and oh Christians. Why are you arguing about Abraham? Meaning either being a Jew or a Christian when the Torah and the Bible were only revealed after him? Haven't you thought about that? That's what the Quran says. So Ibrahim alayhi salam came before the Prophet Moses May peace be upon him. That means he wasn't a Jew.
And he came before the Prophet Jesus may peace be upon him that means he wasn't a Christian. What was he? He was a submitter? How do you say submitted Muslim? I'm a submitter
a salam to what you hear Lillahi Rabbil Alameen I submit my face to the Lord of the Worlds Allah.
So that's one thing. So when the Jews were saved from the Pharaoh, it is a celebration for all believers.
But more than that, it is actually hope to those who are struggling at the hands of a tyrant on a smaller level, perhaps in your little circles or slightly broader to say that the day of victory will come and it has to come
Subhanallah we who are suffering at the hands of someone else, or someone suffering at our hands, we must talk about both sides of the coin. Because it's easy to say if you're suffering victory is coming in your direction. Don't worry, have you not seen
the story of Musa alayhis salam, the fear around the Pharaoh? It was almost impossible for them who were harmed by him to think that a day will come when this guy is going to be dealt with it was almost impossible.
because he went on and on and on for a long, long time.
But the thing is, it's easy for us to say victory is coming. But what if you are the little Pharaoh?
Yes, some people get into the homes and Allah, He their family members are praying for the death. It's happened. And it's happening a lot.
But why? Because you're a little Pharaoh in the home. That's effect. You come in and you want your a tyrant man, may Allah safeguard us. That shouldn't happen. We need to have pleasant homes, if we have issues and so on. We need to deal with them. The other day I had someone, one of their children did something wrong. And he kicked this child out of the house. And then they came to me and asked me one of the family members came and said, Please can you help because you know, your uncle here is so hard and harsh. And I don't know if he will listen to anyone. So I found out what happened. And they told me it was quite a serious thing. And I said look, kicking them out of the house.
It may result in this problem never been resolved. In fact, the child may become worse than what the child is right now. So you got to think Allah has placed on your shoulders the responsibility of the child, we've prayed for our children who have kids, ask those who don't have children, how many do as they make and what they go through to have those children then you have the children and this is what you get? That's the question. But in reality we prayed for the children when we get them it's going to be a big responsibility check this young boy nodding his head. Yeah, tell them tell them Mashallah. It's good, Masha, Allah, may Allah bless you, bless all of us, amen. So the fact is that
we have to sacrifice, you have to spend time with your children. The last three talks I've delivered, I spoke about this point, because in today's world, our children are being taken away from us by virtue of them,
getting their brains filled before anyone else has come to those brains with something that is not even a fact. It's not even true. It's absurd. Sometimes it is such a lie. And that's what they believe, because it was the first person who told them, I give an example. And so you see these fingers, how many of them?
If I told you one plus one is two, and I did this,
you will tell me what are you talking about it?
If I say two, or
if I showed you an apple and told you this is a banana? And I was the first guy who told it to you, you're gonna go to the store and say, Can I please have a banana? And when they give you an apple say you're crazy. They say, Are you crazy? No, you crazy? No, no, you are crazy. And then there's a fight. Wallah. He's happening today with our children in things that are serious, they are told something that is a fabrication and a lie by people who think that by virtue of them having gone to university, they are intelligent, without realizing what did they tell you at the university? If they told you something that was correct, it's alright, if they told you something absurd and told
you that a banana was an apple, it doesn't mean that just because you heard it from a prof it's actually the truth or just because someone wrote a book and wrote it in there. That is the truth. If a banana is a banana, it shall remain a banana. And it will remain that until Qiyamah in sha Allah.
Allah grant us ease. We struggling in an age where
I promise you at an old age 20 years old, 18 years old, and you being told that you know what?
A banana is an apple, and you going out and saying it's an apple. And you argue with the whole word, it's an apple.
When I was little, we were told. And it's true that in Jannah, when you go to Paradise, something amazing will happen. As you thinking of something, you will have it it will be yours. And as Susan I am a little keep thinking of, you know, different types of fruit, oranges and whatever else and they say it's going to be the best and the sweetest ever. And as you thinking of it, you'll be able to taste it in your mouth if you heard that. It's true. Jana paradox. And as you thinking about in your mouth, and you thinking of another one, suddenly the taste changes SubhanAllah. And now you're having that one, the other one you're thinking about. And as you're having that, and then the taste
changes again, because you're now thinking of a third thing. Trust me that is in paradise, not on earth. You can't be having a banana and say that's an apple, it's tasty, nice, say, but it's not to say well close your eyes and imagine it is always I'm not gonna do that. I'm not gonna do that.
So we're living in an age where these issues are becoming serious. I want to raise one more quick point because it's very interesting.
I was in Ghana last week.
And someone asked me a question that if you were able to give the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him sallallahu alayhi wa sallam some technology
that he didn't have that you now have, what would it be?
And I said I would never give him anything because Allah knows. And Allah gave him more than everything.
And Allah knows why he kept him in an era where there was no Twitter, no Facebook, no social media, no internet, no phones, no electricity. Allah knows that was the best time ever. Because with that today, I was not there. But I'm totally convinced and so are you have all the aspects of my faith and religion and my beloved messenger, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and we we are.
Whereas nowadays,
I have seen videos of myself
saying things, a video that I've never said, in a voice that sounds almost identical, like mine, as mine, and I didn't say, and I listen to is, oh, wow, when did I see this? I can't know, then you realize this is all fake. In fact, immediately, imagine if there was a messenger in this age, what would have happened, people would probably have belied the whole message anyway, that's just AI generated. What are you talking about? You know, imagine when they said prohibition of alcohol, I always think to myself, and it's hair raising, to think that a caller
called,
in fact, there's two examples come to mind. One is prohibition of alcohol. And the other one is the changing of the Qibla. A call a call, just to say, Hey, guys, from today, all these alcohols are haram. And they immediately split spat it out, or whatever else, they throw it away, and everything happens totally. And the Qibla one, that in a place now known as qibla, 10, Salatu was going on. And there was a companion leading the Salah, and the caller called a the clipless change the other direction, in Salah, they started moving.
They started moving, because you know what? That was an age when the authentication happened because of upright human beings. This age, you can see something and you'll say no, that's a generated imagine if someone has to tell you now people have changed. Say that guy's cuckoos take him to the hospital.
Obviously, well, now the revelation is over. So you might argue it's over. But can you imagine if you were in that crowd, and they told you something has changed, what would happen? It would be so difficult when you hear today when we hear something maybe we might be doing wrong in our lives. And someone comes in correct you it takes you such a long time. No, no, no, this guy can't be right. And then when you find out that yeah, he is right. You still want to justify why is it that I'm still okay.
So that's why we say we strengthen our faith and our belief in Allah subhanho wa taala.
So giving technology to the messenger SallAllahu sallam,
Allah gave him greater successes than those with every technology that's going to come up to Kiama.
Today, the person who has the largest following on social media has probably 100 million, maybe less than 200 million definitely.
How many followers does not be Mohamed salah, listen, I'm have without all of that isn't the 2 billion plus. Allahu Akbar Salah Al is
2 billion plus ways. Love Akbar
Al Hamdulillah. That's why we say we are living in an age where they are trying to take away from us what we have in its original form. Now we're in 1445. Like I said, we speak about the celebration.
The celebration, because of being saved from something too cynical, and someone who was a disaster but in Islamic history, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed Salah Salem
Al Hussein in the Ali ibn Abi Talib in the Allahu Anhu. Omar was also martyred on the similar date the 10th of Muharram by none other than people who read the Shahada.
And in the next few days, we will be hearing more about it.
And like I say, it is a disgrace to the ummah.
It is something that is very, very hurtful. Just to read through it, and to hear about it is painful. One wonders why it happened. Indeed, shaytan has a role to play. And indeed people lost the plot at the time. How could you do this? Who was the man?
What is his level?
And the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him says I asked you nothing more than the love of the people of my household.
And we as a hallucinogen
I believe that the household is made up of the entire household of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. But this was a member and he was a senior member
of the Prophet Muhammad Salah salons household.
And that's why I say
as much as we will hear more about it, the lesson is far more important. Today we fight our own brothers be careful, a generation will come when they may go to war and kill each other. Because your children won't talk to those children over a cup of tea that you are not invited for big deal. Big deal. cup of tea. You had a wedding you didn't invite me so what? It's not it doesn't warrant that you cut relations because you weren't invited to a wedding. What's the big deal about a wedding? You might say a chef you don't know it's a big deal.
It's not that a big deal. It's not that big a deal with that you need to stop to so sometimes we are fighting for numbers, you know,
we fighting for numbers you have to sometimes
compromise.
So my brothers and sisters, this is what I say don't let little items make you fight one another shaytan is going to come and make sure that it seeps through your generations. Your children won't talk to each other and when they when their children come they won't know why that's the case but they just know these people are very bad You better watch I know that Auntie they my uncle married a woman. You better watch out she came in spoiled everything by default. That's what they say just because she's an outsider. It happens in nearly all homes. Am I right? They blame the the wife who came in and say that one must watch out. And little kids third generation kids who say you know my
granny, you must just be careful. Where did you hear this from? We're in Harlem. Can't you learn a lesson from Muharram to say don't do that. It's okay you had two or three differences. But this is what's going on.
Learn to love one another. Allah Almighty will open our doors I pray that we have a blessed 1445 and inshallah I pray that Allah grant us lesson and I ask Allah Almighty really to burn the hearts we are lacking the love in the Ummah today because what shaytan has done is that he makes us look for differences we have and concentrate on that and magnify it. Whereas those are few, but the 1000s of common factors that we have, we are ignored. We are ignoring them.
We ask Allah Almighty to help us understand the plot of shape.
And to constantly come back and reflect look into yourself. Engage in vicar, ask Allah to help you improve and polish yourself. And in this way, truly, we will be able to earn janitorial dose where we can go and have those bananas that will be like apples and those apples that will be like bananas and so on all that agenda to fit those Apple lowpoly had our sallahu wa salam ala Nabina