Sheikh Dr. Mufti Ismail Menk’s lecture “Tolerance, Togetherness & Islam” in Dubai at Zayed Bin Mohammed Family Gathering on Jan 19th, 2018
Mufti Menk – Tolerance, Togetherness & Islam
AI: Summary ©
The speakers discuss the history and importance of Islam, including the birth of Islam and the importance of showing one's love for Allah's people. They emphasize the need for people to acknowledge their culture and build relationships with others, avoiding mistakes and acknowledging differences. The speakers also stress the importance of accepting and respecting others' actions and behaviors, learning to be from among those who can help, and building a culture of peace and respect.
AI: Summary ©
Salam Alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh
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smilla rahmanir rahim al hamdu Lillah wa Salatu was Salam ala rasulillah Allah Allah He was happy Jemaine we praise Allah Subhana Allah to Allah. upon all conditions we send blessings and salutations upon Muhammad salallahu alayhi wa sallam, his household, his companions May Allah subhanho wa Taala, bless them, bless every one of us and bless humanity at large. I mean, my brothers and sisters, I think it's very important for us to understand that the Almighty has reminded us so many times in the Koran and even in the previous scriptures that he sent down to the messengers before Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that we will all made from one source, we all
came from something known as to rob to rob meaning the dust. Everyone was created from dust. And the first of our species, according to all the face, that have heavenly scriptures, was Adam alayhis salam. They all believe that Adam was the first of our species just like we do believe the same. And they all believe that Eve or Hawa, la has Salatu was Salam was the first female being created from Adam alayhis Salatu was Salam. We ask the almighty to grant us a deep pondering over this beautiful beginning. It is the most honest beginning it is the best that you can actually think of. One might say, Well why dust in order to show us the simplicity of the nature of this life?
In comparison to the Hereafter, which is far more complicated, so complicated, that the Hadith, the saying of the Prophet peace be upon him, he says, Fie. harmala at Walla Odin semi at voila satara Allah kalbi Basha in Jana in paradise in heaven, they will be that which no eye has ever seen. No ears have ever heard about or understood in terms of sound, and no
mind or no heart would have ever even thought about it. Which means today I can sit and think about anything I want. And I promise you, I guarantee you, if you were to get to Jenna and to paradise, you will find something much better than that. May Allah grant us paradise. I mean, and by the way, don't think that Paradise is like your house or mind where only 10 people fit in and the rest of them will have to wait outside. No, Paradise is so broad, Allah says
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speaking about making haste towards seeking the forgiveness of Allah so that we can earn paradise. Allah speaks about how broad it is, how big it is, how huge it is. And he says, just the width of it is greater than the earth and the heavens and in another place, he mentions that which is even beyond that, in brief, Paradise is so broad that we would be wrong to think we are the only ones going there.
May Allah subhanho wa Taala make us from among those who understand the reason I say this is while we are correcting each other, while we are speaking to each other, reminding each other of getting close to Allah to the Almighty, because that is what will earn us paradise. When we are close to him. He will definitely grant us paradise. Just like if you and I were close to each other, it would be easy for me to walk into your place, I would be more than welcome to Panama, I would be more than welcome. Because there is a link there is a connection. So my brothers and sisters, let's keep trying to build this connection without losing hope. But in the process while we're speaking to each
other, we tend to find the devil creeping in and making us think that you know what, I am going to heaven. But I think the others are all not going there. And that's the biggest mistake because the Day of Judgment is the day when the decision shall be made as to who will go and who won't go and we live our lives and die the death having hope in the mercy of the Most Merciful May Allah subhanahu wa taala grant that to our soul, making mention of the origin and the fact that it is so important for us to keep pondering whenever we see others people no matter what nationality no matter where they come from, what color what financial standing no matter for example, how tall or short or good
looking. They may be. And by the way, everyone is good looking. It's just a matter of taste. Mashallah Tabata Cola, everyone is good looking. Nobody can see
Did you see that guy? He looks so ugly? May Allah forgive us? You know it is it is a matter of choice and tastes Subhana Allah and Allah has created everyone very different. I visited the country without saying names.
And they told me in our country, a woman in order to be considered really good looking, she has to weigh more than 80 kilos. And I thought to myself, I think a lot of the world will disagree with you, but it's okay fine, Mashallah Baraka? So one day I had a sister come to me and say, share, please, you know, help us make dua for me. I'm a little bit on the heavy side, and I really want to get married and so on so forth. I told her sister it's not a bad idea to travel to Xyz country. She said Why? And I said, because you decided to introduce yourself by saying I'm on the heavy side, not realizing that to some you're just like a feather May Allah subhanho wa Taala. Grant us goodness and
protection, learn to love yourselves, my brothers and sisters.
When you look in the mirror, you need to love what Allah has made you like be appreciative of the gift of Allah. This is what Islam teaches us. And this evening, we're talking about Islam. We're talking about togetherness. And this is why I started this way to say I am your brother, do you feel that? Do you feel the connection? While I do? I may see you and I see others and I saw so many people, even yesterday and today and every day and we're lucky I try my best to feel this connection and I'm here to share it with you because Allah subhanho wa Taala says, amin de Falco sama de oro de walk de la LC Nitin Kumar, Nico, in Fei, Li Kala
Li Ming, indeed, from His Signs is that he has created the heavens and the earth, and the differences in your colors, your races as well as your languages. It's a sign of the Almighty His mercy, his greatness. It's not a sign for us to become people who dislike and detest one another. And this is why he caps the verse by saying this is indeed
these are indeed science lessons for those who know for those who have knowledge for those who would like to understand and if you look at Surah 200, again, Allah makes mention of the origin of man, and he tells us You should not hate one another dislike one another based on your race based on for example, the tribe you come from the people you belong to, because ultimately you're all one. Allah says why he made us different colors, races, shapes, sizes, identity, etc. Let me mention the verse and then we talk about it a little bit more.
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Allah says oh people, we have created you from a single male and female.
And we have made you into tribes and people we have made you into different people, nations, tribes, etc. In order that you recognize one another. Today you look at me and you know who I am. Why? Because the mercy of Allah He made me different from you. Imagine I can see people Mashallah that I recognize because I know their features have been made different as a gift of Allah subhanho wa Taala. How many times have you heard me give you the example of the number plate of a vehicle, which is necessitated because the vehicles look all the same? So if we all had to look exactly like who we consider the model who's the prettiest or the most beautiful or the most handsome on Earth, we would
need number plates to handle Ah, I would call you 356 Please come here. And then I would see Well 356 is here. Oh, sorry. You're 481 you can wait a minute. So Angela, and it wouldn't just be a short number because we have billions I wonder what what it would get to but be realistic, isn't it the gift of Allah, some are tall, some are short, some some Mashallah their facial features, every one of us different In fact, your thumbprint, your iris print, everything is different. I heard that even if you were to shave your hair, and you would you were to take a design of that hair and the way it grows. Every one is different, just like a zebra and a giraffe, where I come from in Africa.
Every one of their stripes and spots are different. So panela the greatness of the creation of Allah. So if you think that Allah created you
say we were giraffes okay? To make it interesting. If you think that Allah created you
In order to become haughty, when you see a giraffe, that spot that has spots that perhaps have a smaller shape or size or larger, etc, then you've lost the plot, you don't know why Allah made you, it's actually in order to recognize you. That's it. And that's why he says, in a coma como de la he at
the most honorable and the most honored the best from among you are those who are most noble those who have developed their link with their maker, because that link with the maker will definitely make you realize and recognize that you have to be kind to everything connected to that maker. And that maker has made not just me, but everyone else. So to begin with, to show my relation with Allah, I need to show my relation with the rest of the creatures of the same Allah.
If not, I've lost. So I am kind to you. Because Allah made me and made you what makes me better than you nothing. Allah says when you are closer to me, you become better. And the day we will judge who was closer is not now but later on. So keep trying. Keep trying. And that's the beauty of it. Imagine at the end of the day, just like those dealing in bitcoins, if you have that blockfolio app, Subhana Allah, and every day at the end, you look at it, and the last few days, it's been really crashing, and you look and you say, you know, I've done so bad and the following day goes up. Wow, okay, we gained and you message your friends, did you see what happened to the verge coin today and
so on, all that excitement,
we will have a day of Judgment at the end because we cannot every single day have a day of judgment. But Allah subhanho wa Taala teaches us through the blessed companions of Muhammad peace be upon him a statement such as that of Rama
and where he says, has Cebu and forsaken Kabbalah and to
learn to take account of your deeds before they are taken account of because I need to know I'm trying. Am I a better person than I was yesterday? If the answer is yes, you are winning? And if the answer is no, you're losing some annaleigh. And if you feel you're becoming a better person, your heart is becoming purer. You will feel less hate in your heart, you will feel a softness in your heart because Allah says a sign of the mercy of Allah is the softening of your heart and the leniency that you feel in your character. Listen to what Allah says to his most beloved Fabien.
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from Moomin howling, Allah says, It is indeed by the mercy of Allah, that you owe Mohammed peace be upon him are lenient towards those around you towards them, them referring to those who were there at the time. So Allah says, it's a sign of the mercy of Allah. I want to pause for a moment. When I'm lenient, it means allies having mercy on me. When I have a softened heart, it means Allah is having mercy on me when I'm harsh and hard. And when I feel a lot of hate, and when I feel so much energy to harm people, then I have definitely divorced myself from the mercy of Allah.
Where did we get it from? I read the verse for you. Allah says, It is indeed by the mercy of Allah, that you will lenient. So if Allah didn't have mercy, there would be no leniency Subhana Allah, and this is why Allah subhanho wa Taala says,
if you were harsh and hard hearted, they would disperse from around you take a look at those who lead a lonely life, a lonely life. Sometimes it's because of their character, their nature. I remember a recent problem someone had with their in laws, and they told me I really don't mind serving my mother in law. She is elderly. I really don't mind serving my father in law. He is elderly, but they have a tongue that really chases me away from them. Subhana Allah
and I'm thinking to myself, I'm, am I like that?
Am I a person who
the way I speak chases people away? If that's the case, surely that togetherness we're talking about is not going to be achieved starting from the hole. So you need leniency in order to achieve togetherness because Allah says if you were not lenient, if you were not soft in the way you spoke, the way you interacted with them, they would have dispersed where would you achieve the togetherness that we're talking about? So you want to get this in your home, you want to fight the loneliness, be good to people, they will love your company. They will love it. Because whenever they're with you, it's always good things. It's
remainder has to come. It's in the best possible way when Allah says who there is been a lot being Kevin Hickman
has an A when you are calling towards the path of your maker. When you're calling towards the path of your job, your Lord call towards him with the greatest of wisdom, tact in a beautiful way. And when you are discussing things given take question and answer. Do it in the most beautiful way. So Hannah law do we do that in our own homes, calling people towards what we want? And it's just an instruction? Hey, give me the water.
I said something, by the way.
It's okay. It's okay. I forgive you.
He still didn't give me the water. Can you see? Do you see what happened? He didn't give me water.
And it's not him. Subhana Allah, May Allah forgive us. Okay, don't worry, I'll give you mine if you need it, even if you're harsh, because some of us are made that way. But my brothers and sisters, you get my point. You can say please, you can even if you love someone so much, and you're so kind to them, the moment you're looking at the water Subhana Allah, they might start passing it to you, because they know oh, wow, it looks like they want it reminds me of a trip I made to India many years ago, and I have to share this with you. Because I didn't know traditions and cultures. You know, it's interesting to know people's culture so that you don't offend them. And it's interesting
to know people's culture so that you can respond correctly, you know, so I was brought up knowing that if someone told you you have a nice watch, I can say yeah, Mashallah. Thank you and hamdulillah I didn't know that in some parts of India. If they say you have a nice watch, it means you're going to take it out and say, take it have it. If not, you didn't understand. And a brother kept coming to me and telling me, you know, he came into my room and I was a student of Hana lab, and I had a very nice blanket. It was with me from Madina, munawwara and I carried it with me because it was a mink blanket, by the way.
So the mink part of it was very interesting. I thought, Subhanallah I'll keep it it was warm, by the way. No, not the minks are not bad, by the way, Mashallah. So I kept this blanket he came, he says, this is a lovely blanket. And I said, Yeah, you know, Mashallah, it is it's from Medina, and it makes it even better. And I'm thinking, wow, okay. And he came back a week later, I'm just checking is that blanket, they're like, what? And I, I spoke to someone about it. And he told me that means he wants the blanket.
So, lo and behold, I parted ways with that blanket. I put it back into its little packaging it had back in the day, I'm talking of 1998. And I packaged it and I gave it to this brother, I said, you know, I've got your blanket, and he says, Oh jacala him, he tells me, he tells me you have a nice watch as well.
I told him, Well, you know what, I bought this from down the road. If you want one, you can buy it, because that's enough.
It's enough. One thing. I mean, he leaves me without any clothing. So panela. But the idea is, I tried my best to let him you know, to speak to him not knowing the culture. And he kept asking, I just came to see that blanket is there like, you know, guy, you're supposed to know what I'm saying and doing. My brothers and sisters. Allah has created us. We need to go out of our way to learn different cultures, to learn about different people, we all enjoy different types of food. Why not the culture? How many of us love Chinese food, but the most you can say is Niihau, right? Learn to say a few words, I promise you if you speak someone's language, that togetherness will be achieved
quicker than you can dream of. Imagine someone looks at you.
And so Hannah law they wouldn't dream you spoke hausa, for example. And then you come up and you start rattling out this house. And you look like a pure, for example, Caucasian, they would see Wow, hey. And they would offer you everything their food and drink and they would take you home and be excited about you and Europe. SubhanAllah What happened? We built a relationship because we made an effort to appreciate others. The problem was us, we sometimes only appreciate ourselves, and therefore we look at others as though that's someone else know, it's your duty to build the bridge, it's your duty to understand them because that's why Allah made you. Allah made you to appreciate
one another to understand that we are different as a test from Allah. When we go back to him, he's going to ask us, I made all these creatures. You fulfilled my rights by praying five times a day by for example, fulfilling what I asked you by abstaining from prohibition, such as alcohol and gambling and * and what have you, but did you fulfill a whole chapter known as a bad
known as the rights of fellow worshipers? Did you have you fulfilled the rights of others and this
Why even those who are different from us, Allah says you need to be kind to them you need to fulfill their rights you need to go out of your way to ensure that they understand that you know we are brothers and sisters in humanity to begin with lion hair como la
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La him in LA, you know, same thing. In this verse of surah tahina, Allah is explaining to us how he does not prohibit you from being kind and just towards those who have not fought you. They have not driven you out of your homes, they have not been your direct and clean cut enemies. You have to be kind you have to reach out you have to fulfill the rights, you can be friend as well. SubhanAllah people think, you know, I'm a Muslim. So the non Muslims out there, I cannot become friends with them, my brother, you can even marry them under certain circumstances. Do you know that?
How come Subhana Allah. So that means you've understood the verse totally wrong.
You can befriend those who are not Muslim on condition that they have not personally driven you out of your home have fought you directly because in that case, your own mother or father would give you advice as a child to say, listen, be careful, this person is going to harm you don't befriend them. Don't we tell our children don't just accept candy from a stranger? Why do we say that? Does that mean that suddenly we've created a huge disaster between us and the rest of humanity? No, we're just protecting ourselves. That's what it means. But it doesn't mean you become strangers to you become enemies to all strangers know, you teach your children to sell them Allah kundiman after a woman
lambda if you will greet everyone those you know, and those who don't know, don't we have a sickness we only greet those we know.
Those we know. And I remember doing a little experiment once when we had the brothers in the masjid. And I could see people greeting you know, so you're looking there's 50 brothers between you and the guy, you know, and you're bypassing all of them and you say, Hey, hello, hello. So between you and them, someone else thinks you're greeting them so they say Salaam say No, not you the other one and I'm like, hang on, guys. Hang on. You're supposed to be greeting everyone Salam aleikum, Allah, peace and blessings be upon you. It's such a beautiful supplication. May peace be upon you. If that's the case, the angels are saying May peace be upon you to do you know that because whenever
you make a supplication for someone, the angels say Oh Allah grant them the same. So make a good supplication not a bad one. When something goes wrong between you and someone else to maintain that togetherness, you don't say Allah destroy them, destroy them forward. Because if that's the case, imagine the angels saying or like, give him the same. And suddenly your back is hurting. Why you being destroyed by your own prayer. May Allah forgive us. rather say Allah, bless them, grant them, give them open their heart, soften their hearts, make them better people, let them learn to love one another. And let me become a part of those whom they love. Subhan Allah and that person really
didn't get along with you. They really didn't like you. And suddenly a few days down the line they come and apologize to you why you were sincere in your prayer. That's one thing we need to correct tonight. When you don't like someone say a good prayer for them not a bad one. Because that will impact upon humanity. Why is it that we've trained ourselves you don't like someone you didn't get along with someone they did something wrong. First thing we do is we want to destroy them to why maybe Almighty grant us this togetherness. Imagine in your own homes, you have your own children Subhana Allah and you have your own parents. May Allah bless those who don't have children with
children say I mean even though they might be in minority but our hearts go out for them. Well, ah he your sacrifice when you don't have kids and you really would like to have kids that sacrifice is one of the reasons inshallah that will you will be driven to paradise perhaps before others. May Allah grant you goodness and all of us I mean,
so whatever your circumstances are when people do something wrong, we can break up the home in a flash and this goes to our marriages too. You know, we talk of togetherness when I saw that word togetherness. I thought to myself, hang on. This starts at home before anywhere else. People are ready to break their marriage because of a mistake made by the spouse done one mistake that's it I'm home, either spouse.
Come on. If we had to destroy people because of mistakes they made, we would all be destroyed today. in your own home. You know I give the example of a motor vehicle if your Bentley is damaged with a scratch you
Don't just say right I'm going back to my Toyota Corolla.
Oh, you don't just throw it away and say that's it out? No, you repair it sometimes I promise you asked me about my vehicle okay? It's not so fancy Mashallah, but Alhamdulillah there is there are so many scratches that only I know about, no one else knows about. no one notices anything until you decide. It's like when we look in the mirror, every one of us I think, I think you see something wrong, you know, there's more here, this side that this side is the nose is going this way. And that's happening and the eyes are like this. And Allah has made you like that. Just say I love you and hamdulillah and out Mashallah people will love you for who you are. You don't need to come and
pretend some handler you would you wouldn't mind living with who you are. Because you know that Allah made you and you shouldn't mind living with who you are, you should learn to love yourself. It's the third time I'm saying this this evening. Because a lot of us, it starts within, when you happy within yourself, when you are happy with yourself, when you've come to terms with whom you are who you are, when you've come to terms with who you are, because Allah made you that way, and you love yourself for that you start loving others,
you start caring for others, you're happy, you don't have to look like someone, you look like yourself.
So Subhan Allah, in our home, we are bound to have things going wrong, our children will do things that are wrong, correct them in a beautiful way. Recently, I had someone whose child did something really nasty. And I said to this person,
they're only a child, give them a chance to
speak to them. It's your duty as a parent to ensure that you reach out to this child because at that age, they need to be corrected, they need to be corrected again and again. What is the limit? Well, at times, you know what, the limit is very, very far, it probably is not even there. If that's your child, you try right to the end, I know of children who've actually become guided after the death of their parents. And they've seen the light and they become better people. And I know it's difficult, some habits are very bad. But so Han Allah, don't just break your home, don't just kick somebody out, it's your duty, it's the effort that you're going to have to make. If you don't want this
problem, Allah might introduce something else in your life that might be more difficult for you to actually deal with.
The same applies to your spouse, few minutes we can spend on this inshallah,
if something is a mistake, learn to deal with it. When you see the remorse and the apology, you may want to move on without talking about it. That's very good advice, to maintain this togetherness. But if something becomes a habit, where you really cannot live with it, it's so depressing that Subhanallah it's affecting your life, you may want to take it to another level, you try to deal with it again and again. And this is the mercy of Allah that yes, divorce is permissible, the separation is permissible. And sometimes it's the only way out when that happens, then let it be. But it's not the first point of stopping. It's not the first thing you should think of.
Now law makers from those who can actually live together, right until the Hereafter, those marriages that have gone through suffering and struggling and worked together through that are far more successful. And their relation is far greater than those perhaps, who don't even want to tolerate anything from the beginning and not even help, but help. And please my brothers, you know, I know it's quite
dark out there, but I can see you guys looking at me like, okay, okay, and then you're gonna go back home and say, did you hear you got to tolerate, you got to give us chances. And that's it. Now you can have your tick off list. Come on. We don't want to use it against one another, be normal, be reasonable. And understand that there is a bigger picture, what is the bigger picture?
If you work hard on your home with your children, spend more time with your children than you do on your phone, you will be able to contribute towards your society, community, your nation, and it will build humanity.
The problem was us children are being brought up by what by the phone by mobile by social media, by their friends, they're interacting with all sorts we have never guided them because we don't even have time. For us. It's all about enjoying enjoying what what we want and one. Marriage comes with responsibility. children come with responsibility, because you need to show them the way to live with others whom they differ with. So that we can build a world where we respect each other's difference and celebrate it.
If you don't spend time with your
Children, how will they know that you need to get along with people of different nationalities and races, and that no nationality is superior to another.
We never spoke to them.
I recall many years back there was a father, who was walking with his child, and they saw people of a different race. And the little child began to say bad words. And the father says, No,
that's wrong. And the father called these people and said, Please, can you spend a few minutes with me, I'd like to teach my child, perhaps the child has not interacted with people of this race. And so the father spent a moment explaining to the child, how important it is to acknowledge these people because they are very lovely people, and so on. It's a long story. But Mashallah, the knowledge that I learned from it was, sometimes we haven't even taught our children how to respect people. You know, you have those who are working class. And sometimes you have those who have jobs that are perhaps considered low in terms of salary, but not low in terms of community, because if
you didn't have them, your your environment might not be that clean.
I always say, if you want to know who you are,
you got to ask yourself one question, how do I treat the person whom the world considers very low? Or the lowest? Do you take a moment to greet the person who's cleaning the street?
If you're passing them, you look at them and Salaam Alaikum acknowledge them, at least a small smile, make them feel like they're human.
I think a lot of us don't, not because we're bad people. But because we are not conscious of it. We haven't thought of it. That's a human. One day, the tables may turn and not just one day.
in your own life, you might find people who perhaps might treat you or you or those around you or your loved ones in such a way that you would like to be treated, but you haven't realized you've treated others like that without thinking go out of your way. Yesterday, I went into a supermarket. And there is a man in the yellow uniform, trying to help me with the
plastic bags, you know, packing a few things that I needed. And I looked at him and I smiled and I think he looked at me when I greeted him and gave him so much importance. I shook his hand, you know, and he thought I was from outer space. That doesn't happen. And he just says, like swallowing he said alaikum Salaam Alaikum Salam. Yeah. And I thought to myself, I said, may Allah bless the soul. May Allah subhanho wa Taala grant him goodness, I am no one.
to actually be a role model. The role model is Muhammad Sallallahu Sallam the role model of the Sahaba. But the problem is we don't know enough about them. They were kind even to their enemies and Allah, they were kind even to their enemies, those who didn't like them and that's the way that everyone came towards the deen of Allah. Today we're ambassadors of Islam, ambassadors of Allah subhanho wa Taala. But I promise you we chase people away from the deen. We think it's all about Salah, okay, I fulfilled my Salah. It is absolutely important. It's a pillar of your way. I do agree but
it has not improved your character and your conduct, then there's something wrong with your prayer.
Your piety shows in your character. So if your character has not become develop something wrong with your piety, you think you're pi Yes, but you're not.
And how do we know this? Look at Muhammad Sallallahu sallam, when his wife was asked about his character. Tell us about the character of this great man Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. She says kind of her loophole on
his character was the Quran meaning he fulfilled everything he had to. He was a beautiful man loving, when he said who the best from amongst us is.
He added
something at the end. Do you want to hear it? Okay, so he says, Hi, eurocom eurocom li le I'm sure you've heard this before. Right? The best from among you are those who are best to his wives.
His family members, you know the term. It includes your family members, okay.
And
that's difficult because for our spouses to acknowledge and to bear witness, that this person is really a great person. It's not so easy. I think if you tell your wife, for example, say there is a guy called Mr. JOHN, for example, say how's Mr. JOHN, john? JOHN, you really think you know him? Ah, no, that's what she would say. May Allah subhanho wa Taala. Grant us ease.
Let it be such that no, he's a really good man. Imagine
He says the best form among you are those who are best to your wives, your children, etc, etc. The only point the men pick up from that is the plural of wife stavroula. That's it, and they stopped there. Did you hear the howdy? It says, wives, you hear that? You've lost the plot. Come on, clean your mind up. Subhana Allah, clean your mind. May Allah forgive us. And this proves something Shekinah you know what happens? When you talk? people pick up what suits them. And so they say,
you know what, you only support the women? No, I think you're deaf. Maybe you don't take the time to listen, you can come up with something, do some hand a lot. And then the women will say no, you only support the men. The idea is, no, it's balanced, but we take automatically without realizing what suits us. So here the Hadith says the best of you have the best to your wives and children. He ends by saying, Well, I know how you come lately, and I want to guarantee you that I'm the best from all of you to my own family members. Wow. SubhanAllah that was Muhammad Sallallahu wasallam.
That was Muhammad Sallallahu sallam. And I think we need to go and look at his life more and study how he spoke to his family members and how he addressed others and how he interacted with them. Allah says in the Quran, well, in Allah, Allah Han open army, indeed, you are upon a very great level, the greatest level of character and conduct that man could ever get to.
I need to work towards that I claim to be a follower of this messenger. But I only follow again, what suits me. When it doesn't, I don't, let's try our best to become people who can learn to appreciate others. Like I said, it starts off in the house, and the circle continues at our workplace.
first few days you go
and you think, wow, these people don't like me do something about it, they will like you. And be respectful. Reach out to others, I find in my life that a smile actually does more than you think it does.
And that's why when I go back to the Hadith, and I read about how important it is and how big an act of charity it is to smile. And I start thinking wow, if only we could smile
too hard Allah, it's not so easy to do that when you have braces By the way, but
you have to you must somehow Allah,
it breaks a lot of ice, it says so much about you. And we have people who interact with us at our workplace, and we just look at each other.
And that's it. Even the expression on the face is so blooming. And then we want togetherness May Allah subhanho wa Taala guidance. Let's talk about tolerance a little bit.
Tolerance is a word that sometimes I feel is the basic, you know, when you have a vehicle, you have that which has no extra specs, you know, nothing is just the car. Everything is normal. It's got no extras, but then you have a top spec, which goes way beyond that. And the value of the car increases, the more the specs are. So to say I tolerate you. Let's be honest, what does that mean? That means it's very hard. I really wouldn't like to, but I'm going to tolerate you. I don't know if I'm wrong, but that's what I get. When I say tolerate. I'm tolerating the brother, for example. He didn't pass me the water. I'm tolerating him tolerance. It's good. Because we're still sitting,
we're still laughing. We're still okay, etc. But I can tell you a higher level, something we need to get to that people don't talk about.
Respect. I respect you.
That is way better than tolerating you.
Because then I'm teaching myself and others that you have the right Allah is the one who's going to judge you at the end of the day, even if you belong to another faith, guess what? I respect you and I respect the difference. You are a human. You are a person who is entitled just as I am, I am convinced by something you are convinced by something else. I respect you. I will continue speaking to you respectfully and you have every right to continue to speak to me respectfully. And at the end of the day, I will firmly believe that what I have is correct. And I firmly believe for example, that you have the right to believe what you have is correct.
That's respect. I've respected you and I will get along with you. I will fulfill your rights.
And I will ensure that within my heart
I am not filled with hatred against you for the mere choice that you've made.
Like I said, it does not contaminate the difference. We have
And this is where people don't understand. People think, Oh, are you trying to say that all religions on the earth should just become one big religion? No.
That's exactly the opposite of what we're saying. What we're saying is to be able to respect people who have chosen totally differently. SubhanAllah
it's not easy.
But that's what will actually contribute towards our development. You know,
Allah says,
happy Deen there is no compulsion when it comes to entering the fold of Islam. You cannot force someone to be a Muslim, you cannot force someone into submission. No, you keep on discussing, you keep on talking. It has to be done with respect. Look at the duty of the messenger Muhammad peace be upon him. Allah says Ma Ma suli lol Bella, the duty of the messenger is nothing besides conveying the message.
And the guide is from Allah, Allah is the guide, He will guide. So I must learn to respect people. And I must learn to appreciate and acknowledge people. I give you my own example. We develop as the years past, don't we, as we age, we become more settled, we start looking at things differently. We mature in our outlook and so many different things. And we start realizing that, you know, perhaps back in the day, we might have been looking at things from a little bit of a hard angle, and so on.
You know what
I've noticed and I've realized that when you greet people or when you acknowledge people or reach out to people who are different from you, even a different faith,
what happens?
You actually feel so good because you know, you did it for the sake of Allah when I'm good to you? Am I doing good to you? Because I want good back from you. If the answer is yes, that's just a business deal.
But if I'm good to you, because Allah loves those who do good, then I've developed myself. So whether you do good back to me or not, is irrelevant. I will still do good to you.
In a law you have been machining, so many times in the Quran, Allah says, Indeed, Allah loves those who do good. That's why I do good.
I was traveling three days ago, Johannesburg,
and in front of me was a Jewish family, all traditional clothing, everything happening, Mashallah. The little Jewish hat worn. And
they looked at me because one of their children jumped the queue in order to get to the rest of the family. And the mother looked back at it, sorry, I said, No, not at all. I said, I've got so many kids, I'd love if someone actually allowed them to do that as it's okay. You know, and they just looked at me because why as I was dressed the way you see right now, and so Han Allah, these are Jewish people.
to Panama, I fulfill their rights as human beings who have Allah respect these people. The Prophet sallallahu Sallam stood up when there was a generous a passing, and someone said, but yeah, Rasul Allah, this is a Jewish person, he said, isn't a human Subhana Allah, it's the respect.
If someone has harmed you, and harms you and attacks you, and keeps on attacking you and really has no value for you at all, it is every right that you have to stay far away from them, even if they were Muslim.
You follow my point?
Even if they were Muslim, how many of us stay away from certain people because we've been robbed. We've been cheated. We've been so many things have gone wrong, we stay away from certain people, and they're Muslim. Sometimes they may even be related to us. But remember, when you stay away from people, it's not because their faith is different. It's not because they belong to a different race. Primarily, it's because
of something they may have done to you. That was detrimental and you need to save yourself from the harm. That's what it is.
So we should never think for a moment that Allah has instructed us to hate people of a different fate. He has not. If anything, he has taught us that if through you and the way you carried yourself, a single person is guided towards Allah, it's better for you than anything material that this world has to offer you.
A Nia de la la jolla noir hidden Cairo la come in hungry Nan.
What is hungry now?
It was the red camel, the most expensive of the conveyance at the time. It's amazing.
So the Almighty says quite clearly, if you were to be used to guide someone, it's better for you. So therefore learn to interact with people learn to apply
Initiate people and learn to be from among those who can convey a good message while contributing to humanity. In this way, we will be able to achieve the togetherness that we spoke about this evening, we will also be able to achieve respect. And when you respect others, they will respect you in return.
And you have a beautiful world that you have contributed towards, and at the same time, you have not lost your Islamic identity. What a beautiful topic. Your Islamic identity is intact. You don't need to be ashamed of it. But you need to portray the true teachings. You need to be learning more and more. And you need to be fulfilling and practicing. And remember, religion is not filled with hate. If you are filled with hate, what you have is not religion.
We spoke about that right at the beginning. I hope you haven't forgotten. By the way, may Allah Subhana Allah grant us all goodness and ease. I've spoken for an entire 46 minutes and I pray that the almighty bless every one of us beautiful weather out here in this lovely city of Dubai. And may Allah subhanho wa Taala grant us cleansing of the heart and may we get up from here totally forgiven by Allah subhanho wa Jalla
wa sallahu wa salam ala nabina Muhammad