Friday Sermon 6/09/2019
Houghton, Johannesburg
Mufti Menk – Why Xenophobia?
AI: Summary ©
The importance of completing an exam and receiving a certificate of completion for rewarded success. The speaker discusses the negative impact of skepticism on one's perception and the need to be aware of one's complexion. They emphasize the importance of showing one's true intentions and avoiding harms to others. The speaker also emphasizes the need to respect others and learn to be more achieved.
AI: Summary ©
Salam Alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh
Bismillah al Rahman al Rahim al hamdu Lillah wa Salatu was Salam ala rasulillah Juana and he was happy here to marry.
All praise is indeed due to Allah subhanho wa Taala blessings and salutations upon Muhammad salallahu alayhi wa sallam, his household, his companions, we ask Allah Subhana Allah to Allah, to bless them to bless every one of us to grant us every form of goodness. And we ask Allah subhanho wa Taala to grant us the success of this world in the next, my brothers and sisters, we tend to forget where we came from. And because of that, we end up perpetrating many sins and crimes without even knowing and realizing if we were to look at where we are from, we're actually from something known as taraba
coluna min adamawa.
We are all from Adam and Adam is from Rob, to rob referring to the dust, the sand, the soil, later on the clay. And it's all from the earth, Allah subhanho wa Taala created Adam alayhis salam from the earth mixed with water. If you look at a person, when any one of us passes away, we are taught to bury
in the same soil in the same dust or sand
and to leave a little portion of air
there is reason why that air should be left both from a spiritual aspect as well as scientific biological aspect. The biological aspect is that oxygen is required to ensure the decomposition and return into the soil of that body. And this is why where you have mass graves when they have not left any oxygen, you may dig that grave after years and you will still find remnants of the bodies, but where there has been a portion of oxygen left in the grave, the decomposition is ensured from a biological scientific perspective. So Allah says mean half Allah Kona Kumar v. De Docomo coming
from it we have created you
and in it you shall be returned, which means the original creation of man is from soil, or dust or sand. And there is no contradiction in those three words because they are all interconnected. If Allah were to say we created man from clay, clay is one of the stages that it got to
when it was mixed with a little bit of water as for the divine instruction of Allah subhanho wa Taala. So Allah says, we created you initially from the earth from the soil or dust or clay, and you are returned into it, we will return you to it, when you die and you are buried decomposition back into the soil, your soul continues but the the duty of your body is over, It is finished completed, this body has no more job to do, you were put into like a school uniform as you entered the school. And when you left the school, there was no point in that uniform remaining with you You had to carry on, you don't go to work in the uniform you had for school, because it's over the purpose of it is
gone. Exactly the same or similar. When it comes to the bodies we have Allah has sent us to the school where we are going to be tested and examined every day of our lives. And when your testing examination is over. And when you're finished writing whatever exams they are,
Allah will take that uniform away. And he will tell you now you can graduate, wait for your results. There is a period of time between the graduation or should I say the completion of the exam and the ultimate announcement of the results. Similarly with man, you will die. That's the day you have completed your exam. For as long as you're alive and you're breathing. You can go back to your exam paper and erase whatever you've done and rewrite the correct answer. And therefore you have no excuse while you're breathing. Turn back to Allah. There is always hope. And the greatest gift that you can give yourself if you want gelatin for those is to turn towards
Allah through his to farm seeking the forgiveness of Allah, the remembrance of Allah fulfilling the duties unto Allah abstaining from the prohibitions that Allah has dictated and declared. So Allah says, We will return you into the soil, and there will come a day when your resurrection will happen from that particular soil in a way that Allah knows best Subhana Allah, so my brothers and sisters, we will all create it from the same soil and the dust and we will all be going back into it. But Allah created us from sand and soil of different colors from different parts of the world. Hence, our own complexions are different, based on where we come from, some are darker, some are lighter.
Why did Allah do that? I want to know.
Before we get to the answer of that, let me tell you, you did not choose your color. You did not choose where you were going to be born, you did not choose your parents, you did not choose your nationality, all that was part of the examination. Whenever you are going to be tested. It is the examiner who will decide the questions and not you. This proves that we are on earth in order to be tested and examined. Allah says it clearly that you've come down to earth for us to test you. When the test is over. You come back to us, we will either give you Jenna or if you lost, Allah knows Subhana Allah what he's going to do. He's given the warnings and the punishment that he's spoken
about. So Allah says, it's a test we, when we've chosen things for you, you need to know we're testing you. If this life was not a test, we would be asked in advance Where do you want to go united states of america i want to be made, or wherever else someone might say maca, depending on who they were, what type of parents you want to have very wealthy rich already as an born they must give me x, y and Zed SubhanAllah.
So it's amazing. It's interesting how Subhana Allah, we tend to forget that when you haven't had a choice regarding something, it's an exam, it's a test because someone else chose you. If it wasn't the test, like I said, you would have had a say what color do you want to be? Where do you want to be born? What type of a body you want to have your eyes your hair? Allah says we will choose it for you. Now the question why?
Yeah.
We have created you from a single male and female watch kung
fu and we have made you into different peoples different tribes and clans, in order that you recognize one another. your race, your nationality, where you come from your height, the type of hair you have, the eyes you have, you must love it because Allah gave it to you. You can be the darkest person love your complexion. Don't fight with Allah by hating yourself. You look in the mirror and you saying I'm too dark. To be law, you are the most loved unto Allah. When you say Al Hamdulillah. The winner is the one who knows how to get to paradise who knows how to get to gentlemen not who knows how to change the complexion of their face, because they don't like how dark
or light they are. We have a sickness and the disease across the globe where people think the fatter you are, the prettier you are, where people think that the whiter you are, the more deserving you are of certain goodnesses of this earth. That is not only a hogwash, but it is actually sack religious, blasphemous. And it is insulting Allah subhanho wa Taala
your test is how will you treat people who are from a different race. That's your test. When you have taught, treated them with utmost respect. Just like you would treat your own brethren. Then you have recognized a law then you recognize the law. But when you think this one is a black man, this one is a yellow man, this girl is too dark for my son to get married to I'm going to refuse if he wants city. I will take him out of the business because I don't like the girl uncle. It's not your wife. He can marry who he wants if what's making him really happy is a black woman when Alhamdulillah you need to be even happier. But the problem is unfortunately we don't think the
proper way for us no different race, nevermind different race, someone who belongs to the same race but a slightly different part of the country. We've got a problem with that. Have you insulted Allah, the other side of the room
Have a
look at how we are failing our test dismally. You can be a man reading five Salah a day, you have still failed your test if you have racism in your heart.
If you think you are superior, you have a major problem. You are not.
People ask me, you've traveled many places. Where have you seen? Where have you seen the best Muslims? I tell you. In the places where the complexion is the darkest. I've seen people get up at three in the morning and serve Allah like I haven't seen even in Makkah and Medina.
And then I tell myself, these are the people of Jelena the children who will get to Jelena who get up at three in the morning around the fire and they are busy sharing a Quran to become a halfen for learning for the sake of Allah. And here we are sitting in palaces in this dunya thinking visa. undeserving people if they were to greet you, you won't even greet back you will look at them with the eye of skepticism. But Allah knows the true palace that is everlasting is theirs, not yours. You might have yours for a short while you're living in Houghton Mashallah. Mashallah, with all due respect to all those living here, I'm sure they're good people. It's only by way of example, and
nothing else. You living in a posh plush area? Do you realize these might be your last few years that you ever gonna see luxury, because you may have lost the whole hereafter, and another person who lived under a tree for a long, long portion of his life. Those might be the last few years that he was ever going to suffer because Allah is gonna give him a palace that you would never imagine he was going to get. That's the plan of Allah. Do you recognize Allah? Allah tells you, you could have been any complexion, you could have been any nationality. People look at Nigerians, for example, with the eye of skepticism and being gay. The minute someone says, I'm from Nigeria, you must hold
your pockets, and you must turn around. No, some of the most honest people also come from there, a country of 200 million. If only 1 million were bad, the percentage of bad is far smaller than those around us. Remember this.
If you were to look at the doctors and the accountants and so on, in so many countries of the globe, the Nigerians have probably the largest percentage in many countries, people don't look at that. They look at one or two crooks, when there's crooks from every nationality, no single nationality is excellent or race is excellent without blemish, and none of them is bad without goodness, everyone can be they have good and they have bad, it is not franchised to one and not the other. You might be of some ethnicity, in your ethnicity, they are good and bad. The Arabs, they are good and bad among them. The Africans, they are good and bad among them, the Indians, they are good and bad among them.
In all of these races. They are people who are good people who are bad, it has nothing to do with your race or nationality. It's got to do with who you are as a person. This is Islam. Allah tells us we created you differently. In order to test you, how are you going to treat each other? Those who are the best from amongst you are those who recognize Allah, His power,
His greatness, and the fact that he's testing you. So the person who has the lowest job according to the world, the person who comes from a nationality that the world might look at, as lonely when you can come out and respect that person and shake their hand or greet them, or acknowledge them or smile at them, just because they are your brother from Adam. You have now recognized Allah, for the first time in your life, you now know who is Allah, when you look at another human, the first thing you should think about is unrelated to this guy. Subhana Allah why from other, we are the same species. That's why we never refer to other human beings with derogatory terms because we are part
of the same family. It's like one someone said, that guy's a dog. And another person who was listening said, when you look just like him, so you must be a dog to Allah forgive us. We don't ever say that. What's your turn, what how you treat people. When we look at the xenophobic attacks that have taken place, we are saddened, but I want to tell you the solution of it lies in the hearts of every one of us. When we develop love for those who come from abroad. We were taught that we need to fulfill their rights, when we respect them when we understand even if we have differences we are human kind we are the best of the creation of Allah subhanho wa Taala in terms of species, and Allah
subhanho wa Taala wants us to respect each other when I have a difference. I will not resort to killing you. I will not resort to harming you. People think they can get away with it. They think that they belong to the mafia. You can kill x, y and Zed you may
Get away in this world, but trust me, your own life is coming to an end very soon, then it's Doom, and that Doom is everlasting. And thanks to your murder, that person is going to generate overdose to paradise for good for free, as a matter.
This is why we say, Watch your words, watch out how you address people, how you talk to them, give them time of the day, those who work for you look at how you talk to them. speak to them with utmost respect, because one generation down and that's too much but one generation down, perhaps your children will be working for their children the other way around. And it could happen in your own life. riches to rags I can give you names of people, riches to rags overnight, what happens? You used to be a big boss swearing everybody shouting and screaming, Allah said Hang on, we're going to change it for a little while. Let's see what happens. And then you're at the mercy of the others.
How we didn't recognize Allah. What can I
Allah says those days, the days we rotate them around the people, they are rotated, not every day is going to be the same for you reach today, tomorrow you lost you will have to have a loss. You're healthy today, tomorrow, you're going to be unhealthy. You might never be able to read your Salah again, in the proper way properly meaning without sitting on a chair or without using one of the one of the provisions that Allah has given you Subhana Allah, I'm not saying that your Salah on the chair is wrong. I'm just giving an example. While you are healthy, do your Salah so that the day you cannot do it properly, you don't regret you can say I've been reading Salah for 30 years now Allah
subhanho wa Taala has not allowed me to do that because of my health. But I thank Allah when I was healthy, I did it nicely. There you go. Allah says you will get the full reward even if you're sitting on a chair. Even if you cannot go right down in the proper way you get the full reward. You know why? Because you used to do it nice. Do you want to do it properly? There goes still those of you who might be looking at me thinking now what we already did it wrong. Don't worry there's Toba. There's always a way to please Allah. Allah is the easiest to please the easiest to please is Allah. Why don't we pleasing? How do you please him seek His forgiveness constantly. The Prophet sallallahu
Sallam used to seek forgiveness up to 100 times a day he did not need it.
In order to show you and I owe son of Adam, you are sinful. Just ask Allah for forgiveness every day. You know what that will do for you. It will make you connected to Allah by recognizing that you have a maker who can either punish you or forgive you. Allah says to His angels, look at my worshiper seeking mine forgiveness constantly. I want you to bear witness. He has recognized me, I forgive him wiped out. So Hannah law, you recognize your Lord? Why would you seek forgiveness of Allah? Because you know, He is the Lord. That's it. You know, he is the one who is in control of my life. So Pamela, people leave faith wholesale. What do they say? YOLO you only live once enjoy. So
panela
you only die once as well.
I didn't want how much you lived your life you enjoy 10 years, five years here, you don't even have a guarantee you're going to walk out of the masjid without a bullet in your head. That's the that is actually the reputation of Johannesburg today.
Am I right?
And you enjoying? Allah says you know what? You forgot to prepare for the eternal life. You know what? shaytan deceived you by making you think that you're a big deal? Oh, the biggest deal. You know who the biggest deal is?
Right hand on that day of Dr. mercola makers from day one.
And he'll say, hey, read my book. Yes. Now you can be proud. Now you can be happy and excited. Now you can show off because the exam is over the results. How many of us we go to school and there are a few people who don't talk much and everyone loves and scarves and the day the results come all the A's at the top Whoo, that little guy in the corner who never talks much.
How did he do this? People will say even on the Delta Gamma that oh we thought this person was not close to Allah. Look at how close they become Subhan Allah, my brothers, my sisters, remember one thing
we need to respect each other. The day you can respect another human being who looks different from you.
You simply because he is a beloved creature of a law. That is the day you've recognized the law.
When you recognize each other,
we have a sickness. People think I belong to this nationality I have this passport. So I'm a better bigger person. I swear by Allah diseases in most of us, may Allah save me from it. Luckily I've got a Zimbabwean passport. So it's okay.
But we're lucky. People actually think there is seniority based on your passport, my brother, it might facilitate your slight movement through an airport. But what law he tried to get buried with that passport is never gonna help you ever, ever. Even if it has a kalama and Shahada written on it, it means nothing.
on that particular day, if you haven't believed in that, you get the point. You believe in it means a lot. If you've been a good man, it means a lot. You've been a good woman, it means a lot. You treat people with respect, you got to atone for those. But the minute you think you better you bigger, the minute you disrespect others, you are failing your test. People shortchange those who work for them. And vice versa. Sometimes we work for someone we cheating with the time, the money, the effort, whatever else we're lucky you're going to be caught you will never run away. never
learn to respect people. Talk to people nicely greet them. If you cannot help them at least don't hurt them. long back. We used to say that's my buddy. He always helps me nowadays. That's my buddy, he's never hurt me. Subhana Allah See the difference?
And people don't hurt you. They true. We don't need your help. Sometimes. We just need you to be respectful. That's all.
Allah forgive us. So my brothers and sisters, I challenge you today to change the way you look at the rest of human beings, no matter where they come from. Because Allah says in a Corona como de la at gakuen,
the most honored from amongst you in the eyes of Allah, the best from amongst you, those who are deserving honor from amongst you in the eyes of Allah, or those who have the piety that God consciousness in their hearts, they are connected to Allah, they have recognized Allah the reasons why Allah kept you different. You are sitting here today. It's Allah who decided you're going to be here today.
From prior to your birth, it was a lot. So when you see another person, he might have been born in the ghettos in the slums? Does it give him any less of an opportunity? In the eyes of Allah? No, but in the world? Yes.
In this world, if you were born in the ghettos and the slums, perhaps your opportunities might be slightly this, you will not that privileged in the worldly terms, but in the eyes of the maker, your chances of going to paradise are just as much as the one who was born in a castle, if not more,
because sometimes when you're born in the castle, you forget to make when everything's on the plate, nothing's going wrong in your life. You forget Allah, it happens sometimes. So Allah says, hang on, let me take away your health. Let me cause a little bit of ruffling of feathers in your life only so that you can turn to Me, sometimes the death of a loved one, sometimes a major accident, sometimes a massive, you know, Robert, if something goes wrong, unless you say, this is not the main aim here. We just want to turn you towards us a little bit. That's why we're doing this in your life, thank Allah and become a better person.
So then you realize, hey, this person who died was so healthy, so wealthy, so powerful, so popular, but they also went today, we had the death of Robert Mugabe. You know what? His life is his life. We are taught to say good things about people after they've died, because they've already gotten to their Lord in order to get their accounts. But the lesson learned is no matter how powerful you were at the stage, no matter how much authority you had at the stage, a time will come when you do have to face your maker. So prepare for the day. And don't worry about how he is going to face his makeup. Because while worrying about someone else, you forgotten yourself and that's what shape man
wants from you.
That's what a man wants from you. What's the point of saying this man was very good when you're not good. Did it help you know? What's the point of saying this man is very bad when you are worse. Did it help you know? So Allah says, Hey, all these are lessons for you to know. Where did you come from? Where did you come from?
always tell yourself, these people around you are related to me. You know when we dislike, we don't forgive, sometimes you hate someone will find it so hard.
To forgive, to release. So, the other day I was talking to someone, he was swearing me, and he was threatening me. I told him, You know what?
I forgive you, because I don't want you to be penalized, but I want to meet you on the Day of Judgment simply for you to know who was right and wrong in this and then it's okay. He laughed at me. He said, why I said, I don't need you to be punished. If I'm in paradise. I don't care who else's day you can be there no problem for as long as it's okay though everyone else can be there. So what? He said, Hey, I already feel guilty.
May Allah forgive us will lie. May Allah grant us a heart that is pure people will swear you they will disrespect you, they are failing they their tests. Don't fake your tests. As a result of that. It's also your test. When someone insults you, how what do you do back to them, if you insult them back you similar. But if you can smile, look away. You know what we might get outraged at your reaction, which is not normal, but because you recognize Allah, you want them to recognize their mistake. So Allah says, You know what you be the better of the lot, you be a better person. And Allah subhanho wa Taala will definitely assist you.
I want to end my brothers and sisters, once again, by mentioning that indeed, it is very, very sad to see the xenophobic attacks, those who attack others based on their race based on their nationality, based on what they look like based on where they come from, etc. that is unacceptable. We as Muslims are taught to respect one another, we respect everyone we should respect. Remember,
I've come across revert Muslims, those who accepted Islam.
And they say what Islam is and what the Muslims are mostly two different things.
One brother actually said I'm fortunate to have met Islam before I met Muslims, because if I met Muslims, before I met Islam, I might have been so discouraged because the Muslims are not following the Islam that they're taught. Let's go back to the book. It's not difficult. Don't think that you're too far off. You're sitting here in the house of Allah VIP, the guests of Allah, someone who's walked into our house of Allah has come in order to be motivated to be moved in order to inch closer to Allah, it can happen if Allah brought you all the way here he is the one who's going to help you to become a better person. But you need that intention. And you need to focus on it every
single moment of the day.
When we go out, be courteous, help others, be polite, Don't be selfish. Selfishness is what's killing us, my brothers and sisters, I want everything for myself, learn to share, how much are you going to have? If you have millions and billions Trust me, I have been in it for more than 20 years assisting people with their matters, especially when it comes to inheritance. And I guarantee you, those who have more wealth, their children fight much more than those who don't have much after their death.
So sometimes Allah wants you to reach out to the poor, reach out to them, pay the salaries on time with respect, give a decent salary, help people look after them, and so on. And when you are working, be respectful, fulfill your job in the most honest way and respect others. So it's vice versa. It's not just one side, all of us as a team have to help each other. May Allah subhanahu wa taala bless every one of us and grant us goodness, may we all be protected. Like I said it starts in the heart it starts here. Each one of us needs to love the other for the sake of Allah. Allah Allah Allahu wa Sallim wa barik ala nabina Muhammad