Muhammad West – SA in Tribulation final

			I was relying on a sheet on the rajim Bismillah. R. Rahman from the Rila European army was salat wa
salam ala it should have been more saline, saline and Muhammad and Rolla only. Big Marine, my
beloved brothers and sister Mr. Alec, Marco de la he was about to go to Al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil
Alameen always and forever in every situation in every circumstance, we begin with the prayers and
the thanks of Allah subhanaw taala. I said to Allah, Allah, Allah who are witnessing isn't worthy of
worship says Allah subhanaw taala we send our loving greetings salutations to beloved Nabi Muhammad
Sallallahu wasallam, despise your family whose companions and all those who follow suit metal end of
		

			time, but we'd be amongst them. And we pray to Allah subhanaw taala to have mercy upon us and
Mohamed Salah Salem to make easy for us in this time of difficulty, to grant Shiva to all those who
are ill to replace those who have lost things without something better. And to go on genital
favoritos and Matera for those who have passed away. I mean, I mean, what hamdulillah Subhanallah,
what a difficult few days it has been for us here in South Africa, we appear to be moving from one
crisis to another, and how quickly our situation can change for us here in South Africa, we've seen
that communities being looted communities being businesses being destroyed, lives being lost
		

			Subhanallah how quickly life can change. I mean, we could never have imagined that a week ago, that,
you know, we'll be large segments of our community that would be without security, that we wouldn't
be able to buy basic essentials breed marks panel will ask a lot to make it easy and to cause that
it appears and from the law today, things seem a bit calmer in South Africa and we make to operate
in sha Allah, that sanity prevails and that alone order is restored, and that those who have lost
things that are lost, can replace that with something better. How do we make sense of this? And how
do we move forward in times of tribulation. And throughout the last couple of days, we've received a
		

			lot of questions people wanting to understand people, of course, coming, you know, understandably,
going through a lot of difficulty, their livelihood has been destroyed, the businesses have been
destroyed. Many people, most businesses are Muslim businesses, people that have contributed to the
mosques, contributed to wealthy operations. And these a sense of not only loss, but a sense of
confusion, and a sense of deep sadness and uncertainty. So how Insha Allah, can we learn and take as
a believer we take every situation and try to make the best out of it. So inshallah we're going to
talk about how we understand tribulation when it falls upon us from a spiritual sense. We're also
		

			going to speak a little bit about why this is happening from a on the ground perspective from a
dunya perspective. And then of course, advice and guidance from the Nabil syndrome. So making sense
of this we need to understand that this is part of when we see matters like this. It is part of the
Sunnah of Allah it is part of how Allah subhanaw taala guides us and teaches us Allah Subhana Allah
says in surah in verse number 42 Well, sunnah in a woman communica for hot now.
		

			Barbara Illa Allah homie Tada Ron, Allah says that before every nation that we seen before a
messenger to communities, and we put them that community through hardship and suffering, Allah says
that we sent guidance to a community and then we also sent with a guidance, hardship and suffering
why Lala home with our own so that they may humble themselves and they may supplicate that it is
just human nature. That when we are going through good times we tend to forget Allah subhanaw taala
and we are therefore on a path leading to destruction. And so Allah subhanaw taala sins loss he
sins, a famine he sins pandemics he sins, whatever hardship and suffering on the community as a
		

			means to wake that community up and bring them back to him. And then Allah says follow that is
		

			Sunnah the novel were lacking. Cassatt coloboma was a normal shaytaan Americana, Allah says, But if
only when that hardship came upon them, that they had supplicated that they had the Dorado they
returned back to Allah in humility. Allah says in the time of hardship, if only you came back to me,
Allah subhanaw taala would have would have saved you. Well, I can cause it coloboma, as for those
who continue on just as it was, it didn't make an impact in them. The hearts turned away from Allah
it became hard and shaytaan made the evil deeds play seeming, they continued on it back and back
which they used to do. And then Allah says for number two, so if they continue to forget my look,
		

			you will be what off to Allah has reminded him for Tana Ali Baba cliche in hotter either very
Hobbema Otto, I have no Homebox photographer either humbly So when Allah Subhana Allah says, So if
after we've seen them, the reminder we sent them the hardship so that they may come back. If that
community continues to go on its evil ways. Then Allah opens up for them all the dose of goodness,
that's kind of Allah. Ya, Allah is showing that by giving them a lot of money, giving them a lot of
comforts and joys is actually this is a punishment. This is the problem, not the hardship. The real
calamity is when Allah gives you all the blessings and you start to live in that in the valley
		

			Hobbema Ooh to Allah says they began to enjoy themselves they began to live a life completely
disconnected from Allah. In that state. Allah took their meaning ALLAH
		

			cause them to die in that state for either will be too soon and then they will completely in
despair. That is the great calamity. And so Subhanallah we as believers, we believe that nothing
happens except for Allah's Leave and nothing happens except for Allah's mercy. And so this is an
opportunity for us to learn and for us to reflect and an opportunity to come back to Allah. There
are those who have asked, Should we not as a community, be reflecting about our sins and the evils
of our community and this is a sign from Allah's displeasure with our community, as we know that
Allah subhanaw taala says that no octava to mean benei at AU and holvi, that for every person, they
		

			ask angels that Allah sins all the time to protect us from in front and from behind a spotlight. It
gives us great comfort that every day that we go through and they're no calamities, it is Allah
protecting us and keeping us safe for the widow home in a Manila that these angels protect them from
the decree of Allah. In Allahu Allah uma we call me Yoda. You know where we are, who's him? And
Allah says he does not remove the sense of security from people until something changes with inside
them something that they do, who is it, and then Allah's fantasies were either around the lobby
coming to and following the law, that if Allah ever wishes to cause hardship upon the people, then
		

			then can block or defend themselves from Allah or murder him in dunya human mind and there is
nothing that can defend and protect you from Allah besides Allah subhanaw taala. And so this ayah
reminds us that yes, clearly Allah says that when things go out of order, and our sense of security
is lost, when something we might have done as causes upon us, but we also learned that it is not
when hardship befall us, it is not that we should go through a sense of guilt, definitely, we should
reflect our deeds and ask ourselves, why is this happening? Have I done something to displease
Allah, but it is also a reminder that Allah is sending us so that we may return to Allah subhanho wa
		

			taala. And Allah's purpose of sending hardship is not to cause suffering, Allah does takes no
pleasure in harming and punishing people or other it is a means by which we come back to Allah, the
Hadith and he goes on and says, if Allah intends good for his slave, he hastens the difficulties in
the dunya. And if Allah does not wish you well, then Allah withholds all of that, for the Ophira.
And then on the Day of Resurrection, you go through the hardship, and so in a way, Allah subhanaw
taala, when he sees that we are going off course, he sins, these these moments to remind us that we
are, we are not where we should be. And even if we are good people, Allah sins as these calamities,
		

			so that we may we may reflect and come back. And so the believer takes all that which Allah Subhana
Allah sins upon him or her as a means of, of growing closer to Allah subhanaw taala. For those of us
who have lost property, who have lost lives on Allah, whose livelihoods their life savings has come
to him, how do you continue How do you feel? And how do you find comfort in these very difficult
moments, we remind ourselves with a hadith and Musa lambda, this is the reality of life that the
Prophet says and says, Whatever Allah takes is belong to him, and whatever he gives belongs to
Allah. And everything that Allah has given has only a limited time in this world. And so we should
		

			be patient and hope for Allah's reward that Allah subhanaw taala everything he's given us our money,
our family, our health, is on loan, and eventually everything is going to go back to Allah in alila,
who are in a in a urology on everything goes back to Allah. But we also believe that as the Prophet
says, that calamity will befall the believer all the time, the provinces, every person, every Muslim
will go through calamity, his children in his wealth, until why until he meets Allah with no sin
that Allah again, Allah subhanaw taala. If he wishes us well, then he takes away our sins through
these calamities. And so if anyone is going through hardship, they should see as a means by which
		

			Allah subhanaw taala is removing sins and Allah is elevating the status. In fact, in me so someone
says that if a certain person, Allah wanted them to reach a certain level in Jannah, or certain high
status in gender, but the needs were not sufficient to get the, then Allah subhanaw taala afflicts
him with some kind of hardship to elevate them. And he says, the greatest reward comes from the
greatest Tribulation and the greatest trial. And when Allah loves people, he tests them. And so
whoever accepts that test, and he is pleased with Allah, when he has gotten the pleasure of Allah
and whoever is not patient, when he has displeased Allah subhanaw taala. So as we go through a
		

			multitude of different tea syrup endemic to hardship to suffering is panela. Every day it seems
there's a new calamity on the horizon, we take comfort and we make two out of that this is the case
that Allah has chosen us and this generation and this group of people to be tested, that Allah
subhanaw taala has chosen as to to confront these tests where we may be elevated and then we will be
a special group of Allah subhanaw taala we know that throughout the history of the Ummah, that the
most special people came at the most difficult times and when Allah sent very difficult calamities
upon the Ummah, it is the most special people rose up in those moments and time and they will always
		

			be people that Allah subhanaw taala has guided and Allah subhanaw taala will protect and give his
pleasure and when we do that we are amongst them meet and then we come through this calamity bitter
		

			in the sight of Allah subhanaw taala, the next Hadith, and it's such an important Hadith for all of
us that have all of us everyone is going through some form of loss, whether you've lost property
life, we've all lost our sense of security, our feeling of safety, Allah, the Prophet Solomon says
that when you have gone through a calamity, we should make this dua, then the resources there is no
person when he's afflicted with calamity. He then says in Allah who are in ala you know, God, Allah,
everything belongs to you, we belong to you and unto us our return and we're going back to you
everything is gonna go back to you. Oh Allah, you make the DUA Yeah, Allah reward me for my
		

			affliction. Yeah, Allah reward me for the suffering that I'm going through for the hardship and
going through Yeah, Allah, he would meet for this and compensate me with something better replace
that what I've lost with that, which is better than me. So Solomon says that if you make this dua,
then surely most certainly Allah will reward the person for the hardship that they're going through
whatever difficulty you're going through whatever sadness you're feeling, Allah subhanaw taala all
that he will do, He will give you rewards and remove your sin through that. And Allah will
compensate you with something better, Allah will give you something better than that which was lost
		

			either in the dunya, Allah will give you a better business a better acid or Allah will put Baraka in
your health oil in your family or in your children. Subhan Allah, Allah will avert some bigger
calamity, or if nothing other than Allah gives you in the dunya except he will leave all of it in
the akhira even even bitters hon Allah. And so with these few ideas, and Hadith we hope that for
those who have gone through loss, there are many people that you know, are sitting now and counting,
taking stock of the disaster, and thinking unsure what is going to happen tomorrow. And how do I
pick up the pieces we make dua that Allah subhanaw taala replaces what you've lost with something
		

			better. And that this is a means that this difficulty is a trial and that Allah please place a sub
in your heart and that Allah gives you a means that it brings you closer to Allah than me that in
the long term, this will be a blessing from Allah subhanaw taala beyond the hardships that we are
all going through, we are living in strange times, and these are times of tribulation and many
people have asked, are we not seeing Subhanallah the End of Times unfolding before us, we were
living in a pandemic that has caused the entire world to shut down massage and a closed down. We are
finding Allah Subhanallah even you know, today, one of the great orlimar of South Africa, Mufti
		

			Desai has passed away Subhan Allah so we see scholars that are passing away we seen pandemics we see
uncertainty, we seen all these kinds of tribulations upon us what what guidance is there from the
Prophet sallahu wa salam. And you know, this hadith that we read in Sahih Muslim as I'm Holly in so
act for our time and our resources, there will come a time we a time will pass rapidly, you know,
there'll be no Baraka in your time, days, months, weeks, we'll just years we just disappear. And you
think we as the time God, people will just go through life and time would slip away. And knowledge
will be taken from from from the people. What does that mean? We know from the other Hadith, when
		

			knowledge is removed, it means scholars great scholars, are going to pass away and if you look, you
know, in the last few months, how many great Ranima locally and abroad have passed away, giants of
the OMA have passed away in a very short span of time, still businesses that allow great scholars
will pass away and tribulation calamity will will prevail will come upon the Ummah all the time. And
then Allah will put greed in the hearts of people be so greedy, that that will be the only focus
will will be filled with greed, and they will never be satisfied with what they have. And in a
hadith that almost continues from this, there'll be some C's, close to the time of Kiama there'll be
		

			a lot of herbage. And as far as what is haram, and he said, there'll be a lot of killing. And so the
Muslims harvested jasola But we have been going through a lot of fighting and this Wolfie, what what
are you talking about? So that means is? No no, no, what I mean is there will come a time when
people will fight each other, a man will fight his neighbor, or a man will fight his cousin, a
person will even fight his brother over no reason. And so this hopper will say well, what is why are
they doing that? Do they have no occult do I have no common sense? And so then it becomes is your
sanity basically will not prevail, there will come a time when there'll be no sanity, every man will
		

			harm the people around him for no real reason. And so these are the times that we live in. Now why
we mentioned this hadith, it is not for us to become fatalistic and think, Well, Kiama is upon us.
We are seeing all these things that that I recently warned us about has come to pass and there is no
purpose for us. Rather, we remain positive. And we remain optimistic that you know Kiama can befall
us at any moment. You know, anyone can die today and that is Kiana for you. All this hadith could be
applying to a situation in many, many years time. But what we learn from these times when we go
through tribulation when we go through times of fit and when we go through moments of uncertainty,
		

			what is the advice from the resource Allah, the Prophet Salam advises us to be calm and not to rush
into a situation, especially if there's violence. He says, The one who is sitting down is better
than the one who is walking or standing and the one who is standing is better than the one who's
walking and the one who's walking is better than the one who's running and he says
		

			Whoever enters into fitna or tribulation, it will swallow him up and it will destroy him or the seek
refuge and keep yourself out of it. Now why I mentioned this is that we find that in this calamity
in this catastrophe, people are upset and people are angry, and people have resort to arms. And we
all have the right to defend ourselves and we should defend ourselves and our families, but we
should not escalate the situation, we should de escalate. The reason some advisors as in times of
fitna, especially when it involves violence, we should bring, we should bring calmness and we should
we should make we should look to avoid making the situation worse. We find people in the frustration
		

			and you know, to understand what what is happening, and we'll talk a little bit about why this is
happening from on the ground perspective. Many of the looters, many of those who have gotten a
rampage, there is a big segment of them that are frustrated or angry of the situation. No, it's no
excuse, of course. But it is a form of taking out the frustration at the government or at society.
And they've harmed innocent people in the frustration and we understand why they're frustrated. Now
they have harmed someone else. And that person now is angry and upset. We should not do what they
have done by harming other innocent people, we find spine a lot people raising racial slurs, racial
		

			tension, is no excuse for us to divide our community along racial lines, because this will be a
bigger catastrophe upon us. And so we ever you find yourself now, the way forward is through
southern is through calm perseverance, and to make the situation better, but not to make the
situation worse, because we should run away and flee from tribulation, as the responses as you flee
away from a fire and flee away from from tribulation. And so to understand, again, people have
asked, Why is this happening from a perspective of the ground, what is going on in our community,
especially people from outside of South Africa, many of the Duat the Imams, the scholars from other
		

			parts of the world have always looked at South Africa as an oasis, you know, this, this tiny Muslim
minority that is living on hamdulillah in safety and security that is able to practice the deen.
That is, you know, hamdullah privileged in many ways, it's the envy in a good way of many Muslim
minority. And they were shocked to see that Muslim businesses are going, you know, burning and what
is happening, and Hamdulillah, we know that what is happening is not an assault on Muslims, really,
rather, it is a war between different classes between the haves and the have nots in society. And we
know it's a consequence of years of neglect from a government or from leadership that has been
		

			completely missing, and internal fighting between leadership, or the leaders and politicians that
have affected us on the ground. We also know that this did not just happen out of no way, that for
decades now, the masses of this country have been neglected have been left impoverished, we have our
level of unemployment, almost 50% Subhanallah, more than half of the country's people living below
the poverty line. It is a recipe for disaster. As a society, we are a deeply broken society. And
this cannot perpetuate it can't go on, except it will continuously see moments like this. And of
course, we know that undoubtably there are those politicians, those people in the background who
		

			take advantage of the of the crisis, they want to bring about catastrophe, they want to be anarchy,
because in that anarchy, they benefit themselves. And so they they wish for us to continue to
escalate. And panela as we said, the worst thing that could possibly happen for us in this country
is for the to be a war is for there to be violence around racialized if that happens, but Allah
protect us. And in this country, we really would be in a dangerous situation. So there are those
people who would rather, you know, if they cannot rule for their own personal benefit over this
country, they would rather rule over the ashes, they will rather burn everything down. And so that
		

			they could be in charge. And we should say no, that what we're seeing now is a test follow it for
order for all the people of this country that that loves stability. It is a test upon us, well, how
do we respond, it is always easy to break down. It's always easy to destroy, when to build up and to
look forward to a better tomorrow. And ultimately, you know, the reality of why we are as a
community in the state is of course being disconnected from Allah. We find that if if your taqwa or
your sense of worshipping Allah if your morality is only as good as the situation that you're in
only you only obey the law when the police is there. But when it is a free for all, and they are no
		

			no one is watching you. You you go on a rampage and that shows you that insight is the problem. And
a person who abides by the law, a personal bias by his sense of right and wrong, even when no one is
watching me that I can be in the shop and you know it can be completely empty. No one knows I can
take whatever I want. But Subhan Allah I live by our highest set of principles and ideals. This is
what Taqwa really means. And we see Subhan Allah that is not sometimes not even about having or not
having, but just the sense of
		

			If I can do it, I will do it. If no one will catch me, then I will do it to get away from it. And
that is what a believer what it means to be a believer is to be to be conscious of Allah, whether
you are alone or in public, whether you whether someone sees you or doesn't see you, because you're
aware that Allah subhanaw taala always sees me. And so as society, we are, by and large,
disconnected from Allah subhanaw taala and not aware or not conscious that Allah subhanaw taala that
he is a greater power watching over us. And so Inshallah, you know, these are just short reminders
for all of us. And the most important question that I get is, what do we do next? How do we move
		

			forward from here? How do we move forward from here? The best thing that we can do is, as Allah
subhanaw taala said, he knows
		

			that when the hardship came upon them, why did they not turn back to him? And Allah says, Is he not
the one who responds to the person who is desperate, Allah says, There is no one better, who
responds to the Matata, the one who calls out to him in the times of difficulty, no one is better at
answering except Allah. And Allah says none that he moves that which is hot. besides Allah, Allah is
the Best of those who removes hardship, and Allah will make them the inheritors of the dunya. So
once again, to return to him to connect ourselves to Him, especially in these days, something which
we haven't spoken about, is that we know that we are in the midst of a pandemic, yes, in times of
		

			tribulation, but we are also in a very blessed time. In fact, these are the most blissful days of
the year, the first 10 days of the ledger, and the day of Arafah. In sha Allah will be on Monday,
you know, the holiest day of the year. And so then it says to us, that there is no deed, no good
deed that you do in these days, that he would have, which is better than any other deed that you
could do throughout the year. So meaning whatever you do, how small a deal whether you're reciting
La Ilaha, Illa, Allah, whether you're reciting some Quran giving some charity that he would Allah
gives in these days, is is multiplied so much that it is beta thing, any reward, you could any act
		

			of goodness, you could do at any other time in the so the Sahaba was so surprised. They said, Yeah,
so even a man who fights jihad, in the rest of the year, will get less of a reward with a man who
gives a few 100 dates in charity in these in these times. And then, yes, even jihad, except the man
who of course, goes out with his life and his property and he dies, he that person will get a bit
any award. So Subhanallah, it is a great opportunity. And the best opportunity of the many scholars
have even said these days are more a holier than the last 10 nights of Ramadan. And so there is no
better time to return to Allah, and to combine Whatever hardship you're going through in patience
		

			and perseverance to really elevate ourselves with Allah subhanaw taala. And so, the believe it takes
these opportunities to return back to Allah, we also in our display in our suffering, we do not
become despondent, we don't become depressed, we remain optimistic. And then our responses. How
wonderful is the is the state of the believer, for Whatever befalls him, he these goodness in it,
when good comes to him, he is thankful he praises Allah and Allah gives him more. And if hardship
before he is patient. And so then it's actually an act of it's a blessing. People have asked this
hardship that we're going through, everyone is suffering, The Good, the Bad, is Allah punishing all
		

			of us, as we said, collectively, because he's displeased with us collectively. One analogy to make
sense of this, an exam, a group of students get an exam, that exam is difficult for everybody, for
the one who studied, and the one who didn't study, everyone is going through a tough time during the
examination. But at the end of the exam, someone is going to pass, someone will even get full marks,
someone will will will be successful. And there are those who will fail after the exam. And so
everyone goes through the same test. But it does not mean that Allah subhanaw taala is using it as a
punishment. For some it is a blessing. And for some, of course, it is a measure of collection. And
		

			we know the beautiful Hadith that says even if Kiama were to be upon you, you know, the trumpet is
blown, and you have a plant in your hand, then put that plant in the ground. For us as Muslims we
always believe and we always hope for for a better tomorrow. And so we do not allow a situation to
cause us to be despondent, we remain optimistic, and we continue to build and to do good. The last
two points panela you know, it was in the in this time in the days of Hajj. In fact, on the day of
Eid when there was okay that amazing Farewell Sermon, and one of the first things he reminded us and
he reminded his people, he said, oh people, just as you regard this month of the ledger, this day
		

			that they have read the city of Makkah as sacred. So remember that every life and every property of
every person is sacred. Respect every single person in respect every single property is sacred in
the sight of Allah. And he says Do not hurt anyone so that you will not be hurt. And remember, you
will go back to Allah and you will have to answer for the deeds that you have done. For us. We need
to respect the sanctity of life.
		

			sanctity of property. This is what our deen is about. This is what Allah subhanaw taala wants and
for, for us therefore, it's a last closing advice. It's an opportunity for every single person who
has and can assist to assist in the in the cleanup and the rebuilding process. And hamdullah. We've
seen already that brothers are sending planes to Durban with food and sending whatever they can
forward. Take this opportunity now to help our brothers in need the resources, Allah subhanaw taala
helps his servants so long as you are in this assistance of your brother. It's an opportunity for
all of us to pitch together to come together as a community to work together as one nation as one
		

			Ummah, to help those who have lost and that we can make easy for our brothers and sisters are going
through difficulty. We ask Allah Subhana Allah to grant us goodness and to make a situation to calm
down Allah replace that which is lost with something better. As a reminder, we said that the day of
alpha is on Monday in sha Allah, the first thing of the day of Arafah is of course we know two years
of reward and so we remind everyone to to force on Monday, and then in sha Allah, the following day
would be Eid or the day after. And of course, the best thing to do on the day of Eid is to
quarterback for those who would like to quarterback you know, you can of course contact Majid Burano
		

			Islam, we still have one or two sheep available and insha Allah may Allah subhanaw taala bless us
and all of you I mean circle halos Allah say Muhammad Ali or Sufi Islam was any promotable, Alameda
Santa Monica de la