Nadim Ali – The Best Generation
AI: Summary ©
AI: Transcript ©
Indeed.
All praise belongs to Allah.
All praise belongs to Allah.
We we we seek refuge in him for
the evil that we're serving ourselves
and from our bad actions. So whoever he
has guided to the right path, and none
can mislead and whomsoever he has caused to
go straight. So there's no one that can
guide him. I bear witness. I bear witness
that we bear witness that there's no deity
except the law who is unique and without
partners, and I bear witness to Mohammed.
So the other Muslim is a servant and
messenger.
And Allah says in the Quran,
you are the best nation ever brought up
for mankind.
You're enjoying what is right and forbid what
is wrong, and you believe in the law.
Again, you are the best nation
ever brought up for mankind. You're enjoying what
is right, and you forbid what is wrong
and you believe in the law.
Abdul Abdulah ibn Masood reported that prophet
said that the best people are those of
my generation
and then those who come after them and
then those who will come after them whose
testimony precede their oaths
and their oaths precede their testimonies. And again,
the Sahih Muslim hadith.
And
according to,
the scholars, it says that the correct view
of this
this generation
were the companions. And the 2nd generation
were the Taibim and the 3rd generation
was those who came after them.
And again,
in one one other,
interpretation of this is what is meant, but
they will they will they will not be
cautious or prudent in their speech. And they
will take lightly the matter of giving testimony
and swearing her oaths.
In other words, there were other generations, the
later generations will not take the religion as
seriously
as
as the previous generations took it. And so
and then there was one scholar who talked
about how
the knowledge
from Islam is like if a person worked
hard and gathered a lot of wealth
And they appreciate the wealth based on the
labor that they put in.
And the next generation
didn't work as hard, and so they appreciated
us less less.
And the further all the way down into
the present generation, they just take it for
granted. They just take the wealth for granted.
Trust fund babies.
And so we have to ask ourselves, you
know, are we
of the best generation or we like the
similar tool of being trust fund children, you
know, that we've been given a trust. And
what are we doing with that trust?
When we read these words,
you know, what do we think?
You know, the job description.
Enjoying what is right and forgetting what is
wrong.
Do we enjoy
what is right and forbid the wrong?
Or do we
avoid the right and rationalize the wrong?
These are some of the things that we
have to look at.
And, you know, again, I always talk about
how we should not,
we we use the term we make mistakes.
We make decisions. It becomes a mistake when
we get busted, when we get caught. I
made a mistake.
So we have to be of those to
look at that first generation and how they
the the prophet, peace be upon him, was
around them. He was around them, and so
it was easier
for them to see.
But as the prophet, peace be upon him,
said there will be a generation
who will basically,
you know, worship Allah and and believe in
what I have brought and they would not
have seen me. They would not have seen
me. And so we have to ask, are
we that generation?
To do that, you know, the brother gave
a a a good cook for last week.
Just a a reminder for all of us,
the young and the old.
You know, that we stand on the shoulders
of the giant from Rasulullah
to those that came behind them and and
those who came be before us.
And so for the young people in this
audit, you know, you stand on our shoulders.
You know, we have to be of those
who are working to establish the Islam in
this part of the world. That's our job.
It says that, you know, our sister struggle
where you're at, and he'll bring it together.
We always talk about the unity of the
Muslims. Just do what's right. And again and
forbid what's wrong
and avoid that. Because,
there's one of my teachers years ago, brother
from,
Jordan.
He said that this religion was codified in
the first two 150 years.
The first 250 years, all of the major
decisions were made. All of the many of
the great scholars that we quote in Adi,
they were already there.
You know, but what we can do is
look at a contemporary issue
and look back in in ancient knowledge.
You know, the issue of we it was
dealt with 1000 years ago, brothers and sisters.
We don't argue no more.
And then we have to, look at the
fact that the
When they when they when they when they
they had an incomplete book, they didn't have
the whole Koran.
And so when the order came down to
stop the cover,
it flowed through the streets
in like like black water.
They gave it up
because they had built the iman in their
heart. And that's what we have to do.
We have to get that level of iman
in our heart so that we don't rationalize
sick behaviors.
Rationalization.
Making excuses for actions that are inconsistent with
Islam.
There was hashish back then.
There were opiates back then. There were intoxicants
back then.
There were thieves back then. Gangsters back then.
I mean, if you look at some of
the Islamic,
there were some hardcore OGs.
They came through it.
You know, they they make you look like,
you know, just something, you know, out of
the nursery rhyme.
But when the word came, when the man
in the head in the lock came,
they submitted.
But we get it and we take it
as a religion that's opposed to a way
of life, a deen. And so that's how
we have to look at it. We have
to be of those who are striving to
be the best among mankind and joining the
right and forbidding the wrong
people who were related to him were trying
to kill him.
And so Islam creates a new relationship.
You can be closer to your Muslim brother
and sister than your blood brother and sister
based on the worship, based on the commitment
to
Allah. So this is how we have to
look at this deen. It basically breaks the
blood ties for the most part.
What did the what did the prophet, peace
be upon him, kind of say? When, the
prophet's son,
you know, was was was basically said, well,
you know, I'll get up upon this rock.
And,
you know, I'll be saved this day.
And then there's no
at least salam, he said, you know, that
was my son. He said, no. He's not
your son.
He's not your son. And so we have
to look at that if we if we
own the blood ties or the racial ties
and all of that,
you know, that's not Islam
that breaks that.
So we have to be of those who
say, how can we be the best
and not the least?
You know,
what's the old saying that, you know, we
when we receive consequences,
we're supposed to learn from our actions. We're
supposed
not continue
to make the same
decisions.
The same decisions.
They call that the definition of insanity.
To do the same thing over and over
and over again expecting
different results.
We have to basically look at our job
description. And then what happens is, you know,
we we we start to study. We start
to learn. We start to look at the
the people who came before us and how
did they handle these situations? How did they
handle family problems? How did they handle the
societal ills? These are some of the things
that we have to look at.
Are we the best
or are we the least?
But our actions will determine who we are.
And I don't expect people to change overnight.
There's one attribute that the law has out
of the teeth to settle.
It's just like we're going through a seasonal
change right now. We're going from the summer
into the fall. And we'll go into the
from the fall to the winter and from
the winter to the spring back to the
summer. But it doesn't we don't wake up
one day in the summer or winter or
spring or fall.
So just like
our age,
you know, we can go through in the
spring of life and we can many of
us in the winter of our lives. We're
closer to the grave than we are to
the cradle.
But what will be your legacy?
What will you leave behind?
Because
as I I said, that when when people
pass, what will happen is they will say,
oh, my life. You just let me go
back so I can do more good.
No. This is the time to do good.
This is the time to make the difference.
This is the time to basically
invest in your hereafter. Because you hear people
say, well, you know, there's nothing after this.
What if they're wrong?
What if they're wrong? And the law tells
us they're wrong.
Do we believe the law? Do we believe
the philosophers?
So so we have to be of those
to say
what we do on this earth. In this
plane of life determines what we will get
in the next plane of life. It's just
like, again, when you are saving for retirement.
If you're not putting anything away,
you're not gonna have anything when you need
that. And so if you're not putting anything
away for the hereafter,
you know, again, you're gonna have a deficit.
You're gonna have a deficit. So these are
some of the things that we have to
look at. Are we the best among mankind,
or are we the least among mankind?
But what is the difference in joining the
right and forbidding wrong
and believing in Allah?
These are some of the things that we
have to look at, brothers and sisters. If
I've said anything that's inconsistent with what Allah
has given us, I take responsibility for that.
And if I've said anything, we should gain
some new insight. As always, our praise belongs
to Allah.
His family, his companions. Will Allah increase his
honor and elevate his station and grant him
the highest place in paradise. And bless him
with your divine mercy. And, oh, Allah, bless
us with his intercession on the day of
judgment and forgive our sins.
Abourer Redelawandu
reported that the messenger of Allah
said that
take up good deeds
only as much as you are able. For
the best deeds
are those done regularly,
even if they are few. The best deeds
of those that are done regularly
even if they are few.
So it's not about having to do
great things.
Says even the smile is charity. You're moving
something out of the way, Just an obstacle
out of the way. It's the way of
of doing a good deed. You know? So
we don't have to wait until we get
rich and all of that to to do
good.
You know? Just like if you gave if
you are a person who's just a working
person who gave a dollar
away
and you have a billionaire and they give
away $1,000,
then you get just as greater reward as
that billionaire can get, you know, based on
the quantification,
you know, of the of the of the
deeds and how it will be quantified in
the hereafter.
Brothers and sisters, we have to work to
be the best
of mankind. It's investments. It's an investment in
your hereafter.
You know, we can't be of those who
continuously make excuses. We have to make decisions.
Expiation of sins. If you have a sickness,
you you you you get an expiation of
sins. So a lot of times, we get
ill or have some some downfall and we
get depressed
as opposed to looking at it. Well, this
is a challenge from Allah. Let me overcome
it. Let me overcome it because
it's expiate.
A sin for me.
Major sins. Minor sins. And so this is
how we have to look at the program.
And I always say it's not about work.
It's about investing.
When we're making
prayer, you know, that's a a way of
investing.
The prayers will basically bear witness for you
or against
you. When you give charity, again, that charity
will basically
bear witness for you or against you. The
deeds that we engage in those deeds will
all have a voice. Our skin will get
a voice. So, again, we can't comprehend
what will happen in here. Just like a
a germ can't comprehend our level of existence.
And so we
are microcosm.
And we get a microcosm of even what's
in the Quran because this would be a
whole new reality. There's a lot of talks
about the sure reality.
So we have to work to basically
be the best that we could be
and not just basically go along, you know,
with the crowd or
as they say, you know, following your heart.
I was reading how it says that following
your heart, that's some of the worst advice
that you can can have.
You know, we have to base our decisions
and our actions based on the Quran and
the sunnah.
You know, I see people getting into
relationships for the most part. You know, just
just following my heart.
But you can't pay rent.
Follow my heart. You can't provide food.
Follow my heart. You're not divorced even for
the most part. But just enough of marriage.
And so we have to basically
recognize that the heart can get sick too.
Just like the physical heart can get sick,
the spiritual heart can get sick.
Surah Alaihi Wasallam says that the heart gets
rusted
as does iron with water.
When someone asks, what concludes the heart again?
Surah Alaihi Wasallam said.
Frequent remembrance of death
and recitation of the Quran. Frequent remembrance of
death
and recitation of the Quran.
It removes. It can remove the rest from
the heart.
And so if we are learning the Quran,
again, not just in Arabic, not to just
be in parrots of the Quran,
you know, but basically trying to internalize the
Quran
and trying to live as as Aisha read
the level. I know when she was asked
about the the prophet's character, at least the
last,
said that his character was like a walking
Quran. He was like a walking Quran.
And the kid, we cannot compare it to
that giant. But
we can strive to be
as best that we can.
Clean our hearts up.
Learn as much Quran. You know, a year
you you come into Islam
1 year and a year later,
still don't know Fatia for the most part.
Only maybe no hit class. Barely.
But we can remember the latest rap record.
We can remember,
you know, the the TV shows and all
of that and what's going on there.
So what are you prioritizing, brothers and sisters?
We have to start
basically
internalizing
this way because,
you know, you you may pretty soon in
this part of the world, we're gonna have
similar challenges
to challenges that the people are dealing with
in Ukraine and people are dealing with in
in in Syria and in Libya.
Some of the challenges.
And and so will we run away from
the Islam or do we run towards it?
And so we have to basically
be
of such
resolve
that when the challenges come, we still hold
on hold fast
to this deed.
Because
all of the the the the signs are
there
that that we're going into
fascism in this country for the most part.
And so and Muslims gonna be on the
menu. Muslims gonna be on the menu.
And so and then Allah gives us a
recipe on how to deal with everything.
From how, you know, basically from birth to
death. We have the recipe
in the Quran. The prescription in the Quran.
And so we have to counter
this fascism
by teaching Islam,
by giving the people this deen.
But also,
now again, living the deen, not practicing the
deen.
You know?
You know, a lot of times, you know,
you you have people who are professing to
be Muslim.
But what happens is, you know, they're engaging
in behaviors again. This inconsistent selling drugs
and
getting in engaging in in other activities. Selling
things that are Haram.
You know, and so when you start teaching
Islam,
then, you know,
you're not doing it. That would be what
they're saying. Because that's one of the things
even prior to me coming into Islam. You
know, I saw the Muslims who were engaging
in
coming into Islam. You know, I saw the
Muslims who were engaging in hypocritical behaviors, and
I saw the Muslims who were committed to
their way of life. And again, those who
were committed to their way of life basically
pulled me in like a
magnet. Because I could see the people who
still still weren't finished. They were still sneak
sneaking around drinking and smoking and all of
this. We're talking about 1978.
So we're now in 2023,
and we still have the same
characters
in the communities.
So we have to basically as long as
you got breath in your body,
you got hope.
There's a chance.
So we have to work
to be the best that we can be.
The best of mankind.
We have to be change agents. We have
to basically increase our worship,
increase our knowledge.
You know, again,
we have to address the ills of the
society. We have to address the violence of
the society.
Even in the shadow of the Masjid last
week, you had people who were killed.
And they say that some of them were
Muslim. 2 of them were Muslim
engaging
in behaviors that,
you know, basically could have been resolved in
another way. Because this society teaches you, you
know, just to handle things through weaponry
as opposed to
engaging in healthy conflict resolution.
Young people dying.
Young people just dying and killing.
What would what would what would be the
message on the day of judgment?
And they say even if a Muslim kills
another Muslim,
they both go to *.
They both go to *
instantly.
You know, if you're killed in a robbery,
that's you get murdered
instantly.
If you die and drowning, all of that,
you can get murdered. And so there are
ways of getting martyrdom,
but there's also
ways of getting into the dungeon of *.
And so we have to recognize that this
Islam is real. It is not some gang
initiation.
It is not some fantasy. It's not a
cult. It is a way of life that
is
real. Allah says you're the best of mankind.
You join the right, forbid the wrong. And
what did he say?
Over 1400 years ago, this day, talk about
back then. This day have I perfected your
religion
and bestowed upon you Islam
as your way of life.
You know, again,
in my generation, like I said, we came
in with a movement mentality.
But what is the mentality of this generation?
You know, again, just as the people or
the prophet's generation,
You know, again, just as the people
or the prophet's generations made contributions
based on the foundation of Tawhid
that was laid down. The succeeding generations built
upon that. So again,
what
is the next generation? What are you building?
What are you gonna build? What are you
gonna build?
House of bricks or house of straw?
You know, it's just like, you know, we're
willing wanna make it out of the way.
You know, it's, brother Masuno mentioned last week.
You know, many of us were born between
1945
1960.
I was born in 55.
You know, but
just like when you're learning how to drive,
you know, we don't just let people just
take the wheel.
You need to show proficiency.
We'll get out the way.
Okay?
Show proficiency in this a lot.
Show proficiency in behaviors and actions.
Show proficiency
above all in commitment.
You're the best of mankind,
not the least of mankind in joining what
is right and forbidding what is wrong.
If we forgive or fall into error.
Our Lord, lay down on us a burden
such as you did lay on those who
have gone before us.
Our Lord, lay down on us a burden
which we do not have the power to
bear and overlook our thoughts and forgive us.
Have mercy on us. You are our protector
and grant us the victory over the disbelieving
people. People.
Become