Changing Perspective

salaam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.

hamdu Lillahi Rabbil alameen wa salatu wa salam O Allah say they'll be even more saline. While early he was happy womanist and nabeshima t elomi Deen Allah Medina Minh home Amina Latina Amina Muhammad Ali heart whatever Saville happy whatever Saba sub mineable al Ameen and rubella him in a turnover gene from ot to minchie. From a towel higher to dunya mama en de la Hayden, waka Latina Amano, y la, Kowloon Latina de buena Kaaba evil, if you will for wash with the boom you have your own rubbish actually sorry, we are silly Emery Warlock data melissani of Gokhale amenia vanilla mean, I want to start by reminding myself and all of you that Ramadan is almost over. And these few days that we

have left to share this remarkable blessing, or a kind of mindset, that not only is Ramadan, very short, but also life is very short. And just like we think we should make the most of these few days that are coming, it's really a lovely way of training us to think about how we're going to make the most of our lives. You know, when you, you set a short deadline in front of you, you get a sense of urgency, but when that deadline is over, you feel like you have a lot of time and human beings, you and I can be very foolish and we think we have a lot of time. And we don't we feel that we you know, how many of us even know we're going to make it to eat, we don't know, we don't every single breath

is something given to us by a large religion. And it's not something we own or control. So the first thing we learn from Ramadan, is this sense of urgency to make the most of our time, it's really uh, you know, what you recite in salt Alaska all the time. Well, actually, in Berlin, Santa Fe hosts, that Allah you know, we swear by time, Allah swears by time that human beings are constantly in a state of loss. No more is that last felt and when we feel like we're not making the most of these days of worship, and getting the most out of arriba, with a large origin. What I wanted to share with you today is something that Allah teaches us in the Quran, in sort of Shura that reinforces

this concept that life is short. And how do you really put things in perspective, you see, human beings are frail creatures, there's a lot going on in our minds all the time. And we are pulled in many, many different directions. So the men, for example, in this audience have things to think about in terms of their marriage, or in terms of their children, or in terms of their parents, or in terms of their work, or in terms of their own health, or in terms of their friends, and in terms of money, and in terms of so there's lots of things happening, and lots of things going on constantly in our minds. And as a result of that you can lose sight of what your real purpose is, you can get

caught in the day to day so much that you fail to step back and realize there's a bigger picture here. You know, I often give my students the example that if they're holding a book, and they're looking at it like this, they can't read anything. They're like, I don't understand what's going on, you have to take a step back a little bit to put things in perspective, so you can make sense of what's going on. And that happens in life. So Allah azzawajal tells us something remarkable. It's a short set of I art and sort of shorter, but they're really a worldview. And it's good to go back sometimes to these art to refresh really what it is that it What does it mean to have this life and

this time that Allah has given us on this earth? So he says, from od to MinJae, whatever you have been given of anything, was remarkable opening whatever you've been given of anything. Now what does that mean? Not just the things that I've been given. I've been given clothes, I've been given money. I've been given a body I've been given health. I've been given a job. I've been given a family, I've been given friends I've been I've been given these things I've been given a whole, you know, my car, those are things that I've been given. But that's not all that I've been given. I've also been given some experiences. I've also been given some events in my life. I've also been given some, you know,

some some things that have happened to me that have not happened to other people. All of that was given to me by Allah, every one of those things was given to me by Allah. So he opens with whatever experiences you've had in life, and whatever you've had you physically have in your hands, the material you have in your hands, and the experiences that you carry, like scars, some some of some of those experiences are good, and some of those are not very good. Some of them are very difficult and painful experiences. So family will determine Shay for Metatron. hayati linea the no one thing that all of that is just things there's two things he he that he means by Metatron has to do Nia one

thing he means is all of that is what is put to use for the lowest life. He calls this life, the lowest of all lives. Now why in the world in adonia, which we call the world is the Arabic feminine for Adana, which is the lowest, it's actually the superlative, the lowest life now why in the world is this planet and our life here called the lowest life because Allah azza wa jal created us in the heavens, and the angels deliver our souls from the heavens and bring it down here. And when we're done from here, we're going to go back up, you see, so we're created from a very high place and we were brought to this very low

Place the lowest of all. And so Allah says in this lowest existence, yes, everything you've been given, you just have to put it to use. You just have to put it to use. Now, what in the world? Does that mean? every experience that I've had everything that I've done that I have, I have to think about how do I put it to use to go back up again,

to go back up again. And this changes things, every conversation you and I have on a daily basis, everything we talk about everything we think about everything we spend time on, we ask ourselves, am this is this conversation going to take me back up higher towards a lower note? Or is this going to keep me low down here or even take me lower? You see, because there's a lower destination possible to write. So you start you're changing your mindset use, you're sitting after Juma. You're talking among your friends. And one of them says, Man Kareem, he's got such a problem. And you're thinking, is this conversation going to take me higher or lower? Is it really a good idea for me to talk about

someone else in Hosni Islam in my ether, kumala. And he, it's good of the Islamic person to leave alone? What does what's not their business? So you start asking yourself, what am I investing my thoughts on? What am I investing my money on? What am I investing my time on? And every one of those things? Am I putting them to use in this life for something better? Everything becomes an investment, even a terrible experience, you know, terrible experiences in this life are actually an opportunity to earn much more in the next life. There all of them are an opportunity. Why is it that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam sees a sick person and says law but still holding child law,

no problem, purification, if Allah wills, meaning the sickness, you can sit there and be angry, and complain, and you can become frustrated and hopeless. Or you can actually see that as an opportunity that allows cleansing you and removing from your sins that would otherwise come your way. Maybe it's a purification for you, your mindset will turn every opportunity and every experience into something good into something that builds you more. You know, and this is a matter of perspective. Now. Now, you're not caught up in things, you're not worried about things that don't matter. You see, at the end of the day, you will put effort in things that matter. And you will not put effort in things

that don't matter. Let me give you a small analogy to help you with this mindset from Metatron. hayati dunya, if I handed you a shovel,

and I took you to a field outside and I said start digging, I want you to dig 10 feet. Just keep digging. And he said, what do you what am I gonna get if I dig 10 feet, I said at the bottom of those 10 feet, there's 10 grand for you.

Go ahead gets a hard day and you get started. No thanks. And if I told you start digging, and there is 100 million Rand at the bottom of those 10 all yours, all yours. But you can't take a break. The way you dig now has changed. There's two people or both. And by the way, before I told you today, I'm tired. I don't know if I have the energy, you know, and there's a guy much stronger than you next to you. And he's digging also, but he's gonna get 10 you're gonna get 100 million, you could be 75 years old, and all of a sudden you turned 18. You know, because the effort you're putting in, you know what you're getting back in return. You know what you're getting back in return. That's really

the mindset. Allah says things in this life don't have much of a return. They're just things to us, but not things to keep. And he says, Well, my en de la hieron, waka, whatever Allah has in his possession, whatever he's holding on to you for, and he's holding on to some things to give you, they are better. And they last longer. Oh, he did. He said two things about what's coming for you and me. He said it's better, and it lasts longer. So everything you have in this life, for example, you have you know, we have a spouse in this life, Allah says the spouse will become better and longer lasting, happiness will become better and longer lasting food will be better and longer

lasting, the house will be better and longer lasting. Think of all the things we enjoy in this life, people buy their favorite car, it could be better, but it doesn't last very long does it? And eventually something else that comes along, that's what that's better. That's newer and less has what I'm what I have for you is going to always be better. And it's always going to last longer. So think long term, think long term, think about what you really want to put an effort into. And by the way, nobody enjoys digging in the ground. That's not the enjoyable part. The enjoyable part is what you're going to get at the end. But But watch this the guy who's waiting for 100 million, and he's

digging, he looks happy.

Nobody else who's digging in the hot sun looks happy. But this one is digging into like why are you so why do you look so happy. You know, this is not something to be happy about. I'll give you another example of mindset. If you know people live sometimes people live in very poor conditions. They live in very poor conditions. And there's one person who doesn't barely maybe has one meal per day. And their neighbor also has maybe one meal per day. But one day they get a letter that says in about a month's time. You are

About to receive the inheritance of your long lost uncle. And it's guaranteed for you. It's coming in a month, though you have to wait one more month. Now he has this guarantee that he's going to be rich in a month. for that month. Is he still poor? Yeah. It is still eating one meal a day. Sure. But the guy next to him is miserable, and he's super happy. He doesn't even feel hungry. He doesn't he's not miserable. He's just smiling all the time. Why? Not because of what's happening now. But what's coming in the future. He has this in his head, there's a guarantee something is coming. And it's removed all of his immediate problems. They all disappeared. Whatever is happening is there's

no big deal. Somebody's yelling at him, insulting him, humiliating him pushing him aside. It's okay, it's coming. I'm not worried. Okay, let them do what they want. You know, because now it's removed from you, the day to day problems that were your biggest problems are no longer your biggest problems. This is what Allah has given us. When he says in this life, you get caught up in everyday problems. You think they're the biggest problem in the world. But what I'm telling you, Ally's telling you well not in the law here.

What Allah has is better and it's going to last way longer and is guaranteed what a lot of the, you know, the Latina ama, for those who actually believe that's coming. If you can actually believe that's coming, it will actually make this life a lot easier. Well allow me to work alone and they completely rely on their master they truly trust that that promise is going to be given to them. By the way, when Allah says what Allah has is better. There's another dimension of that you and I must think about in this life, Allah azza wa jal describes holy Paladin Salou, mean agile. You know, the human being was created out of an urge to rush into things, we want things immediately. We want

things immediately. Allah is offering us things a lot later. He says Jana and you say when

he says rivers gardens, eternal life. Yeah, I know. I know. But right now I just I really need to do what I need to do. Siobhan doesn't offer you long term rewards. shaitaan offers you rewards right now. Why don't you just eat whatever you want right now? Why don't you look at whatever you want right now. Why don't you make this money However, you can make it right now. And the law says Just wait. Don't make all of the things you desire. Hold back. Just don't get it right now deprive yourself. Just go with what I'm allowing you hold yourself back like a prison. And I will give you way more. But I have to give you later I won't give you right now. And you say can I get a preview

can at least see a trailer on YouTube? What I'm gonna get some kind of, you know, glimpse, no, I'll just you have to trust me.

You have to trust the law. That's it. And you have to deprive yourself other people around you will say you're missing out. Everybody else is getting ahead. You're falling behind and you're thinking what you're getting is methodical. hayati, dounia, things that are going to last very little. You think you're getting ahead because you got a bigger house. You think you're getting ahead because you went and had a great time on the weekend in a way that Allah doesn't like, you think you're getting ahead because you're removing your stress by drinking alcohol or doing whatever else because you use I just want to enjoy myself, I just want to live this life. Let me live man, let me be free.

You think this is freedom? This is all so temporary. And what Allah has is way, way better. I've decided to hold myself back just a little bit. So I can get that. Oh, my underlying hate on what I'm calling Latina Armani.

Now these people who can develop this mindset, Allah didn't just give us okay, this is how you think, how do you develop this kind of thinking? How do you become this kind of person? Allah describes this person in the next ayah. And so before I end this, I want to share with you that powerful description, he says alladhina registan de buena Cava, f mu alpha h, whatever Maha the boom, you're feeling two qualities. You would think they're not connected, but to Allah, they're connected. What are these two qualities? The first of these qualities is they stay away from major sense. And they stay away from all kinds of shamelessness, all kinds of shame. There's two things

they should they stay away from major sense. And they stay away from all kinds of shamelessness. You know what happens in this life? Sometimes you say, Oh, I have to make all 20 thoroughly, or I have to make extra no often, or I have to recite this much Quran. Those are all good deeds. Yes. Yeah. But at the same time, I'm still earning some extra money on the side, but that's okay.

We are doing some good deeds, but the major sins are still going on. The major sins are still going on. You see, before you do any good deeds, smaller good deeds. You have to put things in perspective, what major sins are you doing? That you must stop? That you must stop? You must, must put a stop to major sins and not kid yourself that even though I'm continuing to earn in an impermissible way, even though I'm lying and cheating, and even though I'm doing something shameless, I'm doing all of those wrong things. And yet, because I'm praying in the mustard that should cover it up. No, no, no. First you have to stop doing

Those bad things. And then the next and Ebola cover even if me, and then he says all manners of shamelessness. Now, the worst of shamelessness is in the worst of it, but Allah didn't say alpha, he said alpha, which means the lowest of them, the lowest of the what you're looking at what you're staring at what you're listening to, what you're exposing yourself to what you're making acceptable to yourself, if you can disconnect from all of that, and get away from as shamelessness as much as possible, exposing yourself to it, guarding your eyes guarding your ears. If you can do that, then you will develop that sense inside you that what Allah has is better. You know why? Because if you

don't develop that sense, then you always want to get pleased immediately right now, and you never think of what's coming in the future. You're always thinking about now, this is actually a less training for the believer. And so finally, the final quality of these people is the hardest quality. He says what he called the Boo, wholemeal funeral. And whenever they get angry, they cover whenever they get angry, they cover meaning their first impulse is I'm going to do everything I can to forgive the one who just made me angry. Even if they're not forgiving them in their heart, they're not going to let their anger explode. They're not going to let it out they're going to try their

best to control their temper their this this powerful impulse. Young children also means covering themselves, meaning they contain themselves. And this is what kasi mean alive. Those who are able to swallow their anger, those are able to take it inside now things upset us all the time. And if we can develop that habit, these are the people who will get what is better and what lasts longer. It's simple qualities, three things are less that I remind you and I'll conclude those three things were number one, you studied punakha, FP wildflower hash, the number one and number two, they stay away from major sins and they stay away from all kinds of shamelessness they do their best to do that

they avoided avoided as much as possible. And then the second thing or the third thing rather is that they control their temper as best as possible without novelty boom Yeah. You know, this and this is there's a remarkable quality for people to have this if we can come at the end of Ramadan as late as Ramadan is coming to an end in our lives are also coming to an end whether we like it or not, if we can develop some of these qualities perhaps will not just make the most of Ramadan will make the most of our lives. barakallahu li walakum feel called Anil Hakeem when I finally what it was