Our Father

Today, Skoda and Charlton are probably the next couple of holebas are going to be dedicated to the season that we're in, which is the season of Ibraheem alehissalaam and reviewing some lessons from his legacy. You probably heard me speak about Ibrahim alayhis salam often I'll just remind you of some fundamental things that I think we need to review. I need to review and all of us need to review continuously. Allah has given our religion many names, the straight path of silicon Mr. Kim, for example, is one of the names of our religion. Islam, of course, is the most common, you know, common name, but another name of our religion is actually millet, Ibrahim, the religion of Ibrahim.

And it's not just military Rahim. Its military a vehicle of Rahim, which is interesting than the religion of your father, Ibrahim. And it's important to note that of all prophets that Allah talks about Allah does not mention them as our father directly, except for Ibrahim alayhis salam, and Allah knowing that we are not all descendants biologically of Abraham Elisa Lam still calls him our father. As a matter of fact, Allah acknowledged in the Quran that the Muslims are going to be far beyond just the lineage of Ibrahim Alayhi Salaam through smile, or just the Arabs Allah said what are serene, I mean, Homeland Mayakoba him, there are others than them meaning other than the Arabs

that haven't yet joined them. And as a matter of fact, today, the majority of the oma is not Arabs. Which means it's very hard to say that these are children of Ibrahim Alayhi Salaam, directly descendants of Ibrahim Ali Salaam are connected to that lineage in some way. But regardless, Allah made a connection between ourselves and our father Ibrahim alayhi salam, not just to believe in him as one of the messengers but actually as our father. And that's an important distinction of within Allah as we we know Rasul within those that were given great commitment and had incredible missions of all the messengers, the five that are mentioned over and over again, Rahim Allah Salam stands in

a unique place. He's also unique because our Prophet alayhi salaatu wa Salaam in the IDI recited and other places, he's been commanded it to be a military, Ibrahima Hannifin. You follow the religion of Ibrahim alayhis salam. And actually one way of looking at the career of our Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is that his 23 years were actually dedicated to restoring Makkah to its original purpose, which was inaugurated by his father Ibrahim alayhis. Salam, as a matter of fact, liberating the Kaaba, which is finally his agenda and also the law he will fight, you know, and finally restoring its place and removing shirk what our messenger did sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is

actually to bring back the original legacy of Ibrahim alayhis salam. So it's important to understand that our religion, if it's a tree, that its roots are with Ibrahim alayhis salam, that it's actually deeply connected to him. And so it's important if you know, somebody, sometimes people ask me, if I have a non Muslim friend, and I want to introduce them to Islam, what should I tell them? or How should I introduce them to the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu wasallam. My personal recommendation of course, you can go many different ways. It depends on who you're talking to, what their background is, etc. but I personally feel one of the most powerful beginnings common grounds. And one of the

most essential introductions to Islam is actually to introduce people to Ibrahim alayhis salaam, himself. As a matter of fact, even previous religions, which believed in Ibrahim Ali Salaam, like the Jewish and the Christian people, their picture of Ibrahim Alayhi Salam and who he is, is actually very different from what the Quran paints. Our picture of Ibrahim al Islam is extremely, extremely different. So we have to reintroduce even our Christian and Jewish brothers and sisters to Ibrahim Ali Salaam, because Allah reintroduced him in the Quran, and restored the legacy of our father as it was meant to be. In any case now, because we are closing in closing in on hype season,

I wanted to take some time and highlight some things about Abraham Elisa, not just to go over his story, but really, more importantly, why is it that Allah mentions his story so much? It's not just that we know what happened. We have to know what that means for you and me today. Well, you know, that's, that's actually the purpose of these stories is that they have to come to life in some way in my life and in your life. And so I want to start with a comment that I made about Ibrahim alayhis salaam that's very unique. He said in the Ibrahima Kana omoton. That Ibrahim alayhis. Salaam no doubt was a nation. He was an oma, he was a nation. That's a really interesting thing to say because

a nation is a group of people and as a fact, as a matter of fact, everywhere in the Quran when you see the word Omar it's either used for entire nations of people,

you know, tilaka, Oman, kottelat, a group of people It's also used for a small bunch of people that are doing the same thing. What was your idea? He omata mina naseous Cohn masala Islam came upon a group of people that were feeding their animals, that group of people were called meta millionaires, right. So the word you can use for jamaa can be used for comb. It can be used for an entire nation of people. It can be used for a group of people, but it's a particular word of the Arabic language. That actually means people that are doing or thinking or have something in common that are doing that or have the same direction in some way.

The people by the league were actually doing the same thing feeding an animal, feeding their own animals. So they became an oma, all the sons of you know, it's like we're saying the same thing, they were on the same page, so it lets us tell our own Matan palette, this oh my supposed to be theoretically on the same page we're supposed to have one direction, which is why I'm my own boo in Arabic actually means to lead or to have a particular direction from it you get the word to mom which is which is cost actually to head for something that isn't just to get dirt and you know, if you can't find water you do tell mom to purify yourself, the aim is to do to mama means to the head

towards or have the intention to go towards the dirt. So you can use that instead of water. If you can seek water seek that instead. In other words, the word Omi actually means something a group of people that have a particular direction. Now this let's understand what that implies, by the way who's ever child that is it's okay for children to cry, I have no problem whatsoever. But if you can do a courtesy to everybody else and take a walk and calm him down, it will help everybody concentrate also in trauma. Because I know in large audiences, when you try to explain something, the smallest of noises become the biggest distraction for you. So, but try to ignore it, it's okay

May Allah bless the parents that bring their children to Juma and I appreciate that you bring them here. And it's okay allows them to reward the parents and it's probably the mom holding the baby anyway. So a lot of reward the moms that are being patient and be patient, if they're around, you just be extra patient with them. There's also someone was patient with children, when they would cry. And when they would make noise in the machine, he wouldn't get angry at them. You know, so just just have extra courtesy to those who have that trauma. For me, I have seven children. This is background noise to me doesn't I don't even hear it. So this is, you know, that used to be that

these things would wake me up now they help me sleep. So you know, it's different. So.

So in any case, so Ibrahim alayhis salam being a nation, by the way, are the parents there? Can we check on this child? I'm getting worried.

And somebody please check.

And the parents are there. Okay. All right. So Ibrahim Ali Salam being a nation by himself, being a nation by himself, this is a really interesting thing to say, because again, a nation that has the same direction, let me put it in simple language for you. It's called peer pressure, societal pressure, when everybody's doing something, you feel like you should do it, too. If everybody dresses a certain way you feel like you should dress that's how everybody dresses. You know, I feel weird not dressing this way. You know, crazy example that I want to give you is, you know, policies at the beach, in certain countries in the world, you're supposed to dress inappropriately at a

beach. And if you're covered up as a female, you can actually get in trouble. Because the beach policy is that you have to be exposed. Because everybody does that now and just two feet away from the beach, that would be in decency in an office building, that would be inappropriate, but right in this setting, because everybody's doing it, that becomes normal. In other words, when a majority decides what's normal, when a group of people decide this is what we're going to do, and that's what's right to do. And that becomes they become an oma in a sense, they collectively have a momentum, you can imagine it if you want to give it a visual, it's like a river that has a flow, you

can't go against the stream. Everybody's going this way you got to go along, you got to keep going this way yourself, too. Okay, we're in Oh, man, we're all praying in this direction. And the mom is called the mom because he's having he's leading you in a particular direction, and you're following his direction, you know, specifically. So this is actually the idea of being an oma. Now, Ibrahim alayhis salam is called an oma by himself. What does that mean? It actually means that he did not need anybody else. Or he didn't feel pressure from anybody else. No matter what pressure society put on him, or family put on him. He decided he's going to find his own direction. And he's going to

stick with it is good enough for him? Even if he's a nation, just one man. So Hon, Allah, what an incredible thing. It's easy to say. But it's not easy to do. Because we live. I don't know, I think there's something wrong with the baby. I'm gonna stop. I'm going to take a minute and check on this child. Just give me a minute. You know, we've we call ourselves living in a free society. We think that we have choice. But actually every choice you make, you have to think about what pressure from other people was put on you before you made that choice? What how much other people influenced the decision that you made? And how much of it did you consider if this one's feelings are going to

hurt? I won't do it. If this one's going to criticize me, I won't do it. If this one's going to what are they their comments, our fear of people's comments or fear of people, the way people are gonna look at us, our fear of the way people are gonna judge us and those those could be people in your close circle. There could be people outside, it could be people in the office, there could be people on campus, etc, etc. How much of our decisions are a product of our environment, and us just trying to fit in? We don't want to you know, for some people, the most important thing is I don't want to seem weird.

Don't want to seem like the one that's sticking out from everybody. I don't want that kind of attention. I just want to blend in and be invisible. Or maybe I just want to be cool enough that everybody thinks I'm normal like them. And you know, what's crazy, everybody has that perception in their head, everybody's trying to be normal. And nobody knows what normal really is. And they live by that that becomes a kind of religion, that becomes a kind of a law, that people are governed by down to what kind of car Am I going to get? What neighborhood Am I going to live in? How am I going to furnish my house? What am I going to dress like everyday? What words Am I going to use? You know,

where am I going to get an education? One time I was having a conversation with a young student, I won't tell you what state he went, he was going to a very expensive University. And he was young guys, sophomore year. And I asked him, so what do you do? He says, I'm studying accounting. I was like, Well, okay, how many years have you studied? accounting is like two years. So what tuition Have you paid? He said, I've paid about, you know, 100,000, so far, 50,000 a year? I was like, for accounting? Because Yeah. Like, did you do you have that money? He's like, no, I took a loan, student loan, and another two years. That's about 200,000. So another 100,000 ago, and after that,

what's the starting salary for accountants? Well, I probably won't get a job right away, I'll probably have to get a CPA. And then then I'll probably get a job starting and maybe 70,000 60,000. Like, oh, but if you get that job, how are you going to pay off this loan? Well, you know, it's probably going to take a few years, like, take a few years, this is bad accounting. You're an accounting major.

But why are you going to this school? This particular school? Do you know that other students of accounting have gone to other schools that are paying much less tuition than this are actually getting the same amount of money that you're getting? And why did you choose to do this? And even if you know, it's a four year school, the first couple of years, nobody, I've, I've been an employer, I've hired people in accounting. I've hired people in technology and others, I've done interviews myself to go get jobs. Nobody's ever asked me, where did you do sophomore year of college? Or where did you go freshmen? Nobody cares. Nobody ever cares. He will care about your work, experience, your

work ethic, the way you carry yourself this, but this perception that if I go to a brand name school, and spend hundreds and hundreds of 1000s of dollars to become an accountant.

Why? Because there's a perception. And that perception can dictate some major life decisions for this young man, when he's about to get married in a couple of years. He's under debt. You understand? Like, what a major decision that is that's going to influence whether or not he's going to be able to afford whether whether or not he's going to be able to go to college? What what stress is he going to have on his head when he's about to have his first child? Because before he started his life, he's already buried under debt, you know? So the idea of being free from perception, being free from what other people are going to think and independently try to make a decision. And instead

of being you know, this one phrase, what are people gonna think? What are people going to say, to be able to free yourself from that you become an oma on your own. Ibrahim alayhis salam became an oma on his own, even at a very young age. You have to appreciate the kind of pressures he was under. From the very earliest things we learn about Ibrahim alayhis, salam, our problems, the earliest things as a young man, he starts questioning whether or not you know, how can we worship idols. In a city, the city of Ooh, the Bible will tell us the name of the city, the Quran won't tell us the ancient city of all, which was surrounded by idols, every house had idols, small size, large size,

there were hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of idols, and the three main idols were representative of the sun, the moon and the star Jupiter. Okay. Now we'll call on Costco club.

And so these idols were part of the culture part of society and his father was actually someone who made idols. And some argue that wasn't his father, it was an uncle, that's not even the point. Even if it was his uncle, it's the one that takes care of him provides for him. And that man, if he's providing these idols, he's doing pretty good in the, in the community. And he's respected in the community. Right? And now his his own, you know, his either son or nephew is actually now starting to question what his father does for a living. And what you know, he's trying to question the business and the customers, all of them. This is an embarrassment to the family. How can you say

this? But you know, sometimes people read the story of Abraham, are they someone they're like, well, thank God, my dad's not selling idols. So I don't have that problem. Yeah, but he's gonna he's running a liquor store. He's got a lot of machine at the cash register.

There. There's some of our families they're indirectly explicitly have on businesses. And the son can't get up and say this is wrong, because it's bad for the family. So he won't say anything. Because Baba will get upset. He won't say anything because the family will get upset. So you can't he has to just be quiet and show respect. And what's even

funnier is that his Muslim parents will tell him, haven't you read Quran it tells you to be respectful to your parents. In Allah when I lay here on your own when the religion is used to shut someone up, but not to submit yourself, openly rebel against Allah, then this is the reason we are learning the story of Ibrahim Ali Salaam standing up for what's right. Even if it means the people very close to you are going to be hurt by it. Even if it means that Ibrahim Ali Salam was not hard hearted Ibrahim al Islam is a very loving man. As a matter of fact, even as his father is kicking him out of the house. He says yeah, Betty, my beloved father My father, I love you. Come join me my

Lamia technologies come to me that didn't come to you. I'll take two more minutes. I know I took time away. I'll take two more minutes for this club but but it's just pay attention to this one thing and I want to start from the this this week is that Ibrahim Ali Salaam, though he was loving and caring for his father and concern for him, his commitment to the truth and that dictating his direction was always number one. Everything else came number two. Why? Why is his commitment to the truth so important? Allah describes himself. Why was he an oma carnita Lila in the eye he says Anita Linda, he was an absolute willing, happy submission to Allah. There is no reluctance in him when it

comes to giving up before Allah.

In other words, it doesn't matter what pressure anybody else puts. Once Allah puts pressure on him and says, This is what you must do. Once he's convinced this is what a law wants. None of those pressures, you can think of them as chains, but those chains snap, immediately snap and he can just go and be inside out before his robe. None of that other stuff matters. No pressure matters. No fear, no intimidation, no concern. None of that matters because I'm going to submit to Allah, He is the one who will make everything, okay. I can't fix anything, I can't control people, I can control how they will feel or whether they'll be okay with me or offended by me. All I can control is my

submission to Allah. That's all I can handle on it and Allah. And then the final word he used to describe him as hanifin. And even though I was going to spend a longer time describing hanifin, to give you briefly what that means. Hanif hanafin Arabic, actually Hanford was used even for a bow, you know, a bow is supposed to be a straight piece of wood, and they bend it, they put pressure on it. When you pressure something to bend against the mold is pushing, it's pushing. And the moment you let go, it'll go back to being straight, you understand. So when you create a main, you create an a bend, or you create a turn, but it takes a lot of force to do it. And then once you do it, you

have to hold that pressure. That's actually one of the original meanings of Hanif. It actually has to do with men to turn. But when something turns easily, it's jennife. And when it's very hard to turn something, it's called Hanif, and he's a honey, if you know what that means that his commitment to the truth is something that always requires a great deal of effort on his part. It's not easy. And there's all these pressures for him to just why are you trying so hard, go back to normal, like it's supposed to be like everybody else, let go. But he won't. He's handy. The essence of our means constantly struggling to bend away from falsehood, to keep away from falsehood. This is his struggle

in life, that's actually a lifestyle. In other words, when we become like Ibrahim Alayhi, salam, then this idea of constantly struggling, constantly being criticized, constantly being questioned, that's going to become your lifestyle. And that sounds like a pretty miserable lifestyle. Because if that's what you're gonna do, then you're always there's always going to be someone saying something negative towards you, and nobody likes you. And that's why understandably, he's all alone. Kind of Oh, my father, let him go near that group of people are trying to burn him alive. You know, he's out traveling by the desert. In Nevada women come with a few who followed them had to say we have

nothing to do with you. He was isolated. You will think of that as a very difficult life but Allah corrects us our thinking. He wants us to reprogram our minds when it comes to Ibrahim alayhis salam and therefore our religion. What does he say? He says, you know, in the same ayat, he says, what are the inner who Fredonia Hashanah. We gave him good in this life. We gave him good in this life. Now you it's easy to recite these IOD? Well, I'll tell you now who had dunya Hashanah. But

how do you think about Ibrahim Ali Salaam and think a good life easy life, blessings in life? This is the same job we make at hedge. There is no accident that when we go to that broken and we return to a line setup, but not enough adonia hustle. It's the same words. Allah use those words for who? Rahim Allah Islam, Athena who fit dunya Hashanah. We gave him hustler in this world. And we're doing it at the same house that he built. We have to think about what did it mean that he had a good life? I have to really concentrate on what does it mean that Ibrahim Alayhi Salaam had a good life. His life was filled with stress

And difficulty. The greatest blessing in this life is if you can remain committed to submitting to Allah, no matter what happens around you, whether there are enemies around you that are trying to burn you alive that they tried to do to him, or their loved ones around you that out of love or trying to bend you, take you back to the way you were It doesn't matter what kinds of pressure there are pressures that come from love or pressures that come from hate. It wouldn't matter. You will remain Hanif, you will turn away from fall so no matter what it takes, that is the greatest blessing a person can have in their life. And so he's out in Allah describes him as a now for dunya Hassan

when he lived in Australia and Aloma Jimena Swanee barakallahu li walakum Khurana Hakeem when a family we are coming it was lucky