Omar Suleiman – How To Change Your Desires
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As we begin by praising Allah subhanaw taala and bearing witness that nun has the right to be worshipped or unconditionally obeyed except for him. And we bear witness that Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is this final messenger, we ask Allah to send his peace and blessings upon him, the prophets and messengers that came before him, his family and companions that served alongside him, and those that follow in his busted path until the Day of Judgment, Allah man, I mean, your brothers and sisters, there is a drought from the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam that is narrated in multiple forms. And one of the things about the Durant's of the prophets lie some of them that get
narrated through multiple companions, and in multiple forms, is that you can take a sense of priority from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and derive a deep sense of understanding, just from the things he used to ask Allah for. And from the things he used to ask Allah to be protected from. And in this particular dua, I wanted to focus on a portion of it in sha Allah to Allah that I think speaks to an interesting question that I was actually asked some time ago, which I hope inshallah this hutzpah can be a part of answering. And a few weeks ago, I'd given a hutzpah about the hearts and how the hearts can have a true sense of kusha a true sense of awe and fear of Allah
subhanaw taala and how to move the heart how to diagnose the heart, and then make it a fifth heart, a healthy heart. But in this new app from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam he used to as Narrated by Abu Dhabi Allahu anhu, say Allahumma inni rubrica Mina orba. Oh Allah I seek refuge in You from four things. Now these four things, this dua will have different sequences sometimes, but the four things are always the same four things. So the four things that he used to seek refuge in Allah from he said, sal Allahu alayhi, wa salam, Allah Khomeini Ludovica min Caliban, la Yaksha Allahumma inni Ludovica mean colbyn la Yaksha Oh Allah, I seek refuge in You from a heart that does
not fear you from a heart that has no humility, Allah Khomeini through the weekend, mean colbyn Law Yaksha warm enough sin la touchbar warm enough sin la touchbar and I seek refuge in You Oh Allah, from a soul that has never satisfied a self whose cravings are never met
and unsafe create itself mean nevsun la touchbar woman Illman young I mean they're in Yun Fat and from knowledge that is of no benefit. Women do in law you smell women do in law you smell and from a supplication that is not heard from a Do Not that is not heard. The prophets lie Selim once again he would say and I'll use different orders to convey the point and this narration for example Allahumma inni will be coming back mineral ninja young fat woman colored in Yorkshire woman knifes and touchbar woman dura in law you smell. The prophets lie Selim would say I seek refuge in You Oh ALLAH from for things from a heart that does not fear you from a self that has never satisfied from
knowledge that is of no benefits. And from a DERA that is not hurt now put called the Nyasha aside and in sha Allah to Allah over the next three weeks, we'll break down the other three components of this draft. And at the minimum, you memorize this Darat in sha Allah, and you start to seek refuge in Allah from these four things constantly Bismillahi to Allah, I wanted to focus on the one that's least obvious and the one where you'll find the real Ummah, tried to decipher quite a bit more because its meaning is not as obvious as the others and that has been Neff sin, la touchbar. From a self that's never satisfied, a self that is constantly craving, and in some narrations, and none of
them are authentic. The prophets I mentioned has been trained in law Tedman, from AI that does not shed tears and while it's not a hadith that can be attributed to him, some of the side of him the righteous, used to seek refuge in Allah from that as well. The point is, Allah gives you these faculties, Allah gives you these tools, by which you are supposed to know him
too long for him, and to work for him, to know him too long for him. To work for him. Allah gave you that heart, not so that you could be you know, that heart could be just so you could breathe, Allah gave you a self enough's with desires so that you could channel that desire into prophetic passion into passion for good things, and use that energy to choose Allah subhanaw taala over the lower self, Allah gave you that dua as a weapon against your enemies. And as a means by which you connect to him. Allah gave you that knowledge
To guide you in this life, so that you can have the best path to paradise in the next Allah gave you these things, Allah gave you the ability to cry, so that you could cry for noble things and in ways that are noble and SubhanAllah. Here you find, in particular, me Neff sin, la touchbar, Allah gave you a spiritual appetite. When they're in a mat talk about disciplining the self. They never talk about negating the self. See, Islam is not unreasonable. Tuscania is not unreasonable, our spiritual trajectory is not unreasonable, unreasonable, Allah does not tell you to live like a hermit to live a celibate life to live a life where you deprive yourself to choose poverty to choose any of these
things. No, Allah teaches you to tame yourself,
and causes you to channel those desires into something that is far greater than what those desires can fulfill for you in this life. And so the question that I was asked, which is a very interesting one is, can you actually change your shower? Is it possible to change your desires? How do you actually make those desires for Allah subhanaw taala rather than four things of this world? And is it always a bad thing? For you to crave something of this world? Is that something that's sinful for you to have certain cravings of this world? And there's something very interesting that you'll notice about us what usually causes us to become despondent to become disconnected from something of
this world is a trial or tribulation, something really harsh? That unveils the dunya for what it actually is, shows you this world for what it actually is. So if I was to ask any one of you, how do you feel after you go to a janazah? How do you feel if Allah subhanaw taala has allowed you the ability to wash a dead body? What connection? What appetite do you have for life, when you engage death, that intimately? Any of us that have been in that close proximity to death, will tell you that the moments that we felt most disconnected from life for work when were when we were in that proximity,
washing a dead body, praying janazah on someone that we know seeing the lifeless face of someone who used to know full of light, these are things that really strike us deep and Subhan Allah was thinking about the messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
And he saw something you talked about, like removing your appetite for life, he saw something that none of us have seen. And he specifically connected it to a loss of appetite. And that is that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam saw is through our feed it his salaam, the angel with his lips puckered on the horn, staring at the Throne of Allah subhanaw taala waiting for
and that's everybody. You imagine that
everything came into being with couldn't faircoin be in it is
and the prophets lie Selim saw is through our feed,
with his lips puckered on the horn, looking towards the Throne of Allah subhanaw taala. And he describes his son and he said, his eyes were fixated like stars. Like he is alert, waiting for Allah to say to him below. And when he does, cool, lumen Ali, have fun. Everything goes, everything goes. We believe in that. We have. We have Animalia cane, the certainty of knowledge of that reality. But also lustleigh Salam saw it rain earlier when he saw it sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and look at how he described the color sallallahu alayhi wa sallam cave and Nam How could I have any appetite for this life? How could I really be deceived or get into anything of this dunya well saw he will
currently cuddle TOCOM l comma was Sturmer Al is not matter. You're not old enough to Fe unfold. And I saw this Rafi and it has salaam with his lips puckered on the horn. Looking at the Throne of Allah subhanaw taala his head tilted his ears attentive for him to receive the order from Allah subhanaw taala to blow and he will blow it's overwhelming. And you know the Sahaba their hearts were different.
When the prophets lie some told them about the scenes they felt like they were with him. That's where their hearts were. So even above 70 though, the Allahu Anhu who's narrating this incident? He says in Nevada Sakura and as Harbin NaVi Salalah Are you saying that was too much for the companions of the Prophet slice? And I'm like they were overwhelmed. And obviously even the way the profit slice I'm just describing that that this is what I saw. I didn't just see the death of one person. I saw the death of everybody in moments of a blow
Oh, so the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, Kulu has been Allah when I remember working at Allah, He taught Canada guru has been Allah, when airman Joaquin, and Allah, He talkin, say, Allah is sufficient for us. And he is the best Disposer of our affairs. And upon him, we placed our trust. Because he saw that there, they were shaken by what the prophets lie. Some has said in those moments. Now, that's when a strike happens, that's when you see something. And in our lives, we come across these moments where the sweetness of this dunya, the suppose its sweetness of this dunya isn't all that it's been made out to be. Right, you get there, and it doesn't, it's not all that
great, or you lose something, and it's a blow, and you lose your sense of attachment to that thing. So what other element mentioned here in regards to him enough Sinhala touchbar, a self that does not get satisfied, there is a major difference between not being able to taste something because you're sick,
and prohibiting yourself from something because you're striving for something greater, let me put it to you this way, you got sick, so you don't have an appetite. That's one person. And that's usually something temporary. Once the sickness wears off, you'll get right back to it, or you're someone who has a determined path to where you purposely don't consume certain things, you don't have an appetite for certain things, because you're focused on something greater. So the person who's exercising and who's fit, they don't have an appetite for certain things, because of something entirely different. And that's usually longer lasting, because they know exactly why they're
withholding from certain foods. They know exactly why they're not indulging certain things. And they're doing it very intentionally. And they're doing it with a desired outcome. Whereas a person who's sick, it hits you for a moment. And maybe that's an opportunity.
Where, you know, just right now, I don't taste the sweetness of it. But as soon as the immediate effects of that sickness wear off, I'll go right back to consumption. That's not what Allah subhanaw taala wants from you, because that's a temporary condition, Allah subhanaw taala wants a permanent strike from you, where you determine a trajectory. So you wean yourself off in terms of appetite. And this is where the element mentioned, when it comes to things that the self desires that are not necessarily sinful, but if you try to fill it too much, then you'll become spiritually overweight. And that's where the prophets lie. Selim said Lisa Lena and Catholics out of wedlock in Alina, Vina
knifes the prophets lie. Some said, wealth is not the acquiring of many possessions. But wealth is the self sufficiency of the soul when you have enough self sufficiency in sight, like this is exactly how much I wanted from this particular element of dunya. I'm satisfied. Let me move on, because I have a greater goal. And that's when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, No Annelie me Adam Awadhi and I have a habit and the Hakuna Allah who were Deanne Wallen, Yamla Ha, who Illa to rob, the prophets, I saw him said that if the child of Adam has given the value of gold, he will not be satisfied until he gets another value of gold, and nothing will stop them until he has
dirt in his mouth.
Right? So your appetite is uncontrollable, you keep trying to get more and more and more and more and more. You need to discipline that a bit. Allah never told you not to pursue wealth. Allah never told you not to eat and enjoy your food. Allah never told you these things, but discipline it, discipline, these desires. And the cure the element mentioned is the remembrance of death. That's why the prophets lie. Some said particularly he didn't just say remember a note. He said, Remember how the medulla that's the destroyer of pleasures, so that you don't try to get too much in this dunya to where you lose yourself and that pursuits of this world. And your appetite is too large.
And so when it comes to these things, it's discipline not discussed. And I'll explain what I mean by that. Allah is not telling you to deny your desires, Allah is telling you to delay them, and to discipline them. delay them while they're comfy. Ha ma Testa he and physical. You will have in Jannah what your self desires. Jana is a place where you don't have to worry about proportion. You'll have all that you desire there without limits. And it's okay for you to have these desires, delayed them. And here, discipline them, keep them within Khaled trying to make sure that you're not letting it get out of hand, put a limit on yourself. You know, subhanAllah one of my teachers, he
gave this advice to someone who is investing and I just want you to think about this. He said you know I'm putting in this money
Money, I'm trying to get this amount, right?
He said to him, you can approach this one of two ways. Either you promise yourself if Allah gives you this much you'll give this percentage in South Africa or you can put a ceiling you can say, you know, what right now would be amazing for me as if Allah subhanaw taala allows me to make out of this $50,000 Anything over $50,000 Whether it's $55,000 or $500,000, I'm gonna give the rest in South Africa. He actually chose that option, right? And he thought it was a you know, an exaggeration and Allah opened the doors on him, opened the doors for him and Subhan Allah When 600 700 800,000 Right. And he gave all of it in South Africa because 50,000 was amazing back then
why is it not amazing? Now when you saw the numbers grow? Because Neff, Sinhala, touchbar and Neff, Sula, touchbar Aslan, the soul, the self constantly will get more until you put it in its place and say, Enough. Enough. This is your this is what you need. And this is what's going to make you happy. And this is enough for you for now, stay in here, stay within these bounds. Now the second thing Dear Brothers and Sisters, is when it comes to appetite for sin. Neff, Sinhala, touchbar, Amina al haram, a self that does not become fulfilled when it comes to haram. And the scholars say that on top of the remembrance of death, what you need here is to be able to visualize the disgust of that
sin.
What do I mean by that?
Are you him? Or her do come and yeah, coulda left. No, he he made her.
Who, when they're backbiting actually takes a moment and visualizes that I'm eating the dead meat of my brother or sister.
Allah wants you to be disgusted by sin, not just discipline, your appetite for it, be disgusted in terms of your appetite. And in order to do that, how was Allah created us? That we have to visualize it to where it's no longer pleasant? Otherwise, we're going to be just enjoying the outward sweetness. What do I mean by that? Why do we gossip? It's fun. Why don't we back bite, it makes gatherings go by people laugh. People aren't full of joy, right? There is an outward sweetness to it with an inward poison. And you have to be able to visualize it. And subhanAllah to visualize it
will allow you to disconnect from what the apparent sweetness of it supposedly is the same thing when it comes to lowering the gaze, looking at something that's haram for you. If you think about the metaphors that are given from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and I give you this example. You know, I was reading the research on tobacco cigarette smoke.
And you know how now you got on the packages, those pictures of people's lungs and death on those cigarette boxes. And I was reading research Subhanallah on the effect that that had on decreasing tobacco consumption is very interesting. Because what I read and Allah knows best is that it was far more effective. And actually, this is across the board far more effective in getting people not to start smoking, then getting people to quit smoking. Meaning what people that were already addicted to cigarettes, they just picked up that box and they said that's nasty, and they just don't look at the picture. They keep smoking.
But it stopped people from starting the habit in the first place. And that's exactly the same thing when it comes to sins, right? You get desensitized An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. Disgust yourself first, like I'm not gonna back bite and that's what the prophets I saw him when he walks by and he sees a rotting bloated carcass and says for you to take your fill of the is better than to take the fill of your brother's flesh. Are you hippo? hydrocone Akura LACMA he Mater fuckery toward you would hate to do these things. Imagine if when you pass by sins, you know, thinking about the person that's got that trajectory, just like you have calorie counts on really
good food. Sometimes you walk into a restaurant, and you see something that looks really good. And then the calorie count is astronomical. And if you're on a diet, you go, No way I'm not touching that. You would take a bite of it and as sugary and as sweet as is you'd be disgusted by how much is in it. Put a calorie count on your sins. Put a calorie count, is it worth it? I'm not going to indulge that because it's Neph sin latesh back myself has to be disciplined a bit. So before I write that message, before I look at that thing, before I engage in this, I'm going to consider the sin count on it so that I don't fill my appetite in that way. Finally, dear brothers and sisters, the
rhythm I mentioned that the goal is for us to go from the sweetness of sin, to the sweetness of worship.
And subhanAllah you'll find there is a deep connection between the prophets lie so I'm saying a person who gossips
Example fills themselves with a bloated dead carcass of dead meat. That's what they're consuming, versus whether it's normal, the Allahu taala. And who says that if the hearts were pure mashrabiya acumen Kela Milla, if the Kullu if the hearts were pure, they'd never become full of their appetite for the Quran would never stop. You want to move from the sweetness of sin to the sweetness of Riba. But you can't get to
the sweetness of worship from the sweetness of sin, until you're willing to endure two forms of bitterness, from the sweetness of sin, you have to be willing to endure the bitterness of withdrawal from that sin.
It's never easy to cut off a sin. It's gonna hurt, there's withdrawal. But you know what, if you know you're doing it for something greater, you're like that person that's healthy, that's disciplining for a greater purpose. And you say it hamdulillah for what this is unlocking for me. So you cannot get away from the sweetness of sin without the bitterness of withdrawal, and you cannot achieve them the sweetness of worship without the bitterness of practice. Yes, reading the Quran is amazing. Yes, you have people that used to love to read the Quran for long days. Yes, praying 200 The sweet, but in the beginning, trying to fight your body with sleep. It's gonna hurt. It's gonna
be bitter. In the beginning, when you're trying to read Quran and your phone is vibrating.
It's gonna hurt. There's a there's a cut off there. It's bitter, it's harsh in the beginning, and then you taste the sweetness of it. Sweetness does not come without that. And so between sweetness of the sin to sweetness of worship, are those two layers of bitterness that ALLAH SubhanA which Allah has put Jana as the outcome as the price for we ask Allah Subhana Allah to Allah to protect us Allah Amina Nehru, the weaker men are in Yun Fat woman colbyn Yasha woman knifes in touchback woman dua in yusmeiro Allahumma Amin Furukawa was buffalo you recommend starting with some infrastructure through a number of woodworking
Alhamdulillah wa salatu salam ala Rasulillah. While he was so happy when Manuela Orban Allah to fitna in Siena Robina Allah Tamela Elena is one camera emulator who are Latina and Commelina Robin Avila to Herman Nirmala Takata Elena Obi Wan for Anna Westerlund our KAMNA Antimo Lana from sadhana Adela calm and caffeine rebelled Allah and Allah here and we'll gladly with axon we eat them Cordova we inherited fascia you wouldn't want to carry with Valley you're already looking at looking into the Coronavirus Corolla I have croquembouche Kuru and Anna is it lecan What are the Corolla? Jacoba wala Jana Tostan Arun welcome salah.