Omar Suleiman – Why Me #25 What If It Is Too Late
AI: Summary ©
The speakers discuss the importance of pursuing good deeds, reacquarding oneself with Bible knowledge, and seeking refuge from Allah's actions. They stress the need for personal protection and returning to feud, as well as the importance of pursuing one's mind, body, and soul health. The speakers also touch on the importance of pursuing one's evil ways and the ways in which he can help people. The Qadr monthly message encourages people to support Islam.
AI: Summary ©
Weren't you young just yesterday?
When did your bone start to creak?
Your joints start to ache.
Your hair start to go gray.
How could time have passed you by so
quickly?
And what do you plan to do with
the remainder of it?
Those of us given the gift of prolonged
life
come to realize that time
is still too short.
You've aged beautifully,
if you've increased your good deeds and decreased
your sins.
As we strive for the akhirah in our
midlife,
we notice the changes on our bodies,
these reminders that the clock is ticking.
The scholars say waja'ukmun
nadir and the warner has come to you
doesn't just mean a prophet came to you.
It even means your gray hairs.
But the scholars also say that gray hairs
are such a blessing in this life because
they add to your dignity,
prevent conceit,
lead to humility,
and some scholars said, even weaken your desire
for this world.
Imam min kutaybarahimuhullah
says in his famous Irun al Akbar,
laqadjalllaqadarushaybiinqanaqulama
bada shaybatunyaaraminallahuimarukaboo.
The appearance of gray hairs are a great
attainment
for the beginning of gray marks the end
of vain entertainment.
And of course, its blessings are primarily for
the next life. The prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam
said, man shaba shaybatanfeesabilelahkanat
lahu nooran yawmulqiama.
Whoever has grown a gray hair in the
way of Allah, it will be a light
for him on the day of judgment.
A long life is a blessing if it
has prolonged your good and a curse if
it's prolonged your evil.
The Prophet SallAllahu Alaihi Wasallam was asked, You
Rasulullah ayu nasikhayr O Messenger of Allah, who
are the best of people? And he responded
SallAllahu Alaihi Wasallam saying mantala
umuruhu wahasunaamal
Whoever has a long life but uses that
long life to do good deeds. And he
was asked, and who are the worst of
people? The prophet SallAllahu Alaihi Wasallam said mantalaumruhu
wasa aamaloo
Whoever lives a long life but only increases
in sin with that long life.
It's not about how long you lived, it's
about how you lived. And again and again
in the Quran people are asked, how long
do you think you lived on earth? And
they always reply,
yomun o Babl yom. It felt like a
day or part of a day.
When you reach the end, your time in
this world will feel like a blink of
an eye.
Long days lending themselves only to fleeting memories
of years gone by.
And how beautiful when a person not only
lived the righteous life, but taught those that
came after them how to live righteously
and pass on the treasures of lessons of
good deeds.
The prophet SallAllahu Alaihi Wasallam said, no one
has more noble of a lineage than Yusuf
Alaihi Wasallam. An Nabi, the son of an
Nabi, the son of an Nabi, the son
of an Nabi. A prophet, the son of
a prophet, the son of a prophet, the
son of a prophet.
Yusuf, the son of Yaqub, the son of
Ishaq, the son of Ibrahim. Think about how
amazing that is.
But it wasn't just a claim to prophethood.
It was the lessons of prophethood that never
let anyone in that chain forget why they
were here in the first place
and what they were meant to leave behind.
Now as we're thinking about all the things
we can't do anymore,
we also realize the good deeds we missed
out on.
But there are unique good deeds that Allah
has now opened the door to, that you
couldn't actually do when you were younger.
Perhaps now your time has freed up to
earn more of Jannah with those steps to
the Masjid, or those utterances of dhikr.
Now you have more time to reacquaint yourself
with the Quran and the sacred knowledge you
couldn't indulge before.
Some of our greatest scholars started their journey
of knowledge only when the gray hairs already
came out.
The great imam ibn Hazam Rahimuhullah didn't start
his journey until he was in his forties.
I remember being mind blown reading about one
of the greatest scholars of the tabri'een, Salih
ibn Qaysan. And Imam Adhahibir Rahimuhullah says, abilillwahuibnu
sabi'eenasana
He started his journey of knowledge when he
was 70 years young.
And so we continue to live and work
for the akhirah
with everything Allah blessed us with as we
age in Islam. And then we take the
means to keep our mind, body and soul
healthy as we pursue that which is more
important.
As the time passes before we know it,
we're past our 60s. The prophet SallAllahu Alaihi
Wasallam said that the average lifespan
of this ummah is between 6070.
There are multiple times that the Prophet SallAllahu
Alaihi Wasallam said, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala will
continue to forgive a person, Hata balagasatinamun
Umri until that person reaches 60 years old.
Now this doesn't mean that Allah will not
forgive a person over 60 years old when
they sin and repent,
but rather the prophet SallAllahu Alaihi Wasallam is
emphasizing
that if a person is still persisting in
their evil ways even after being 60 years
old, what excuse do they have before Allah
on the day of judgment?
The prophet SallAllahu Alaihi Wasallam used to seek
refuge in Allah from the hardship of those
later years. He would say, rabbi a'oothubikaminal
kasr wasu'il kibbar. My Lord, I seek refuge
in you from laziness
and from the difficulties of old age. And
he would say, Allahum innni a'oothubikamin
al bukhl wa'oothubikaminaljubin
wa'a'oothubikaminanuradda
ilaardalilumr
wa'a'oothubikamin
fitna to dunya wa'adhabil kabr Oh Allah, I
seek refuge in you from stinginess.
And I seek your protection from cowardice.
And I seek your protection from being returned
to feeble old age.
And I seek your protection from the trials
of this world and from the torment of
the grave.
But notice that the prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam
always accompanied seeking refuge in Allah from the
difficulties of age with seeking refuge in Allah
from the disease of sin and the torment
of the hereafter.
Whether it's your own old age or the
old age of someone else, it's a sign
that the sooner you turn back to Allah
the better and the longer you live pleasing
Allah the better.
Mina'alama tin najahfinihayat
amongst the signs of success at the end
is the turning to Allah in the beginning.
As you grow older,
life's most simple tasks can become
tough.
But Allah will send others to carry much
of your physical burdens,
and will remove from you much of your
worldly distractions.
So that you can now focus on your
spiritual elevation,
and the beauty of him,
and the blessings he's put around you.
Blessings that you helped grow,
and blessings that you now fully appreciate.
And there isn't just a new found sense
of gratitude in your life now,
but a new found sense of urgency.
As you wait for your fate to suddenly
take what may be its final turn.
Tonight could be Laylat Qadr, the night of
divine decree.
Tonight,
millions of Muslims around the world are raising
their hands in du'a to ask Allah Subhanahu
Wa Ta'ala for what they need. Many are
asking for guidance and certainty, and everyone's asking
for Allah's mercy. All month long we've been
discussing Qadr, divine decree, and the many subtle
ways it might show up in our
lives. As we answer the hard questions like
why me this Ramadan,
Yaqeen also works every month of the year
to provide answers that combat doubt,
research that educates people around the world, and
content that inspires every member of the Ummah
around the world. This laylatul Qadr when deeds
are multiplied by 1,000,
add a deed to your list that can
help every believer solidify their faith.
Let a voice for Islam ring around the
world.
Donate to Yaqeen.