Saad Tasleem – Don’t Be a Karen

			So tonight's reflection so what I usually do when I do reflections in Milan is the particular night
that I'm doing a reflection on. I pick an eye from the Jews that is normally recited during that
night. So if normally we were praying that oh, we, you know, we do one job every night, we'd be
doing the to be the night of the 20th. So it'd be in the 20th juice or the 20th section of the put
on. The 20th section of the Quran between Jews of the Quran is made up of three Sutras, number one,
sort of intimate versus 56 until the end of sort of dinniman. sauce, the entire Sora and sort of
Lanka boot from the beginning until verse number 45. So for those of you who are trying to follow
		

			along at home or trying to recite one *, every single night, that's where we where we would be if
we were pranked. Are we in the masjid? Most likely. So, for tonight's for on reflection, you know,
in previous years, during the month of Ramadan, I would do all we have reflections. Basically, I
would take one from the thoroughfare and I would reflect upon it online but this year, we have to
call it on reflection or reflection hopefully, you know, some of you I'm sure.
		

			Our brains that are we at home, so we can call it a reflection or we can call it up or on
reflection. So for today I picked a sort of costless verse number 78 verse number 70. So it'll cost
us verse number 78. In this verse, Allah who's Pamela to Allah says Carla in 82, who alignment
Indeed, he said, I have only been given this because of the knowledge that I have. Now, who is this
person who is speaking here, we know that this is our own. Our own is the one who made the
statement, who is caught on previously in certain classes Allah is parallel to our data tells us
about a little bit about our own. Allah who's parallel data says in our own economy and our Mimosa,
		

			that autorun from was from the people or the nation of Moosa Baba la him, and he basically
tyrannized them, he wronged them, he oppressed them. And then the last time to Allah tells us of the
wealth, and the resources we can say that Audubon had so this individual. So you know, if you think
about the oppression or the wrongdoing that someone is capable of, as they as the more resources
they have, the more wealth they have, the more reach they have, the more severe their tyranny and
their oppression can be. And that is why definitely we understand that wealth, and recognition and
power are definitely a test from the last kind of data. And the flip the the other side of that is
		

			correct, as well as a lot give someone wealth and recognition and power, and resources, they're
they're good can also be,
		

			can be greater as well, you know, the companions of the press, they send them.
		

			This is one of the reasons the they, they they looked, they they looked for wealth, so they didn't
desire wealth, to for the comforts of this life. They didn't desire wealth, to have more dunya have
more worldly possessions. They desired wealth in order to use their wealth for the sake of Allah has
penalty out on one particular narration we hear
		

			that they said to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam they said,
		

			they said, some of the companions who were not as wealthy who were poor, they said to the press,
send them that the wealthy, the wealthy among us, they have taken all the reward. And then they
explained they say, they said, You suddenly come on to Sunday. They pray as we pray, way, also,
Mona, come on, no soon. And they fast just as we fast meaning in that sense, in terms of prayer and
fasting, those acts of worship, were on the same level were equal. And then they say, well, that can
help us lead up on up before lolium volume, however, they are able to give sadaqa they're able to
give charity with the wealth that a lot with the or the extra wealth that Allah has given to them.
		

			And so what they're saying the percentage is that how is that fair, that basically they're able to
get more reward, because they're able to give more charity than we are able to get into pedalo. Look
at the difference of mindset between these companions. And and you know, unfortunately, us that when
we look for wealth, and we look for, you know, things of this dunya we do it for we desire for our
own comfort, we desire it for our own,
		

			you know, desires and the companions, these companions we see that they desired wealth only to be
able to use it for the sake of Allah to Allah. So
		

			They said, you know, how is this fair and then the person, for those of you who know this Hadeeth,
the person send them reminded them, that the reward for something is dependent upon our intention.
And so even if someone does not have wealth, they can use the other. They can use other things that
Allah has given to them to gain that reward from Allah subhanho wa Taala. So for example, I sent him
He told them, he said, it could lead to a lot in South Africa. He said, what every time you say a
lot about that his charity would be complete this we had in South Africa, every time you say
Subhana, Allah, that is Southern high, that is charity charity here, meaning this is an avenue
		

			through which we can get reward from Allah who's paddling to Allah, be completely left in South
Africa, you know what, every time we say that, you know, in the law, this is a southern thought. And
so here the person is reminding them that look, every deed that you do, if it is done for the
correct with the right intention, then we can gain that reward from the last panel of data. And what
we understand here. And one of the one of the other lessons for us here is that Allah has not given
everyone the same resources, Allah has not made everyone equal in that sense, some have more, some
have less, some have more access to certain resources, some people have less access to certain
		

			resources, but we are equal in the sense that we all have the ability to get rewarded by a lot to
gain reward, but less penalty Allah, so Allah has all given us, but in different ways. And so one of
the things that we do is we question ourselves, and we say, look, what what are the resources that
Allah has given us, maybe Allah has given me Well, maybe Allah has given me free time. Maybe Allah
hasn't given me, you know, a power through which I can influence a good, but maybe Allah has given
me some other resources, but Allah, so the point here is that Allah has given everyone the
opportunity to gain reward. So we find here now going back to our own, our own, so once again,
		

			because Allah had given him so much he had that he had that ability, that the choice, you could
either use that, that wealth for goodness, or he could use that wealth for oppression and tyranny.
And a law tells us that he used it for tyranny. And as we said, the more wealth that someone has,
the more resources that someone has, the more severe their tyranny could be, they're able to do a
lot more damage and a lot more harm. And so a lot of times audits tells us that he was given a
treasures,
		

			that the treasure is that the keys to that treasure would have to be carried by strong men. I mean,
you have to imagine how much wealth that is that, you know, if you can think of a room or a place
where someone's a treasure is kept, the key to open that room or to open that treasure would have to
be carried by a band of strong men mean that's how big the key if the key is so large, imagine the
amount of wealth and possessions that are found in in that in that in that treasure. And so law
tells us that his people, when they saw this, they said to him, his thought Allahu omo not not to
fry his people, they said to him, don't be overly happy. And basically, this means being unhappy,
		

			and in ungratefulness, to Allah, for the blessings and the favors of law. So his people recognized
that Allah has given him a wealth and power, and his people recognize that he's not using his power
for good. Rather, he is using his his power to to brutalize and to turn it to, for tyranny, right,
to oppress other people. And, you know, a lot of parallels can be made an hour a day as well, you
know, there's a, there's a lot of talk about the 1%. And, you know, there's a lot of talk about the
billionaires and how they have
		

			all the resources, you know, less than 1% of the people of the world, you know, own the majority of
the assets of the world. And if you look at a lot of them, say, Hello, what are they doing with
their wealth? Are they using their wealth to help those who do not have? Are they using their health
or their wealth to to bring people up? Or are they're using their wealth
		

			to further their own desires and their own benefit while oppressing and wronging other people, and
there's a perfect example of this in kotlin. And just like today, people recognize that people call
it out and people say it's not fair. It's not right.
		

			Amongst them, Bernie Sanders, as you all know, right. Bernie Sanders went after the 1% he went after
the billionaires. Likewise, right. The people of that time they recognize that Tyrone is using his
his resources to disobey Allah subhanaw taala and it is making him arrogant. And as I said, as lost
out I said, if caught allow, a lot of his people said to him, don't be joyous in your arrogance.
		

			In the disobedience of last era, in the law law,
		

			they said a law does not like those basically, who behave in that way those people who use the
bounties and the and the favors and the blessings of a law to become arrogant. And so the verse for
tonight verse number 78, is the statement of our own. It's the way it's how He justified his
arrogance, it is how He justified is
		

			the wealth that he had called in ama, OT to Allah element, and D. So when he is reminded to not be,
to not be be overly joyous or overly happy, not become arrogant. And part of not being arrogant, and
humility is attributing our blessings to the lowest penalty out of that's what was one of the things
that makes us that that humbles us that when we when we attribute the goodness that we have to
Allah, we don't we cannot be arrogant, right? So if we look at somebody, like even a billionaire who
says, all of these billions that I have, or this the billions of dollars that I have, they're not
because of me, they're not because of anything I did, this is something that Allah has given to me.
		

			And it can be a and it is definitely a testament loves, kind of to Allah. So I can use it for good,
or I can use it for other than that. And so we look at the argument here of our own, he said, he
said in number was what is known as an article of exclusivity, which means only right, this is the
only reason in which he threw him under NDA, I have only I've been given this only because of the
knowledge that I have, meaning. I'm the one who worked for this. I'm the one who deserves this, it
is because of me. And this is the opposite of attributing our blessings to Allah who's Pamela data.
And that is the that is the reason that our own became oppressive. And that's why we see a direct
		

			link between arrogance and oppression. As a person becomes more arrogant, they are more likely to
oppress and to wrong other people. Because humility allows us to question ourselves, humility allows
us to, to to, to take criticism seriously. Humility allows us to look inwards and say, am I doing
anything which is wrong, when we become arrogant, then we begin to look down upon people. And we
think that we are free from criticism. And that is why the President of defined arrogance, as battle
Hawk is to reject the truth or reject that which is right, that we feel so good about ourselves,
that we are willing to reject things that we know are true or that that are true. Well, humbleness
		

			and to look that person up said arrogance is humbleness, to look down upon people to think that you
are better than other people. This is this is arrogance. And we see this example, in our own and for
us, this is this is a lesson here, of what Allah has penalty Allah has given to us, and how instead
of
		

			thinking that we are the ones who deserve this, that because of what we have done, and it's it's a
panel, it's easy to fall into this. When a lot is given to someone, you know, let's say,
		

			you know, someone works really hard in college, and you know, they go to med school to become a
doctor, they spend all this time med school, you know, and you know, pre med and med school and all
that kind of stuff. And they spend years studying to become a doctor and they finally become a
doctor and then, you know, they are blessed with lots of wealth. It's easy for a person to think,
Oh, I deserve this. Like I deserve this great wealth that I have. Because look at all like those
years that I worked really hard. So it's been it's because of what I have done and and not realizing
that it is Allahu Allah to Allah who has given this person everything that they have. Not only that,
		

			humility also means that it also means recognizing that Allah has penalty Allah, Allah azza wa jal
can take away anything that we have at any moment. And that's why one of the cures for arrogance and
actually love of the dunya as well. You know, if you find yourself being attached to worldly
possessions, one of the ways to fight that one of the ways to because look, it is it is it is it is
normal, it is it is it is human, to to enjoy worldly possessions. It is human to like the comforts
of this world, it is human to want to have nice things. And that is part of our struggle to get
close to Allah subhanaw taala. So, how do we fight that? How do we fight being consumed by the
		

			worldly life? Well, one of the things that we do is, we look at our possessions we look at what we
have, and we remind ourselves that this is from Allah. And also if you want to keep it if you want
to be real about if you want to keep it real, remind yourself that a lot can take this away from you
at any moment. Right? If something is is so fleeting, then we are less likely to be attached to it.
You know, you think about if you have a let's say you bought it you bought a new brand new car
		

			You bought a brand new house or something, or for those, like the younger listeners here, maybe you
you you saved up and you bought something. And you know, let's say you saved up for a year and
you've got something I don't know, like a pair of kicks or whatever you could relate to.
		

			But you spent all this time you know, you you you saved up and you bought something you finally got
and your heart is really attached to it, to detach your heart from it, remind yourself that this is
something that a lot could take away from you at any moment. So that doesn't mean that we don't
enjoy it a lot is given to us. What it means is that we attribute that blessing to a lot and we're
continually grateful to Allah. So we continually remind ourselves and we say and hamdulillah has
given this to us, and we make sugar to Allah and the beautiful thing about making chocolate and
being being grateful to Allah is that it only strengthens it only it only increases us in the
		

			goodness that we have in Chicago Toma as he then documents law says that if you were to be grateful,
we would we would increase you right we would an increase here by the way sometimes people think the
increase is only like a physical increase or like a monetary increase. So let's say
		

			you got a night you get you bought a new car and you make people think the shortcut here means that
I'll increase means I'll get I'll get a nicer car increases not just monetary or not just physical
increased also means the increase in goodness meaning we that car or is is is more is more
beneficial to us there's more Buttercup, in that car, likewise a house or this or any any
possession. Making sugar means we bring Baraka we bring blessings into that possession that was
given to us. So think about this, you can have some you can own something really nice. But what but
what but what does it mean? What is it worth if it doesn't satisfy you if you don't feel good about
		

			it, right. And that's why people chase the good near their whole life, they get something and they
want another thing and they want another thing and they want another thing. And as you said, this is
the nature of human beings we constantly want more. And so part of the the the Xia from Allah,
right, the increase of Allah is to make us content. And as the President said in the marina in
enough's, that true wealth or true true richness, is the contentment of the heart is satisfaction,
that that is worth more than any material thing is to be satisfied with what Allah has penalty Allah
has given to us. So when the law says that if you are grateful, we will increase you. The increase
		

			here also includes the increase of the goodness and the blessings that we have in it. And so this I
hear from sutra classes is a reminder for us. As believers as those who recite the Quran, it's a
time for us to reflect upon everything that Allah has given to us. And you know, nowadays, we may be
thinking a lot about what was not given to us, all the things that we're missing out on, because,
you know, we're stuck in our houses, and there's maybe things that we're used to, I'm used to doing
this, and I'm used to doing that I'm used to having these comforts of life. And now it's been taken
away from me. And it's easy to focus on what we don't have anymore. But it's another thing. And
		

			hopefully, that should be our goal, especially as Muslims in the month of Ramadan to focus on
everything that we do have. And sometimes a lot takes things away from us, for us to become more
grateful for what Allah has given to us. And so this is a time for us to not be like our own right
to not be like the one who says, I deserve this. I'm supposed to have it. And basically what this
is, if you look at the problem that Calderon had, there's a word for it. And that word is
entitlement, right to feel entitled to it. And I know a lot of you know, there's a there's a meme
going around these days, the Karen meme, right? The the Karen, basically, who complains about
		

			everything, and what is what what is, what is this Karen figure, right? What is that? Well, she's an
entitled lady who feels like she deserves a, you know, she she deserves things that other even if
other people don't have she deserves it. It's the same people that are complaining and saying, you
know, why are things shut down? It's shutting down, businesses are shutting down hair salons, and
this has taken away my freedom. Well, what is this this is entitlement, right to feel entitled, that
look, the safety and the health of other people, doesn't matter. What matters is my quote unquote,
freedom to get a haircut, or to go to the grocery store or go to the gym or to go do this. What is
		

			that that is entitlement. And this is that this is one of the lessons that we're learning here and
hopefully, and that's why I think it's beautiful Henry law has blessed us with the month of Ramadan
in a time like this, because as believers we can we can makes it easier for us to deal with the
struggles of being quarantined in the Coronavirus and this and not because we have the blessing of
the month of Ramadan and we can take time out of our day and reflect upon
		

			reflect upon the Koran that that reinforces our ability to be patient and to be grateful in in this
matter.
		

			One of the other points I mentioned here, and some handler scholars mentioned a very interesting
point here, that the statement of our own he said in the mentality to another element there indeed,
that I've been given this because I've been given this because of the knowledge that I have, that
knowledge is something that we may not attach a material value to.
		

			And now there's just something which can be very noble, right? Especially if it's Islamic knowledge
or a religious knowledge or knowledge of the deen. But even in knowledge of the deen, we are not
allowed to be arrogant, even knowledge of the deen we are not allowed to look down upon people, and
to believe that we are better than other people. And this is one of the problems I've had a lot that
we see oftentimes, when people begin to gain knowledge or they begin to get closer to a lower they
begin to become religious right. And we've seen this happen when somebody begins to and when they
start becoming religious, they start obeying a lot, they begin to now look down upon other people
		

			who don't obey a law. You know, somebody starts praying their prayers, then they start looking down
upon people who don't pray their prayers, sister starts wearing Hijab she starts to look down upon
sisters who don't wear hijab or brother starts doing one particular good deed he starts to look down
upon others who don't are not doing that good deed. And and what is this other than arrogance,
right? Even something which is good, right? So praying and hijab and all the other acts of they're
all good, they're all good things. But even in that matter, a person can become arrogant. And that
is one of the lessons here for us that even in something like knowledge, like religious knowledge or
		

			knowledge, it brings us close to a lower supposed to bring us closer, even in that someone can
become arrogant. And that is why as we get closer to Allah, we have to continually humble ourselves
before last penny, even this knowledge that Allah has given to us a lot can take it away from us and
that is why in every single prayer, we ask Allah to guide us you know, as believers as Muslims,
right, we're already guided. We already were already believers, we're Muslim. Hopefully, you know,
we are following the Quran and we're we're following the symbol of our setup yet still, in every
single thought. In every locker, we say it Dino said Altima stepping, O Allah Guide us to the
		

			straight path that is supposed to be a statement that humbles us and notice about Allah every Muslim
makes that statement regardless of your knowledge regardless of your state you can be the biggest
Imam in the world the biggest scholar in the world yet in every Salah you say it you know set out to
study guide us to the straight path and that is supposed to humble us before Allahu Allah Dinah. And
by the way, one of the things that we're another and I'll end with this Angelica one of the
statements that we make in order to to to make sure that we remain humble is to say Masha Allah. So
when we see that Allah has given us something, whether it be you know any type of blessing, we say
		

			Masha Allah A lot of times people only use Masha Allah for other people. They say to other people,
say Masha Allah right so someone says like Hey, nice, um no nice shirt, or nice nice or nice that
will tell the person say Mashallah, right? Because we're afraid of like evil eye or we're afraid of
like,
		

			envy or we're afraid of something that Masha Allah is not a statement that we should be, we should
be telling us that we should be forcing other people to say and by the way, this that on its own is
very problematic because when you say to someone say Mashallah, you're accusing them of being
envious of you, which is not okay. We're not allowed to accuse anyone of being jealous or envious of
us because we don't know what is in their heart. We don't have access to what is in their heart so
we cannot accuse someone of being jealous or envious but that's it. That's another point.
		

			We say the statement Masha, Allah should be said first and foremost for ourselves, to remind
ourselves that it is by the will of Allah that we have what we have, and we know this and we learned
this from sort of calf and sort of the calf, the person who had a garden who became arrogant about
his garden, what did the other person say to him? He said to him, Well, Ola is the hunter Jin Taka,
Masha Allah, if you were to only enter your garden and say Mashallah, his problem by the way, the
person with the garden was it was a similar problem to our own, which is arrogance, right. And he
thought that is because of me that I have this is because of something that I did that I that I have
		

			this so so so his companion he said to him, say Masha, Allah, right, remind yourself it is by the
will of Allah, La quwata illa Billah there's no power nor no mic, other than Allah, meaning you
don't have any power you don't have any mic. This is only by the will of Allah subhanaw taala so we
continually remind ourselves by saying Mashallah, this is a statement that we use, to to humble
ourselves, when we look at the possessions that we have, we look at the knowledge that we have, we
look at anything that we have. One of the suddenness here is that we say Mashallah, not to not to
not for other people, not to accuse other people of being jealous
		

			But for our heart to purify our heart and remind ourselves that these possessions any anything that
we have any type of goodness, any, any blessings that we have, they belong to a kind of a to Allah
and it is only by the will of Allah, that we have what we have and Allah Subhana Allah knows best
you