How To Overcome Temptations

So

I obviously left by that and he will find me here or whatever, along with everyone

in it when it came about Marlon and my thought was that I was in yellow battery

or in an LP peanut healthy,

semi baggy workout.

Last week to me here back in Austin handy that just a quick correction to that Pio. I'm not the movement instructor. That was true. About a decade ago, 10 years ago. It's no longer true, some get a gallon that get somebody to update that bio bio shell.

Anyway, that's a totally side point on people's our talk. We're talking about overcoming temptations today. Now, I'm going to break this down in a systematic way. Childline, the way I look at data intensive, to me is not a normal conference. It's not a normal convention. And I mentioned this in my first session as well. But a normal conference, like you don't say, for like 15 minutes, and you have 15 minutes to like inspire people, and hopefully raise your image and then that save your time. But the fact that these sessions are longer, I think we can really delve into these topics, and hopefully get a little bit more academic in terms of how we learn and take this information in. So

that's what I'm going to do today, inshallah.

So if there's one thing that you take away from this talk, and this is the only thing you hear, for ticker today, or this particular talk, I want it to be the following success and satisfaction in this life. And the afterlife is directly related to our ability to control our desires in the face of temptation. So finding satisfaction, peace, happiness, in this life, and in the NFL, is directly related to this very issue that we're talking about today. Allah who said, How do I get out, I says, Well, I'm in half.

As for the one who is in awe of standing in front of her Lord, and actually the word is HOFA, which is sometimes translated as fear, but it's just a goes beyond fear. It's a very idea of this is an individual who lives their life in a way, where they're reminding themselves constantly, that one day, they're going to have to stand a bunch of inward one day, they're going to have to answer for their actions, you're going to have to answer to Allahu Subhan. Allah out of them for a record that has every minut detail of one's life contained in it. And that changes the way a person lives their life, because it's very easy to get diluted by what is in front of us in that moment, it's very easy

to get distracted and caught up with the things that are in front of our face and that moment, and forget about the purpose of our life, forget about the fact that we are all going to stand in front of models, and how do I get out of that one day, and we're going to be accountable, and we're going to have to ask, we're gonna have to answer about our lives, we're going to be asked about our lives. So love is how it addresses us, for the person who lives their life in that way is the meaning of this verse, that they live their life knowing that they're gonna be held accountable, they have to stand in front of their Lord, what I hadn't noticed that I didn't show up. And they constrained

themselves on the restrained their Hawa, their desires. Now, right off the bat, all desires are not bad desires, from how from desires, there are those desires, which are natural and good. And then there are those desires which are natural and bad. And those desires which are not natural, that are bought upon us or were influenced by the world that we're living in, or the society we're living in, that we're living in, or the people that are around us, and they're also mad. So what I was referring to and Hawa here, these desires, referring to those desires that go against what ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada has legislated those desires that take us away from the obedience of abundance out

of those desires that lead or that are in within themselves sinful. So the person who restrain themselves from those impermissible or how long or evil or wicked desires that Allah has kind of like as his agenda that in that for this person, their final place where they're where they're going to go is an agenda is parents. And so for us when we look at these verses, in sort of NSC Ireland, we remember that if we want to attain Jana

And then it is imperative that we get into a mode where we are able to, or we're trying to, or we're struggling to, or we're striving to control our desires, and our wants that may seem attractive in the world that we are living in. Now, as I said, there are good desires and bad desires, and simply having a desire does not make us not make it back. And it doesn't make the person sinful, even if those desires within themselves are sinful. Just having desires doesn't make a person sinful, it is acting upon those desires, that makes a person simple, impermissible desire, because the reality is that as human beings, we are created with desires, we are created in a way that certain things may

seem tempting to us. And this is one of the ways in which along with Japan with Allah testuff, the test of this life, unless you have a note or higher than you are going a Google Aysen or the one created death and life to test you to see Who amongst you is best in deeds. So when we feel that there's a temptation in his life, that we have a desire for something that was permissible. As a believer, we recognize this is a test from Allah who's gonna. And that is why there's this notion is Hala, that if we have a natural in this kind of becoming more normalized in the society that we're living, this idea that if someone has a natural desire, then it must mean that it's okay to fulfill

that desire, that if I feel this way, or I have a feeling towards doing something, then it must mean that it's okay like, and the thing, the argument that we hear a lot is, well, if this is wrong, then why did God create me in this way? Right now, I don't have to get into too much detail. I think y'all know what I'm talking about here, right? This whole idea of like, this is natural, it's natural that I feel this way. So that happened to be something which is bad. Well, once again, from the Islamic perspective, we understand that this is a form of testable, love.

And of course, we're all tested in different ways. And everyone's desires. And that's why this issue is actually a little bit difficult to speak about. Because the reality is that as individuals, our desires may differ. So we talked about how the ship on unifies our desires, beautify sins, which I'm gonna get into in a little bit and shoveling out, it's very hard to pinpoint those issues, because you mean, we're different. And so, what you desire, what I desire may be different. And our temptation from this life may differ from person to person. And as one who spoke out literally told us in the zoo uniqueness, you have pushed out that beautified for mankind or humankind, for human

beings, is love of desires. And Allah has turned out to give certain examples

that you wouldn't want to put on here and Allah Mirza heavy was simpler and so on and so forth. That you know, women and children and you know, find things in this life and well and Allah give some examples of things that we may desire. And once again, zucchini Enos, it has been beautify for mankind being this is a reality, that we are living in the reality of the world that we are living in as at least things are beautified for us. So once again, the idea that because is natural or natural does feel this way. It must be okay. This is not an Islamic concept, the Islamic Guidance here is that, yes, as part of our life, it's part of being tested by love was kind of like it. And

so on the flip side, we would say if controlling our desires, leads to agenda that if we're talking about what is the problem, we're always getting into temptations. We're always getting into all of our desires. We're going to talk about how to as artists as well. But why is that problematic? The number one answer to that question, Is that always getting into one's desires is a path that leads to the hellfire. And this is why I want to go back just as we're along with inside view versus where a box kind of ad tells us of the other side of the coin. We spoke about those who can restrain or control their desires. What is the opposite ended up with almost kind of like the opposite ends, but

either on the cupola, that's when the Supreme the big disaster comes. And the big disaster is y'all should know this. I want to one the Dave has, right when the big disaster comes, what's going to happen? You don't wait that's gonna incentivize now. On that day, every person will remember what they strove for what they were striving for. So there are those who are striving for the dunya alone. There are those who are striving for the those who are striving for the dunya and the outside. So

So, we are going to be reminded of how we live our lives. And Allah says, well, Buddha presented inwardly now, and the Hellfire will be displayed for everyone to see for unmanned PA, as with a person who transgressed. Now, how does this transgression occur? Allah tells us in the very next I am with us, I do have the dunya, what did how this person preferred the life of this world. And you know, hyah to dunya, or hasn't done yet here has dunya that the idea here is that this is a fleeting life. This is why I had to do it live in the afterlife, the higher the author is the life that will remain. But a higher dunya. When a person is standing on the Day of Judgment, looking back and

higher, the dunya they will remember, it's gone. It's a blink of an eye, those things that I thought were so important, those things I thought, you know, this is everything for me, like I wake up and asleep, and I eat and drink for this particular worldly purpose. In those moments, I thought they were so important. But now I realized that it was just a fleeting life. So as for the person who gave preference to that life, a fleeting temporary life to the afterlife, that remains what is going to happen amongst us, tells us in Ninja Hema him that this person, and hellfire is their place of where they're going, where they're headed. And then Allah tells us as ever, as I mentioned earlier,

while another half an hour from me, and now as for in contrast to that, as opposed to that there's a person lived their life, not just enslaved to this worldly life, just trying to fulfill every desire that they have to lead down the path of every temptation that comes their way. You know, as they say, Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow, we're going to die gardens sport. Yeah, it's like one of those things that they can add parties and stuff, right? Eat Drink, and Eric or tomorrow,

anyway,

but the whole idea is like, just just as fulfill every desire you have, because this life is short. And actually the millennial version of that is, you know, right. Or it's like, Just live your life is That's it, you know, just have fun, do whatever you want. This is what is being mentioned here. There are those who live their life in that way thinking all of their desires be fulfilled in this life. And there are those who are living their life. Yes. And you know, balance is important, but living their life understanding that they're going to be held accountable, they're going to stand up for their Lord. And they're going to have to answer for what they did in this in, in this life.

There's a companion of the Prophet is his name escapes me right now. But he came across her over the love I'm, and this companion was holding a piece of meat that it just bought. And

he says, What is this in your hand? And this companion says, How do

you stay through prostate? He said, this is some meat. I wanted it desired, but liked it, basically. So I bought it. And then a lot of the law. He said, Oh, you say that? And

he said is it that every time you like something, you buy it? And then this person is competitive. And he's like baffled at this point, because we're talking about the head here, right? It is hard to win, you know, this meat that eating is is head on. So what's the problem here? And everybody loves it and says, Don't you fear that if you live your life in this way that you will be amongst the verse that people mentioned. Like you couldn't be hierarchical with dunya we're alone sprouted out and said says you have exhausted all of your desires and pleasures, the hierarchical dunya in this life. What does that mean? I want you to say whatever. Okay, well, mine is saying it's not a problem

that you bought this meat. It's not the issue here is how much better? You bought it, that's okay. But if you're living your life in a way, where you feel that all of your desires, all of our desires, all of our wants, all of our needs can be met in this life. Then what have you saved for the afterlife? Because of a wider people, their listeners live their life in this way today? Where there were so infatuated with this world we live that attaining the best of this life, that it is less so forget about the afterlife. And that is not the life of a believer. Yes A believer is not somebody who completely detaches itself from this worldly life and and I'm

becomes like a monk or something, this is what we're talking about. We're talking about yes, working in his dunya. But uh, keeping our eyes on the prize keeping our eyes on the afterlife, that whatever pleasure I've seen in this life, it doesn't come close to the pleasure of the afterlife. And this is why this Hello, the law and they would constantly be thinking about the afterlife. And somehow we feel guilty when they were given from this life. And I'm talking about once again, we're talking about, we're not talking about how they were given from the Hello, they would be worried, because they're like this is having an impact on my nerves is having an impact on my soul, my soul is

getting way too comfortable in his worldly life. So this is what Allahu Subhan Allah is referred to here in the two groups of people who will be brought into the office today, because amongst those were able to control their time desires above me.

What is the other problem? All that that I just said, was all about the problem of if we always give it interpretations, if we let our desires control us in the middle of protect is that is the path to the hellfire. Also, always getting into temptation? Is a path to misguidance Allah who's kind of like Allah tells us in the room that one will not that will enforce that they are those who follow nothing but assumptions. And

what are their own souls, their neffs? It desires, what

won't be him when guidance has come to them from their Lord. And so now what's the end of two conflicting and contrasting ideas here, we have guidance from a lot.

Hope that guidance from our Lord. And then on the other hand, you have

that was enough designers. And so we're always getting into our next desires, when it comes to the point where guidance doesn't really have much value for us, when we are willing to do a couple of things either turn a blind eye to guidance, where to say, you know, I don't need to know this stuff, right. And I want to give everyone here good news that happened. And because you're here to learn your team, or your faith, it means you want to know what pack is from Allah is now my guidance. And that was just correct moment. I mean, but there are those who say to them, like, hey, there's, there's this class going on, or there's electric, whatever, not a ton of hearing, right? Because

then I'm going to be like, I thought, you know, the buyer, they mentioned even though I was really old, and mentioned classical on the fifth of children. And I don't know what it's about entertainment and recreation. And so we talked about different issues of entertainment, and recreation, music, movies, sports, all that kind of stuff. So we tackle them. I know people who said to me, that I don't want to attend that seminar, because I don't want to come and learn that all the stuff that I enjoy is actually how they will have rather not know. And it was hell for anyone who attended that seminar. This the purpose of that seminar was never to make this another column.

Right? That's not what this seminar was about. That seminar was about giving us the proper understanding of our faith and Leading a Balanced Life, that our faith actually teaches us that we're actually supposed to enjoy ourselves and have fun as well, which is within the bounds of the of the Chiniot as long as kind of analysis.

How long have you seen that person was taken as their God, their own desire? I mean, once again, God who said, Allah, our Lord, our our God is one that we submit to fully submit to who is above everything else. When our desires become our God, what that means is that we give preference to our desires over what Allah subhanaw taala wants from us, also, always us into temptation of always giving into our desires, means that the commands of Allah, the guidance from Allah, the instructions from Allah just becomes less important for us. And once again, this idea of giving our nurse value giving ourselves or our own desires value over everything else. And there's a petty little set up

which is very interesting to kind of heavy the industry that we have our emotions

in which once again, is contrast and this is obviously talking about today, the contrast and how people live their lives. The prophets I said, he said in movement, you're

a believer sees their sins.

All right.

And then that a believer they see their sins as if you're sitting underneath a mountain and how you cope with it. And I just found this is a visual representation of this lifestyle. A believer sees when they when they sin or

You know, they look at their sins, they it's like they're sitting under a mountain, imagine look up in the sky. And there's a mountain just like floating in the air. And so what is it fear that it could fall upon me at any moment, like the weight. And there's a lot to be said about how sins are seen as a burden as something that weighs people down. There's many evidences for that. But this idea is heavy, heavy things, a mountain that could fall upon this person anymore. And it's like it is a person who's like that, we want to want to get out of that as soon as possible. It's not about like, you know, what is this? So on the other hand, I've said, what your mother asked for the wicked

person, they see their sins, can move up and move on,

is like some flies. They just flew over their nose. And the narrator's head, he said, some did a shallow weakness, like he looked like so, you know, you've been around Pfizer.

But if there's flies around you, yeah, it's not fun. It's not great. But it's just like, it's like a little nuisance, right? You swat them away, right? You're not like, Oh, my God, I could die at any moment, because there's some flies here. It's just, it's, it's annoying, right? But it's not that big of a deal. You swatted him away. This is an example of how the person said that. Once again, contrast between how a believer using their sins versus how someone who has given into their desires, and has fallen prey is always you Intuit ACOs Okay, that is not it's not a big deal to them. Giving into our 20 or temptations also means that we are changing our enough's, to not work

hard.

And if we're going to put the upscale the offline aside for a moment, even in this life, is, we all know this, to get anywhere in life, you have to work hard, unless you're wanting certain privileges on its own. But even if you're born with certain privilege, there are things in life, you still have to do, regardless of your privilege to lead a better life. And we can just talk about, for example, our health, right, in order to stay healthy, we need to work hard, we need to strive to control our NIFS. And this is why Sam teaches us so even like the most wealthy person out there was what was world's privilege medicine. So it's important that their health is something that they got to take

care of. Right. And there's still with all the advanced advancement of science, it's just really not a lot of shortcuts, and you still have to be compensated, do the work to try and maintain a healthy lifestyle. No, you all right, Adrian Pompeo feel this yet.

But you're gonna how you always have this person, like every family has this person who's

maybe born on a fast metabolism. And they're like, really skinny, or they're in shape or whatever. But like they eat the most unhealthy food. And they're always in fast food and chips and candy. And does that add like extra sugar, Coke or extra sugar? Like once an extra zero? I'll take that one. And then there's like those of us who are like, no, like, my metabolism is slow. I can watch what I eat or whatever. And we look at those people really fast metabolism. We're like, that's not fair.

The reality is, and I'm not a doctor here, this is what I've been told that you can kill a fast metabolism. At some point in life, your metabolism slows down. So if you have lived in a person who lived a life where they never watched the babies, right, you're just eating whatever because you know what, they're gonna stay in shape. And I had a friend of mine passed away like growing up. I remember like, we would go to the gym and I'd be on like a treadmill like time and I'm involved in by losing a couple of ways done. I do cardio it was I added the party to the gym ego I do Donald's gonna burn like what's going on here. Right? But with age when the metabolism slows down. So what

happens is LLC madness is specific here. I'm sure we all know someone like this. One of us is you say eating whatever they want whenever they want, and their metabolism slows down. Boom is disastrous. Wonder Mattel metabolism slows down. Why? Because now the body's saying hey, listen, we're not going to burn calories at the same rate, and you got to watch what you eat. But that person never lived their life in a way where they had to watch what they eat. And so because of that, it has adverse effects on their health in order to protect us. So the idea of training one's neffs. And by the way, what was coming up is around the corner. One of the many, many, many lessons

of Oman is controlling our lives is the idea that if the head if we control our decimal data, then we should be able to be motivated to control our nerves without the loss of Allah to Allah has made how and that leads me to one of my final points here but also

There's a lot that can be said about why it is detrimental to our dunya. Always give it to temptation. And that is the very

point that our scholars mention that if a person indulges every, if they try to fulfill every temptation that they have, that eventually, it takes the pleasure away from the highlight. And I'm gonna say that again, right? If a person knows just how they will feel their home designers that Hello no longer seems attractive to them, that is no longer pleasurable to them. And we see this in specially relationships, and Zina and that type of lifestyle, where people's had a lot are a certain lifestyle, having sex outside of marriage, or may have architects even like cheating on their spouse. And so it's a word rehearsal indulges in that, that the header is no longer good enough for

now. And there's actually a lot to be said also about pornography. A person who indulges in visited pornography, it does distorts their view of what is actually good. And even sourcing your view of what is pleasurable. Allah is how it has made certain things pleasurable, is actually not only is that not pleasurable, this pleasurable, actually good for us. But when a person indulges into how long the head loses, it can lose what it has to offer. And that is why when people are scholars in the past, they would mentioned that if a person is struggling with their faith, one of the things that scholars will tell this person is lead to haram. And I know in our times, you know, I've

counseled and talked and other young people, where you tell someone like hey, you're struggling with your faith, like go to house up there? Like, that's not gonna solve my problems. Right? Have you ever requested that faith? And all the Star Wars always start? Were you talking to me the how, like, stop talking to Goodwill. So right now it's about, you know, like, I need to fix my faith. And, and because it seems to like simplistic, or the architect is, it seems to is like a very charged word here to judgmental.

Well, we've come to a point in society now, where yeah, there's types of judgment, which is back, right and center judgment, which have to be left with all this kind of data. But from judgment, there is also what people refer to, they will call it judgment. But it's actually advising people in a way that is beneficial in a way that is wise in the way that it's kind and gentle, and so on and so forth. But that's important. That's why another day I woke up, enjoying the good and forbidding the evil is an essential part of our faith. Because we have to be there for one another, to correct each other and help each other not in not in a destructive way, but in a productive way. So to be

able to be there for one another. Like I said, this is not about judgment is about showing the person right from wrong. point again, that when a person indulges in how long the helo can even lose its pleasure. When we leave that how long and we separate ourselves from the heart, we will find pleasure in what was made had even in those things that we may do as a burden, we will find pleasure. And I know sometimes we get people who say like, I enjoy praying, and that for a lot of people that almost seem like a foreign concept, like a weird concept, like, Hey, listen, I know I gotta pray. It's funny. I had a very hard time to date, but it's hard. And on a side note, it's okay

to feel the obligations from Allah our heart, that's not the problem. The problem is that we question was, was David Walker obligated that we're gonna talk about that, but the idea that a person can find pleasure in something which is obligated upon us, happens when our neffs is devoted to Allah which we understand that when we live our lives in a lifestyle that that saves we did head on, we will begin to enjoy the holiday even that which is obligated upon us on another level, one of the early scholars, he has a very interesting statement. He said jump to the sea of godliness. And he said I struggled with my lifts for four years, four years struggling and some scholars have said

you know, I struggled with my saw with my prayer for how long however they use, you know what that means? That means every time this person is praying, they're trying to be difficult like it's hard they push themselves to do you said flume after 40 years who's that almond? After four years? I saw my knifes become upright or become okay. Like he began to get the lead that the the the pleasure in the worship of the office.

And how quickly do we give up somehow? Right Megan for that voter in our in our life are motivated to become

Listen, and then we're on our saw over on whatever act of worship when we tried for pit rock, yeah, it's not working. And once again, I can tell you the number of times somebody comes to me and I'm struggling my feet low, and I'll give them advices. Nowadays, people call simplicity. I'll say, You know what, try to get up to the author of the night and credit damage name.

And it's like, even people were like, I've talked to, you know, brothers, who've said, okay, you know, I'll try it. And then come back a week later. So, you know, he told me to do this and told me to get up to the light and pray whatever. And I'm supposed to help my email. While it did, I'm like, okay, so how long did you try? I tried it for like four days.

And I must have had a lot. This is not how we control. This is not how we control our lives. It's not a matter of four days, or five days, or it's not even a matter of years. It's a matter of a life long struggle, which is what our team is struggling with. Our obedience filibuster is part of the test of this life. And yes, they're going to be moments that I struggle with, we have absolute clarity. We find this this level of spirituality that we will not we didn't expect. And this is why I hope many of you have experiences in level one. Where are you doing more than you've probably ever done before in your life? And you find yourself praying? Yeah, or something. And then you find

yourself making that one sense, and feel amazing. Is that one sense now? And you ask yourself, like, I've never, like, how come? I've never felt this before? How does it there's one sense that seems purer than anything I've ever had in my life. It seems more amazing than any experience I've ever had in my life. Why? Because I struggled with your knifes, and Allah was out to reward you. And sometimes we struggle with our NIFS. Why? Because it's an amazing medical Mombi Are you gonna worship for us? There are people who will leave it there, people will say, You know what, like, that's a parent out this overconfident. But the fact that it is a struggle means we keep trying as

hard as we can try. And the reality is, we get close to Allah who's kind of a data through struggle, that when we find things to be hard as a sign that Allah loves us. And we would evidence for that book on their promises editor told us that a person who struggles with the Quran has two words, compared to a person who has to struggle with reciting the Quran, right person recycleable on the left difficulty, they haven't word because I've gone great. But the person who struggles with reciting the Quran, they have two rewards, the reward of reciting the Quran, and the reward of that show. So the fact that we are struggling, but we are maintaining course, means as the sign of luck

was apparent to others love for us. But the reality is that the chiffon doesn't allow us to see this. The CFO doesn't allow us to see the reality of these needs. And she upon one of his main strategies, is what I call the distortion of reality. And the Chicago comp and flutter mind sometimes with a distorted view of what is actually happening. I mean, let's just say a very obvious clear example, sets off a marriage, Zina. When a person is in a moment of desire and temptation. Do you think the shear on comes and says, Hey, man, you know what could happen here? You know how this can mess up? You're like, no, no, no. If you even try if we would try to think about that, and shame

on that, don't worry about it. Right? And flood our mind, flood our heart with this one moment that person is in not thinking about the consequences of distorting the reality of what is actually happening. If only the share aunt came and said, Hey, listen.

Have you thought about pregnancy? Because there's no chance you get pregnant or you get somebody pregnant? No.

The Sheikh was not going to come and talk about the very real possibility. And I apologize to the parents in the room wasn't certainly happy parents here but

the very possibility to keep get STD or STI sexually transmitted infection. You know the statistics in America, by the way.

So most of the time, so we don't know this.

But according to the CDC, one in five people in America have an STI. Right? This is a one in five kids Milan started out a project is that a person will transmit an STI. According to the CDC, nearly half of all s STIs in the United States are found within young people. Nearly half

That is the reality of a lifestyle like is the reality of hookup culture or all that, right? But we're not with the discourse the reality, right? Just like the ship on the US that very same strategy without father undermining setup, Allah subhanaw taala. I love it, I didn't set out to live in Jannah, which is why he had everything he did ever want. And still the chiffon came in distorted the reality of the police that otherwise

tells us that this was the he she upon this, she whispered to our mighty Sarah Paul, he said, had an

in hood, one will

not tell you have a tree of the tree of eternity, that you eat from this tree. And you will be able to live in Japan for forever at a type of goodness, it's something that will never go away. You know, the reality of where the ship I was sorry, we're out there was as it was already in a place of eternity, already in a place that had everything that you ever desired. The only thing that he was commanded to not do was eat or this one tree. And you would think to yourself there. How did somebody get into that? How can somebody get into a

good habit?

Even wherever you like, what,

but this tree, don't eat from it. And you will think we will sink because we're kind of being very mental here. But

how did I get myself in from that one dream. You don't have just like a person who understands that a very real threat. SGIs is

not once they live a lifestyle of Zina.

Because they ship on whiskers, and the chiffon. And our salad is a decision make to see if these verses were hidden starting to Shabbat, tell the telephone the Shabbat was persistent, right? It wasn't a one time thing she tried over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

But you know, the good news here, the good news is that even though I didn't set up, fell victim on my set on a toga and other money. Sam showed us what it means to be a human being that you know, me and you, we're all gonna falter. We're gonna waver because as human beings, we're not perfect, and we are going to commit sins. But if our goal is the afterlife, that is a path back to God. And not only that, we'll make repentance and turn back to Allah. We seek Allah's help. Which by the way, my final point,

we seek Allah's help, that not only do we protect ourselves, and we actually raise our status with Allah subhanaw taala. And so how do we remain steadfast? I'm going to fast forward here a little bit, how do we remain steadfast? A couple of things. Number one, is important to identify the path that goes or the path that takes one to falling prey to temptation. Right. And I know I've spoken about this quite a few times here, I only speak about cinema, because it is a very clear example. And it is an example that is very relevant to the to the world that we're living in today. But most of them are no right. And this happens in those communities as well, again, we'll see what happens.

And so it's a very, very good example. But this is why if we look at the issue of Xena, we find there's a path that leads to Zina generally generally generally, Zina doesn't happen out of out of the blue or just I have nowhere, especially for like a Muslim or Muslim who is trying to be on their knee or has like some Islamic leaning, right is this Iran came to someone and said, Look at Zina.

And so a lot tells us about the total a lot of the Shabbat, the footsteps of this year on what

to ship on do not follow the footsteps of the ship owner. Because that is how the ship on often leads a person into falling complete prey and victim to one's desires or harm desires. And this is why I love this kind of a tie that we're talking about. Zina says what I tend to

do not come close to zero. What that means is there's a there's a path that gets a person close to zero.

What is that path? That path is the lifestyle that we're living things that have become normalized for us. I mean, let's just look at entertainment. There's a very big difference. And obviously, it's a moment of structure. I'm not there because I'm a disrupter. And that's important to me, because 10 years ago, 12 years ago when I started teaching, lecturing the world very different than it does today. 1012 years ago, you would not find stuff on TV that you find today. The stuff that you find on regular TV shows TV shows that are normalized TV shows and

movies that are just so accepted in society that has become a culture of following and watching these TV shows and talking about them and so forth. That stuff 10, just 10 years ago, will be considered softcore pornography. But it's become normalized to a point where now he's become so accepted that people already think twice about it. But the eyes, what we expose ourselves to has an effect on our ability to defend ourselves against temptations. And this one was

elusive is one of the longest parallel calluses quoted remotely need yellow Assadi here tell the believing men to avert that we save avert their gaze from that was a well kept meeting there are things that we look upon from those things, there are those which we should not be looking at. And then Allah, Allah, Allah says, Well, yeah,

and it should guard and chastity, meaning once there is a link, a very direct link between what we look at, and how we behave. If we cannot control what we look at, then we will probably not be able to control what we're doing. Because what we look at what we expose ourselves to has an effect on how we feel about certain things, and how easily somebody may get it. And by the way, Allah

says the same thing. Well put it in the hands and tell the believing women, young women of Saudi and help them believing women to avert turn away from that, which they're looking at. Why, why I felt lost to Allah says, once again, I have not moved, and they should guard, it should protect their chastity once again, and you have this idea that, you know, men have to order the gays and we're gonna have to you're gonna have to cover themselves, right, this idea that there's only one party on each side, and that's how it works. This is not an atomic concept, right? Yes, the Outlaw is defined for women that are well defined for a man, but we all on all sides of the equation, we have to get

our personal responsibility to protect ourselves, we cannot show the crowd it was my god it is so and so was not dressed modestly. Therefore, I felt this in that starting to work alongside on how to first says well put it in what we mean, get the hell out of Saudi tell

men to turn away walk away.

Because it's going to have an effect on how a person reacts, and how a person feels. And then our person is a personal responsibility that we have to Allah has power with the island. Because at the end of the day, we cannot show the desert and the desert. So you know what, who is this person? It was that person? You know what?

A lot of people are probably counted on this, oh Allah. It was society. We live in a society. I mean,

the society. We live in Omaha, I lived in a society. No, that's not how it works. Everyone is tested and tried according to the level of their faith. So we cannot show up on the day of judgment and say, oh, like I just did a bad time. Because we have a responsibility. And like I said, in the very beginning of this talk, we're all tested and tried in different ways. We're all tempted with desires in our lives that we desire personally is hard or struggle

to attain Jana. So take the means that always kind of God has given to you identify how they're how they're our paths and lead. May Allah protect us to us falling victim and us falling prey. For example, once again, we're talking about zener. We don't present and said you have to shut up, muddies up and hit this endpoint. Oh, young people, whoever amongst us able to get married get married. Right? So yes, we learned that marriage, the head Ed is a protection from the arm. And look, I know that that's not easy, right. And I know sometimes getting married when a person not ready to be married, how prepared to marry a puts a person in more problems than just hey are

protecting myself and said, Melissa, whoever is equal to that I normally traditionally sometimes people look at this only as financial ability. But I said in the speaking in a much more holistic way. Because there are challenges that we have to fit every challenge that we face or obstacles that we face in terms of getting married. Part of that is yeah being mature enough to get married, being responsible enough to get married, understanding gender differences, understanding how to be in a relationship, getting premarital counseling,

which I think is incredibly important for anybody to get married. And it's not it comes to me. Personally, I don't do that. I'm just I'm at a point now where I've had to go

Like my statistics are bad.

Like, during the count, like how many of these guys I didn't marry just survived? Ain't looking good.

So I'm at a point now

where I'm like, I gotta get my stats up and like, I don't know you.

But if I do say yes, I have conditions. And once the conditions are you gotta have the Americans because I'm

the only better sounds right? So if you got premarital counseling, you prepare yourself you educated yourself, you learn your deen you learn your rights and responsibilities and learn everything that goes into being married. Right, there's a better chance, obviously, that's what I'm preparing to get married. But guess one of the goals of marriage is to protect the person protect oneself and quality and Tom. So the problem is I send them then said that if a person is not able to get married, and do what

do what paths, and I can't tell you the number of speakers that have shared the same story with me, who said, and I've experienced myself, that will tell you I'm gonna pass on, like, come on.

Like, we're living in a day and age of the internet, and we're living in all this temptation, you probably gonna like fast, what is asking them to do for me, fasting, once again, one of the lessons of fasting is being able to control one's desires, if we could stop ourselves from doing something which is natural, yes, and we talked about that. But something which is held on for a certain amount of time, that we're training ourselves to protect ourselves from.

And that is what past is not just about being hungry, and being thirsty. Fasting is a spiritual experience, where we connect with our Lorge, we submit to our Lord, something that, especially living in America, and living in a society where most people don't fast, we really begin to understand this, that things that are readily available to us food and drink, and so on and so forth. I mean, come on, at a time, where you know, smoke about the

Sahaba, you went for a piece of meat, like that's our light now, right?

Think about it, how much privilege we live in, you want to want to eat something? It's not a question of, can I afford to feed myself? Can I afford to feed my family? Where am I gonna get food from? For us? Especially interviewed most of them in America? You know, it's just a matter of how I'm gonna get this good. Do I want to walk 10 Steps to the fridge or not. And open the fridge full of food or like, Mom, there's nothing it needs. In our fridge is full of food. Right? This is this is what we live with. And so how we want something is simply a matter of hey, man, you just opened up the Amazon App. Two days, oh my god, I can't wait two days, I

hit that $35. So I get that overnight shipping because I want it right now.

That's the lifestyle that we're used to who I want right now, immediately. But we're cheating ourselves to do is always be able to fulfill our desires. And the reality of this life is that we will never ever, ever able to completely fulfill our desires. And some of our scholars tells us that when you feel tempted by this worthy life, remind yourself that what you desire is not this life, what you desire is the afterlife.

Because the fact that you want to live the life we want to live lives of ultimate pleasure and being happy and satisfied all the time. That means that you deep down inside you desire agenda. Because as only gender, where every with every desire will be satisfied. So that is why we live so when you're being tempted and when we're being tempted and not wait remind yourself that I'm actually what I actually desire is not this temporary fleeting enjoyment, what actually desire is to know and eternity of having our desires fulfilled and so take the means that allows her to Allah has given to you

along with that over intelligence in the head. And once and I saw about somebody a little bit but I think that add up for us when we over indulge in them. Example of this catalog is food. Right? So our scholars have written much about food and we have evidence from the ship about food and how we're not supposed to over eat or eat until you're full and what is it how long whether to eat until you're full yes or no? No, it's not how long but what it does is is that it gets a person used to living a lifestyle where they're always fulfilling all their desires.

And I can look especially being Muslim and you know what we see a lot how all around us, sometimes in our head and options and food. But food is a category where we may over indulge because people are

partying and clubbing, go to bars. And what we're gonna do is we're gonna have a lot of options of like how to like hasard, or whatever. And part of our problem is we're just, we're not creative. We're not thinking outside the box and open it up to the kind of things I'm most proud of, as we head up just a little bit harder to find headphones and entertainment, but we default to food. That nothing to do on a Friday night or three on policies Thursday night, right? Thursday nights here Friday night, I know this, I went to college.

But is that, you know, what are we gonna do?

And once again, it's not how long it's not, it's not just just one to enjoy food, or to be a foodie, right? This is a weird term, by the way to be a foodie to enjoy for like food. But the idea is if we live our life in that way, we're constantly over indulging, that is problematic for us. Lastly, I'm gonna say this. And I'm going to end with this data is important, that we always rely upon the loves.

That we know that in the end of the day, it is a law who will protect us. So

seeking Allah's help, and relying upon one another, as we know in the story of use of it, he said when he was tempted, and let's get closer, this Zina and his temptation was was out it's such a severe intense level a lot was out of tells us that well was she locked close the doors and sorry, I saw that the CDC there were multiple doors that were locked and closed, meaning there's no ways that we're gonna walk in on them. So in terms of like worldly repercussions right there, there weren't any and audits hate that. She said, Come to me, right. This is a moment where I was like, is like giving that's it? All worldly repercussions seem to be missing out there is the only thing that

saved us I didn't set up was the statement Allah Allah says you refuge.

Right. So for us, what we're going through the slide no matter what we are facing, as I said at the beginning of this talk, we all face different challenges, different temptations, different trials, is important that we constantly go back to our spirituality, our relationship that was the last thing remember, no matter how intense, no matter how strong a temptation may be, Allah subhanaw taala is more powerful. And as we say, we seek refuge in the lungs. Allah lost her to her that

so how to love more, we humbly share that with you. So people during

the ceremony, somebody who watched the live webcast