Why Worship God

My dear brothers and sisters, I know we have come out of the month of Ramadan. And we ask Allah Subhana Allah to Allah to accept our efforts and our worship and our devotion in the month of Ramadan. We want to keep on making this dua for as long as we can, because that means that we are continuing to be motivated in the progress that we made during the month of Ramadan. And I know sometimes when we come out of the month of Ramadan, it can feel difficult, it can feel difficult to come to keep the momentum that we had going in the month of Ramadan. And first and foremost, it is important to understand that that is natural and normal. Because of Ramadan, the month of Ramadan

had a lot going for it. Number one that is a month that is a Mubarak month, it is a blessing month, Allah has made that a blessing month. And that is a month in which as the prophets of Allah and send them told us that the gates to Jenna are wide open, well, who would not and the date and the doors of the Hellfire are shut closed was so see that the shell clean and the shell theme, the devils are chained up.

And what that means for us is that because of the baraka the blessings of that month, it becomes a lot easier for us to worship Allah, it becomes a lot easier for us to make sacrifices that we possibly were not able to make outside of the month of Ramadan. And that's why when someone is trying to quit a bad habit, for example, the month of Ramadan is a beautiful time to do that, because they have the blessings and the baraka of Allah who's Haddaway to Allah in that month. And so yes, when we come out of that month, it is normal to feel like you know, it's not quite the same.

The Baraka maybe is not on that level. On top of that we had something going for us in the month of Ramadan, and that was congregation GEMA we were worshipping Allah subhanaw taala as a community. Even when we are sitting in our own homes, we all knew that we are all sitting in our homes fasting together. And there is a different sweetness to breaking your fast and knowing that there are billions of people around the world breaking fast with you. There are billions of people around the world who are hungry during the day for the sake of Allah subhanho wa Taala congregation Jamar and that is one of the wisdoms of Allah who is of Hanoi to Allah and why so many of our acts of worship

in the deen of Islam are legislated by Allah in congregation. Because when we are together, we are able to motivate one another. We're able to be there for one another and that helps us worship Allah Who Subhan Allah to Allah, congregation being there with one another and this is why the prophets of Allah Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, I know you can be Jana. He said, I urge you to stick to the congregation. Well, you can win football and I warn you beware of being by yourself. But in the sheer Panama and what had the the she upon is with the devil is with the person who is by themselves. Well, who Amina is Nene about. And from two people he is a little bit more distant

meaning the more we congregate together for the sake of Allah subhanho wa taala, the more distant the she Athan is from us. And so now as we're coming out of the month of Ramadan, we've come out of the month of Ramadan, we should start thinking about how do we bring back those feelings of Ramadan? And one very simple response and answer and solution to that problem is congregation is GEMA be there together, worship Allah Subhan Allah to Allah together. Once again, this is why so many of our acts of worship are legislated in congregation. The Juma prayer which we are all involved in right now may Allah accept is an act of worship that we do in congregation the five daily prayers should

be prayed in congregation Ramadan we fast all together hajj and umrah we make with other people, these are all acts of congregation. And so we fight the influence of the Shabbat now the shelter and have been let loose. We fight that by being together with one another. My brothers and sisters when we are alone, and we are by ourselves, the she upon is can play with us. This she upon can make us feel that perhaps we do believe that this is something that we owe to Allah the acts of worship can feel difficult for us. And subhanAllah there's a very big difference between believing that the acts of worship are difficult or feeling that the acts of worship are difficult versus this is something

that Allah needs from us. Because it is normal to feel like worship is difficult. Absolutely. It is normal, but to feel that somehow we are doing a favor to Allah that somehow Allah needs us to worship Him. That is very

Very dangerous. The reality of our worship, when we're able to fight the influence of the Shri upon is that we are the ones who benefit from our worship. We are the ones who need to worship Allah subhanaw taala. As Allah Jana Allah says, yeah you are nurse unto what? You know Allah, old people. You are the ones who are in need of Allah. And the word that Allah uses is cut off appeal, meaning you are poor, you are desperate, in front of Allah Subhana Allah to Allah will Allah who will accompany you with a heavy, Allah is free of any need and Allah is the one who should be praised. Allah is not in need of us. Allah is not in need of our worship, whether all of us worship Allah

with the best of our ability, it would not matter to Allah, it would not make any difference in the greatness of Allah, if all of us left the worship of Allah and became disobedient to Allah, Allah subhanho wa taala. It would not decrease from the greatness of Allah subhanho wa Taala in the least. And I want to share it with you one example of this type of devotion to Allah. You know, in the month of Ramadan, we got used to fundraisers, we got used to people collecting money. And sometimes like, let's just be real. It could feel a little irritating. You come to the masjid. You want to pray today? Oh, yeah. And after for a cause, or a cause, depending on how many your mission prays.

But in the middle,

we're after two because someone stands up and says brothers and sisters, before we continue with the Tarawih prayer, we have to raise some money. And certainly we may feel you know what? Why is it? Why do we have to do this now? We may feel irritated at that. And we may think to ourselves, like come on. I'm just here to pray. I just want to pray. I want to get it done. Like it's almost as if and we may not say this out loud. But some people are feeling this on the inside. We may think to ourselves, like Are you really going to hold me hostage? I'm just here to pray. And now you're holding my prayer hostage and I've heard people even say this out loud meant May Allah protect us.

And we may think that Subhanallah this is something that the masjid owes to us. That we pray in the masjid and the reality is an often sees pad Allah, you know, the Sunnah of Dawa is the province I send them pray at home and in the masjid. So it's really bothering you. I'm not gonna say anything else. I'm just gonna leave it there. Right? But we may think to ourselves, why why do we have to do this now? And we may feel like it is a burden, that somehow we are doing a favor to those who are asking for money for the sake of Allah Subhana Allah to Allah when Allah didn't know what Allah tells us of this example, Allahu Allah, Allah says, Here you are. Ha ha and to, to the hourly tune

feel coffee, Sabina, Allah says here you are invited to the spend to spend in the way of Allah and that's us. Right? Well, when someone asks us for money, when a fundraiser happens, especially in the middle of you know, you know, where we're congregating in the masjid, to the elderly to vehicle feasable Allah, Allah says here you are invited to spend in the way of Allah. And then Allah says, For men coming may ye been amongst you are those who the word is really stingy. Right? Bukal but it means hold back. There are those amongst you who hold back, who feel like this is a burden. And then Allah who's Allah says, Who am I? Yep, hon. And for those who hold back in NEMA, yep. hunnu infc.

Allah says, The one who holds back is only holding back from themselves. Now that is a change in perspective, that's a very different paradigm. Because when someone comes and says, given the way of Allah who's panela data, we now think to ourselves, like I gotta give something up. I'm doing a favor to someone.

That we have some some rank over them now that we are giving. And Allahu Subhana Allah to Allah says the one who holds back into my Yep, hello infc They're only holding back from themselves. Meaning you think that your charity is going to make the difference. But remember that Allah subhanho wa Taala is in charge. Allah is the One who is in charge of these people, those people who are in need, if you do not give, Allah will find those who give. If you do not help Allah will find those who will help if you do not serve this Deen Allah who will replace you and find those who will serve this theme. If you don't worship Allah subhanho wa taala. There are there are others who will

worship Allah and reap the rewards of that worship of Allah Jalla wa Ala. And then Allah subhana wa Tada says, Will Allah Allah honey, Allah is free of any need. If you think you're giving to Allah, meaning Allah needs this from you. Allah is free of any need well until

you are the ones who are truly in need meaning you are in need of this reward of this act of submission to

Allah subhanho wa Taala so after the month of Ramadan, when we begin to feel like our acts of worship are a burden, we may drag our feet. The Salah comes and we're like, you know, we don't have that same energy that we had in the month of Ramadan. We remind ourselves we sit in a ship on the regime, we seek refuge and Allah from the accursed chi upon the whisperings of the Shabbat, that is telling you, Oh, here's another chore that you have to do. Here's another ritual that you have to perform. In our deen is very clear that our acts of worship are not just rituals, they are acts of devotion, their acts of attaining the love of Allah who Subhan Allah to Allah. This is what our acts

of worship are. And we are the ones my brothers and sisters who are in need of this worship of Allah. And Allah tells us and one of the main reasons we transgress we disobey Allah can in that in Santa Leia still gonna know but surely man transgressors, human beings transgressed. Why are you still gonna this person they see themselves as being self sufficient. The moment we feel that we don't need Allah. We don't need Islam. We don't need our deen we become distant from the deen of Allah subhanho wa taala.

But if we were to just focus for just a moment, and contemplate on our need for our Rob and our Lord and our sustainer and our provider, we would understand that we are the call, we are the ones who are desperately in need. And you know, these verses in which Allah Subhana Allah data refers to human beings as caught on this includes the rich and the poor, by the way, because the poor and the rich, they're all before Allah subhana wa ala they are all to Quran you know, the companions of the Prophet and sending them they once came to the prophets of Allah who I knew he was sending them.

And they complained to the person sending them about not having more wealth. And I know that sounds odd if you know the Sahaba the Companions it sounds odd that they would want more wealth. But listen to why they complained. They came to the Prophet sallallahu I knew he was sending them and they said the Sahaba just horrible audio. They said those who have the wealth they have taken all of the reward you said no no come on to Sunday they pray as we pray well, you're soon gonna come on assume they fast as we fast. So they're saying in their worship, we're all the same level. Well, I can the opposite. They're gonna be for Dooley and Wiley him, but they're able they give from the wealth that

Allah has given to the meaning they're saying, Oh Messenger of Allah, how is it fair, that we don't have wealth so that we can give for the sake of Allah who spatula to Allah. So they are complaining, but they're complaining that we wish we had wealth so we could gain that reward that the wealthy have that opportunity. And then the prophets Allah, Allahu Allah, he was sending them in the rest of this hadith, the meaning and the lesson of this hadith prasadam teaches them that it is not about numbers and figures and wealth, it is about our intention. The prophets I send them he said, he mentioned to them he said in Italy, because he took me out in South Africa, literally letting sadaqa

will lead to spirit in South Africa. He told the companions that when you Say Subhan, Allah, that is a form of charity as well. When you say let you in Allah when you say Subhana, Allah Al Hamdulillah. All of those are forms of forms of charity, meaning if it's about reward, then remember that Allah has given everyone different strengths and different weaknesses. We may attain the reward of someone else by doing a different act of worship. And so the message here, my brothers and sisters, is that desperation, for reward from Allah subhanaw taala. That is the mindset that we need to be in post Ramadan after Ramadan, that we remind ourselves that we are the ones who are in need of the worship

of Allah subhanho wa Taala Akula Cody had stuck with Allah Allah Allah was stuck in the hole full of Orion.

hamdulillahi rabbil Alameen wa salatu salam O Allah should have been Ambia even more Celine Nabi in our say, You know what have you been on Mohammed? Well, either early he was like a big man. I mean, I want to share with you another Hadith of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned a Muslim, in which the prophets Allah Allahu Allah he was sending them mentions the circumstance, or the case of a person who the prophets I send them said he journeyed a long distance a very far distance, and he arrived at his destination, disheveled and dusty, meaning this journey took them a long time and some of our scholars interpret this hadith to mean the journey of hides, meaning a

person travels very far from there.

On land, they make these sacrifices and, and obviously back in those times that journey left a person disheveled and dusty. And yes, even in our times we feel tired when we take a long journey. And the prophets I send them said this person traveled this long journey. And they arrived disheveled and dusty. And this person raises their hands, and they begin to make the up. This person says, Yo, Rob, yeah, Rob, my lord, my lord, meaning this person begins in their, in their supplication in their prayer. And then the prophets I send them says something which honestly, is very scary to hear.

But I think we need to hear the Prophet sallallahu sallam, he said, This person raises his hands and makes dua to say my rub my rub my lord, my lord will matter. I will who haram were mashallah boo haram. What who the bill haram? wamalwa su haram. For unregistered? Yeah Bula. The prophets I send them says that this person's food is haram. Meaning either what they're eating is haram or that the food was attained in a haram way. Their drink is haram. It is impermissible. Once again either they attained it in a way that is impermissible It is haram or what they are drinking is haram while Malpass who had on their clothing, they clothed themselves with the haram.

They nourish themselves this person nourish themselves with that which Allah has made impermissible

for unknown, the javelina. So how is it that this person's dua will be answered?

And what this hadith means my brothers and sisters, and sometimes people misinterpret this hadith. And they think that what this means is that if a person has committed sins, Allah will not answer their door. That is not correct. What the message of this hadith is the mindset and the emotional and spiritual state that a person is in when they are making dua, that if a person leaves their life not caring about Allah, not caring about their food, or their drink, or their clothing or their sustenance, meaning the person lives their life, disconnected from Allah, they don't think is this pleasing to Allah or not? Is this displeasing to Allah or not, there is a disconnect in their

connection with Allah, their connection with Allah is damaged in their daily life.

There's something missing, and if there is something missing in their life, and certainly when they make dua, that connection will be broken as well. That connection will have a problem because they believe or lives their life, with Taqwa with consciousness of Allah, constant submission to Allah constant renewal of that submission, where we go from moment to moment, hour to hour, day to day we are thinking of our relationship with Allah Who Subhan Allah to Allah and in turn, when that person makes to their to our will be a strong dua.

And this is why the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam reminded us of those people whose whose dua is very strong, that we owe them a favor. You know, on one occasion, the spoils of war were being distributed amongst the companions. And the prophets, I tell them, he said up who need to offer a con, he said, Bring to me the weak and vulnerable amongst you.

And some of the companions they said, you know, the weak and vulnerable, the old in the sick, I mean, they, they didn't go out and fight in this battle. Right. So why did they get a share of the spoils of war? You know what the prophets I send them told them, he said, sallAllahu, I think he was sick was sending them. He said, Halton Sarona, we're gonna elaborate to Allah.

He said, You think Allah gives you victory? You think Allah provides for you except by the weak and the vulnerable amongst you? How do you think this ummah is sustained? By the dua of the people who have everything by the dua of the people who don't feel that they need Allah, by the dua of the people who go day to day not once thinking of Allah?

Or does Allah sustain this ummah, by the dua of the weak and the vulnerable, who know every day that they need? Allahu Subhan Allah to Allah, every day, they are they feel desperate to Allah every day they do not know whether their home will be standing or not. Every day they do not know what their parents will live to see the end of the day are not war torn countries that are being bombed, constantly oppressed and subjugated people. These are the people that Allahu Allah subhanho wa Taala it is by their dua that Allah sustains you.

These are the people that have a right

Think amongst us. And this is why the prophets I send them made sure that they were recognized amongst us, because we owe them. And my brothers and sisters, I'm not here to shame you or to guilt you because of what Allah has given to you. I'm only here to remind you and remind myself that of Allah has given to us. This means that our connection with Allah needs to be strong.

Because we can forget, we can forget that we need Allahu Subhana wa Taala we can get caught up in life caught up in what's going on in our life. And I'm not saying we don't have our own problems everyone is has their own challenges in their problems. But if we compare our lives to our brothers and sisters, and I will usually say you know, across the world overseas, yes, but even in United States of America, there are brothers and sisters of ours were struggling. And if we compare ourselves to them, we would realize that Allah subhanaw taala has given to us so much. And so when we worship Allah Jalla, wa ala, this is a form of gratefulness and thankfulness to Allah subhana wa

Tada. And this is why the companions of the Prophet send them they would fear, the test of ease, more than the test of hardship. They would say, when Allah puts us in a calamity, we can recognize this as a test. We know Allah is testing us. When Allah gives to us, and we're living an easy life, how do we know we can we can become complacent, we can we can, you know, just become heatless. And not remember that Allah is testing every one, Allah test some with difficulty, and Allah tests others with ease. And so my brothers and sisters, these are the days to reflect upon what Allah subhanaw taala has given to us. And one of the things that I would recommend is to connect with

those brothers and sisters who are going through difficult times, to sit with them, to talk to them to connect with them to hear their stories, because that builds empathy. Meaning you can try and feel what your brothers and sisters what our brothers and sisters are feeling. And that will help us connect us with Allah Who Subhan Allah to Allah. It is important that we also remember how fragile life is. How can we feel self sufficient, when the next moment in our life is not guaranteed? Some of us came in here, assuming that we will reach the end of the day, May Allah protect us and preserve us, but no one has that guarantee. And this is why the prophets I send them reminded us to

remember death.

He said a crewman Vickery heard that he said increase in remembering that which destroys temptations,

desires, and Mote death. We ask Allah subhana wa Taala to help us live our life in the Taqwa of Allah Allah subhana wa Dianna Allahumma Amin.