Shakiel Humayun – Only Islam Has This 53rd Sermon
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AI: Transcript ©
A lady who was looking into Islam
said what can Islam give me?
I have a beautiful family.
I'm wealthy.
I have great children.
I am happy.
I have a great job.
I have a great life.
What is it
that Islam
can give me?
If someone
wants some spiritual peace, they probably
could say,
I can do some meditation.
And there are many other avenues
to find
some sort of spirituality.
What can Islam
give me? Someone, an individual, a lady
who is saying
that she has it all.
There's something so profound that Islam can give
her.
That it doesn't exist anywhere else.
It is so valuable
that it has eternal implications.
And it comes in 2 parts.
The first,
islam
defines
that this world
is a test
to excel in good.
The second part,
which is probably more important than the first
part,
is that Islam
tells us how to pass this test.
Islam gives us the answers to this test.
The commands
and prohibitions of Allah are the answers.
These are the minimum performance requirements to pass
this test.
No one has this.
No book,
no philosophy,
no religion,
no science,
nothing can give this valuable
information that can change
your
our life. And, thus, Allah, Subhanahu, said,
And for each nation, each community, Allah Subhanahu
has given a shira'a,
a code of law,
and a minhaj,
a way of life.
And the word shira'a
means sharia.
And the word Sharia means a body of
water
that comes from a river or a valley.
And it's likened to a body of water.
The commands and prohibitions in Islam are likened
to a body of water.
Because just as human beings, we cannot live
without water. That in the hereafter,
we cannot
survive if we don't implement
these commandments and prohibitions in this life.
And so these commands and prohibitions,
the test that we live in,
this concept
solves so many philosophical issues.
For centuries,
scholars and philosophers have been debating and discussing
issues.
And the answer is very simple.
If we look at those issues through the
lens of this concept,
that we're in this life
living a test to excel with those answers
being the commands and provisions. All those
centuries worth of debate is a result.
And as Muslim communities, we don't talk about
this concept enough.
And if we have this concept that we
are living in this test, we are here
for this test front and center.
If we have that front and center, our
lives would change.
Our focus would change.
Our 5 year plan would change.
Our marriages would get better.
There will be a massive
paradigm shift in our mindset.
And so today
I'm going to give
a couple of
examples
about this.
That if we take
this concept
and apply it to
some of these philosophical
issues, we'll see how it solves the problems.
And, also,
if there's time, I'll give some contemporary issues
that our society
is struggling with. And if we look at
it through this concept, it solves it immediately.
The first philosophical issue for that's been debated
is the problem of evil that
why is there evil in this world?
And if God is so good, why does
he allow evil to exist? And scholars and
philosophers have been debating and discussing.
And atheists use this as a reason to
deny that God exists because evil exists.
But if we look at the alternative, that
if there's no evil in this world,
if there's just all positives,
Imagine this life with nothing but pleasure and
enjoyment and happiness.
How could that be a test?
It's only a test when you're tested.
And for you to be tested,
you will have to face
bad experiences.
You'll have to face evil temptations.
And when you face evil temptations, you are
tested. Your values are tested.
Your integrity is tested.
That will you break your values or will
you stick to your values?
So there cannot be a test
if there's no bad choices. It's like walking
into an examination hall and saying, look, I
want to have an exam,
but all the multiple choice,
choices that I have must all be correct.
They all must be right. That's not a
test.
For it to be a test, the person
must have the freedom to choose the right
answer and the wrong answer. And the wrong
answer, if one has the option to choose,
that means there will be evil on this
earth.
And this is what Allah subhanahu said in
that very same verse.
That if Allah willed, he would have made
you into one community,
one religion.
Everyone is good.
But he didn't
because that's the nature of a test. They
will be good. They will be bad.
Number 2.
Evil exists.
Bad exists.
Because every test must be scored.
Scoring in degrees. It's not just a pass
or fail test.
Because that's not
fair. Because not everyone strives.
Someone who gets a passing grade like 71
versus someone who gets a 99.
We have to accommodate those who strive harder.
So there must be a scoring mechanism
that recognizes the various degrees that people strive.
And this scoring mechanism
requires that bad experiences
exist.
Because when you go through these unwanted
experiences that you don't like,
you realize what you want.
You realize what you like.
It is when you go through pain that
you realize you want comfort.
It is when you go through sorrow and
grief that you realize
the value of happiness.
And so once we realize what we want
by going through these unwanted negative experiences,
this is where growth happens.
So if I am hurt by ignorance, I
didn't know something, and I got the short
end of the stick.
I realize that ignorance is harmful for me,
and that's an unwanted experience.
That makes me realize I should seek knowledge
because knowledge can protect me. So I seek
knowledge. Now their growth is happening. And how
much I strive to seek knowledge will vary
from individual to individual. These are the degrees.
Am I gonna get a 71 in seeking
knowledge? Am I gonna get a 99?
Am I gonna learn the Quranic Arabic just
to understand a few short chapters of the
Quran?
Or am I gonna learn the Quranic Arabic
so I can understand and read the Quran
cover to cover because I wanna know what
my lord is saying?
And so when this growth happens,
we have these various degrees of people striving
in this growth, and thus the rewards are
there. And this is why Allah subhanahu in
the very same verse
said,
Then go ahead
and compete
in goodness.
This is where the scores can get higher
and higher.
So the problem of evil existing.
Why are there bad experiences?
If we look at it through the lens
of this world being a test, it answers
all those questions.
The second philosophical question that has been debated
debated over centuries
exists in Christendom
and also popped up in the 1st century
of Islam
by a group called the.
Where within Christianism, there's also a debate saying,
is just faith enough, or do we need
to have actions indeed? Should there be commandments
and prohibitions?
Some say that faith is enough. All you
need to do is believe, and you're going
straight to paradise. Others say no. It's faith
and works. It's faith and actions. Faith and
deeds. The take
out actions from the definition of iman.
Where Ahmad will include actions as part of
iman. So this is this debate.
But it can be solved that if we
see that this world is a test,
then it's not enough for me to walk
into an examination hall and say, look, I
acknowledge that this is an exam.
And I believe this is an exam.
And based on that, based on my belief,
give me a 100.
No one's going to score or give that
score to this person. But I have to
perform on that exam.
I have to choose and make correct decisions
and circle the right answer.
And so if we see that this world
is a test,
then it's clear
that it cannot just be faith or oh,
brother Nia, my heart, that's enough. Intention in
my heart. My heart is clean. No. It
has to be the statements of the tongue.
There has to also be actions of the
limbs.
So just by looking at this concept, it
solves
these two philosophical issues.
Let's take a look at some of the
contemporary issues and how this understanding that this
world is a test to excel, for us
to see who will excel in good.
Today, we have some people
saying
we're never going to have children.
Why should we have children?
Some women saying I'm not going to have
children because it's going to change how my
body looks.
Some men saying I'm not going to have
children because it's going to increase expenses
that I have to pay for.
Parents saying we're not going to have children
because it's going to reduce our quality time.
It's going to take away from our goals,
from our life. Why
should we have children?
These are some arguments of some people. Now
there are many reasons why
we should have children.
But one of them
is that if we look at it through
the lens of this concept that we're in
this world
in a test
And that the prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam
and Islam has told us
that the parent, every
good deed that the child does,
the parent gets that written on their scale.
The one who shows someone
something good, and if they do it, the
person who showed it to them gets the
reward. So the parents who teach their children
good manners, teach them about Islam, teach them
how to pray, teach them,
good etiquettes,
when they're dead, every time they're living and
they're practicing and they're making tahajjud and they're
fasting Ramadan after Ramadan, they're praying because you
guided them to that.
You get that as your points. Talk about
scoring. Those become your points
on your scale on the day of judgment.
So it becomes a no brainer to have
children. This is just one reason.
2nd contemporary issue
is the role of genders. We have gender
wars
in some societies.
Toxic
masculinity,
toxic feminism,
extremism from both sides.
Women saying
they hate men.
Men saying they hate women.
This disdain to this degree.
But if you look at this concept that
we're in this world to pass this test,
everything changes.
The prophet Muhammad
said if a person gets married,
he completes half
of his religion.
Then let him be mindful of all Allah
and the other half.
In other words,
this test in this life, we're sent here
to fulfill this test
not alone. If you're sent on a mission,
would you rather do that mission by yourself
or would you rather do it with a
partner?
Especially
if that partner has superpowers that you don't
have.
Would there be greater chances of passing this
test
as a team
in a mission
or going solo?
The chances are greater if we're a team.
So Islam sees us as a team. Yes.
We have different roles.
The woman has super powers that the man
does not have,
and the man has super powers that the
woman doesn't have.
And this does not mean that one cannot
do the other role
or do certain things from the other role.
But what this means is that when we're
in a mission,
I'm going to leverage your superpower
and you're going to leverage my superpower because
our goal is to get through this temporary
time limited mission to get to the other
side. And so we're going to work as
a team. And once we pass this mission,
we get the prize,
which is.
That we get paradise where we can do
whatever
we want. Then you can take my role
all you want because in paradise you can
do it all day, all night. I can
take your role all day, all night. But
here,
when it's the time
is clicking,
let us come together and use our superpowers
together to pass this test.
Being in this mission to pass this test,
that should be front and center
in our lives as individuals, as communities,
as families.
Every decision we make,
that should be first.
That should be a lens by which we
make our decisions and plan our future.
And arguing over our roles in this test,
which Allah has defined for us, is a
waste of time.
Imagine people on a mission
and they start arguing
it will compromise the mission. The focus has
to be on how to complete the mission.
And this is what the prophet
Muhammad directed us.
He
said, be in this world,
this test that we have,
as though you're a stranger
or a traveler.
A stranger or a traveler doesn't have attachment
problems with this world.
The person understands that it's a limited time
and it's temporary.
That I have to get through this mission.
But this doesn't mean that some people take
to the other extreme, hey, you know,
we're only in this world for a temporary
time being, so
I'd rather be poor.
There's no point getting education.
That is not what this hadith means,
because to pass the test,
as we mentioned before,
we have to strive
and excel in good. And being wealthy is
an act of worship.
Seeking education
is an act of worship.
So all of that
must be strived for. And and
said
mentioned this balance.
This is the balance.
He said,
work for your dunya, for this world,
as if you're going to live forever.
Strive. Make your 5 year plan, 10 year
plan,
20 year plan. Plan to live to be
105 years old. Get your health in shape
to sustain you so you can be a
105. Plan as if you're going to live
forever in this world.
But then he said,
live for your hereafter
as if
you're going to die tomorrow.
Don't delay that Hajj.
Don't delay memorizing the Quran.
Don't delay learning the Quran Arabic.
Don't delay that Duha prayer.
Don't delay the sunnah
of the 5 prayers that UwatiB,
the consistent sunnah that prophet did.
Increase your good deeds as if you're going
to die tomorrow. And with this balance,
we're able to keep
a healthy velocity
to pass this test
and pass this mission. To the point that
prophet
Muhammad emphasizes and said, if you're about to
plant,
a shoot or a plant and you see
the hour about to be established,
go ahead and continue to plant it.
So for our world,
our worldly affairs, we live as if we're
gonna live forever. Even if we see the
world's gonna end, we still continue doing and
striving for good.