Sikander Hashmi – Joy & Relief after Hardship KMA Friday Message
AI: Summary ©
The pandemic has led to graduates and teachers feeling relief and joy, but challenges are still ahead. The importance of embracing and embracing the natural human reaction of feeling relief and joy after a hardship or adversity is emphasized. Finding forgiveness through acts of worship and giving in charity is crucial, and physical expression of gratitude is also important. It is important to show gratitude and praise to Allah and not lose the positives that have been balanced. It is important to protect everyone from evil influences and be wary of evil plans. Consent to show gratitude and praise to Allah is also emphasized. It is important to show forgiveness and show support for everyone.
AI: Summary ©
My dear brothers and sisters,
may Allah bless you all and always keep
you happy and keep you safe.
We find ourselves
in a situation,
where
we are,
first of all,
of course, at the end of the school
year. So I want to start off by
congratulating
my young friends.
I want to start off by,
congratulating all of you, especially those who have
just graduated,
for having completed,
this unique
and very challenging
school year.
I know that online learning, online classes,
and indeed online teaching for teachers,
wasn't easy.
And
an entire year of online study
is no easy feat. I know that, especially
for those who are in the online stream
and you were having online classes through the
entire school year. I know that wasn't easy.
And for those who are,
going in person,
you know, the switches,
to online and the uncertainty, the anxiety about
what's gonna happen, whether you're gonna be going
in person or,
or having to to stay at home and
learn online,
I know that made it even harder because,
that uncertainty and that anxiety a lot of
times can get the best of us.
So for many people, you know, if you
tell them,
what it's gonna be, either one or the
other, it's, it's a lot more easier to
handle that as opposed to,
being unsure and not knowing what's gonna happen,
next.
For teachers, as I mentioned, I know this
was an incredibly difficult year to manage
all these changes and to keep students engaged
online.
You know, I've seen that firsthand.
My wife is a teacher.
So I know how challenging it can be,
and even in someone who who also teaches
and, does
programs online. I know how challenging it can
be,
to keep, everyone engaged and especially especially children,
engaged.
So, I want to,
give a special thanks to all the teachers
out there who have worked really, really hard
this year to try to see your work.
For the parents, I know that there was
a lot of anxiety
and strain, especially for those who have younger
children,
you know, to to have a young child
who's maybe in kindergarten, grade 1, grade 2,
constantly in front of the computer the entire
day learning online,
for for for weeks on end.
It's almost like it's an impossible task. So,
I know there was a lot of stress
and anxiety and strain there there as well,
but
the school year has come to an end.
So all of these challenges,
have come to an end at least to
a certain degree. And to all the graduates,
I wanna say that, you know, we are
so proud of you for making it and,
for for making it to where you've made
where you've you've you've made it to,
and for all of your accomplishments.
May Allah
always guide you and protect you,
and continue to strengthen you and make you
always keep you happy and safe. We
ask Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala also,
to make the next school year and every
year after that easy and safe and beneficial.
I mean,
my friends, we also find,
pandemic restrictions
lifting as well,
as more and more people get vaccinated, especially
with their second doses and the case counts
go down,
and, of course, a lot warmer weather, which
means that we are able to to gather
and do things outdoors. So
we are seeing that happen as well. The
restrictions are being loosened accordingly,
even quarantine requirements for for those who travel
outside of Canada,
and have had have received their double dose,
of or second shot,
then those quarantine requirements are also busy being
eased or being removed altogether.
So it finally seems like this pandemic
might be coming to an end. But remember,
as we've discussed before, it will only truly
come to an end when Allah
decides that it is to come to an
end. Right? We've talked about this before. We
can try all we want,
you know, whether it's vaccines or other measures
that people take,
to to try to control this pandemic. But
at the end of the day, it's truly
gonna come to an end when Allah
decides, when Allah
decrees that it is to come
to an end,
which brings me to an important point,
that I'd like to share today. So the
school year was tough, but we
made it. And now, you know, we're feeling
great relief and great joy. I could see
it, you know, in the, the eyes of,
of course, my my kids,
and,
all the others kids out there and students
out there. You know? I know how it
feels at the end of the year. Like,
I remember distinctly, clearly
how it feels,
you know, to have
the the last class and,
be at the end of the year when
the vacation starts.
It's I would always feel like someone had
taken a boulder off my shoulders, and I
would literally just feel so free.
So I know that amazing feeling and especially
in a year like this, that was incredibly
challenging.
I know,
you know, I can, I I can sense
that great relief and that joy, and I
actually feel it as well? Because you know
what? Whenever there's a snow day, I also
get excited. I still get excited. So,
you know, I I feel that that joy,
and and I'm I'm absolutely with you in
that.
School itself,
you know, was challenging,
for years for those who are graduating,
but
finally, you're graduate you've graduated and you feel
accomplishment,
or you feel a sense of accomplishment,
and you feel happy naturally.
The pandemic has been very tough.
It looks like, you know, we're getting to
the end.
With the loosened restrictions, there's a lot of
relief. There's a lot of joy. People are
going out and, you know, meeting their friends,
you know, have eating outside in, you know,
in patios at restaurants
and doing the the activities they were not
able to do. And, of course, people are
happy, and, they are relieved.
So, indeed, you know, with any hardship,
with when any hardship is overcome,
And we know, by the way, that ease
is around the corner, that whenever a hardship
or adversity comes to us, we know that
ease is around the corner because it comes
with it. That's what Allah tells us. Right?
And and, and and, Allah
and tells us in right, that
Right? Allah tells us actually tells us twice.
So we know that whenever there's a hardship
or adversity comes,
one hardship or adversity comes, there are multiple,
2 or more
eases that are associated with it that are
actually coming at the same time, but we're
not able to see them perhaps, or they're
just around the corner.
So it's there. Right? It's
there.
But,
the question is, though, that how should we,
believers, react
after overcoming adversity and challenges?
So once we have overcome an adversity or
a challenge so, you know, getting through it
is difficult, is challenging. We know that. You
know, there's a lot of strategies and and
ways that, you know, we can try to
cope with adversity and challenges, and we've talked
about that, about those in, you know, in
great length,
multiple times over the past 16, 17 months.
But the question is that once that adversity
and the challenge is over, how should we
react as believers? Because normally,
you know, normally, what do we find? It's
I guess, I I it's a it's a
natural human reaction,
that, you know, when the challenge is done,
and the the adversity is has been overcome,
then it's just it's party time. Right? That's
what people do. They go out, they party,
they celebrate,
they go crazy, they go wild perhaps.
But, you know, as believers, what should our,
our our response be? How should we react?
And that's not to say that we can't
be happy. Of course, we're gonna be happy.
Right? When a person overcomes a challenge, goes
through a great trust test, and then there's
ease after, you know, or they're successful or,
you know, they find ease, and and and
some relief after a great challenge, a great
adversity, of course, they're gonna be happy. They
should be happy. Right? They they should be
excited. They should be feeling relieved and joyous
because that's that's a natural human reaction.
But other than that, you know, how how
should we be reacting, or how should we
be channeling
our relief and our joy? So, of course,
my brothers and sisters, it goes without saying
that the first first step always should be
gratefulness
to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. Gratefulness to Allah
Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala knowing that any ease, any
success that we have comes only and only
from Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. Yes, we may
have made an effort. Yes. We may have
made different choices
that have that perhaps, you know, helped us
get to the good result. But at the
end of the day, the good result, the
overcoming of the challenge is only from Allah
All the choices that we made, they were
part of the test. Right? That was part
of the test that how do we navigate
through this challenge? How do we try to
overcome this challenge? And that included using the
means that were available to us that Allah
had given us, trying to make the best
of every situation. So that was our test.
Right? So every single decision that we made
that actually helped, you know, that that brought
us to the the desired result,
those were all decisions that we had to
make because they were part of the test.
But the actual
result
came from Allah
If Allah
wanted all of our efforts and our choices
that now appear to be the right choices,
you know, could have still led to failure,
could have still led us to not be
successful. Right? So knowing that ease and success
only and only come from Allah
So what do we do? We show gratefulness
to Allah. And how do we do that?
First of all, to show gratefulness
physically. Right?
Yeah. Abu Bakr
relates and then
that when the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam
heard any news that made him glad.
That
made him glad. That made him happy. Well,
or, you know, that was a glad timing
or or good news, what would the prophet
do? He would fall down prostrating to Allah
subhanahu wa ta'ala. He
would physically go into
prostration
to show gratefulness and thank to thank Allah
subhanahu
wa ta'ala.
He would fall down prostrating to Allah
out of gratefulness
to to to express his gratefulness, and thanks
to Allah
So this is the first thing that we
we learned, that this was the reaction of
the prophet
wasallam
when there was relief, when there was a
blessing, when there was a moment to show
gratefulness to Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala.
We also know that the prophet sallallahu alaihi
wasallam would offer the night prayers and his
feet, you know, would become swollen. And,
Aisha, beallahu anha, you know, asked him why
do you continue to do that when your
sins are forgiven? You don't you don't have
to worry about sins. And the prophet
said,
shall I not be a grateful servant? So
again, gratefulness being expressed here through, you know,
acts of worship towards Allah
Also, you know, giving in charity. Right? That
is also giving sadaqa. That is also another
way to express gratefulness to Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala.
You know, to to, you know, people would
either sacrifice an animal, give away the meat,
or generally just giving any sadaqa, you know,
to to as a means of expressing gratitude
to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. And, of course,
other, you know, acts of worship
can be done as well,
but this is what we learned. Number 1,
physical,
expression of gratitude.
Of course, saying
as well is perhaps the first thing that
we do, but also then feeling it in
our hearts as well. So feeling and recognizing
the overcoming of the adversity and the challenge
as a blessing of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala
and not as one's own accomplishments. So dealing
with it, approaching it with humility.
Right? Not getting
becoming boastful,
not becoming,
arrogant, but rather being humble and recognizing that
it is a blessing of Allah and
feeling that inside
of our hearts.
Secondly, my brothers and sisters, praising Allah
and seeking forgiveness.
You see, we learn a great lesson from
Surah Al Nasr. Right? Surah Al Nasr, of
course,
one of the last surahs of the Quran.
And Allah
revealed
it after the conquest of Mecca. And as
you know, the conquest of Mecca was a
major
victory
after the overcoming of, you know, or which
which which signal the overcoming of challenges,
and great adversity. You know, there was so
much pain that the prophet and
the believers went through in Mecca. And then,
of course, you know, all the the the
the torture
and the difficulties
that
the
the Muslim through, you know, all the plots
against the prophet
all the losses, you know, in terms of
family members and and friends and relatives,
and then the migration, of course, to Medina
and and, you know, to all of that
and the battles, everything that they had to
go through.
And then, of course, came the great triumph,
which was the conquest of Mecca.
So great struggle to get to that point.
So Allah
tells us, You
know, when there comes Allah's help
and the right? So Allah is talking about
his help and the victory coming together. Right?
Because the victory doesn't come without Allah's help,
it comes with Allah's help. And at the
end of the surah, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala
tells us, you know, the response
the response that the believers, that the prophet
sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, the believers,
were to have were supposed to have after
this great victory and this overcoming of challenges,
which is a lesson for us as well
because it gives us an indication
as to what our response should be once
we have a great triumph or once we
overcome great difficulty. Allah
says,
Then glorify the praises of your lord and
seek his forgiveness,
for certainly he is ever accepting of some
repentance.
So here we get the indication
that after a great triumph, after overcoming challenges
and adversity,
what should we be are we doing? Of
course, we already discussed about, showing gratefulness to
Allah
But here, we learned that we should also
be doing the tasbih of Allah,
the glorification
of Allah,
and we should be seeking his forgiveness as
well.
Says that after the revelation of the Surah,
whenever the messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wasallam
performed a prayer, he would recite the following
supplication.
That I pronounce
your purity, oh, Allah, our lord, and praise
be to you, oh, Allah. Forgive me. Forgive
me.
So this is what the prophet sallallahu alaihi
wa sallam
would recite, would recite after,
whenever he would perform a prayer after,
well, she says whenever he would he would
perform a prayer, he would recite the following
supplication.
Musaam says
that after the revelation of the Surah, the
messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam used
to recite often recite the following supplication.
That I pronounce the purity of Allah, subhanahu
wa ta'ala, or glory be to Allah,
and praise be to him. I seek Allah's
forgiveness, and I repent to him. So this
is exactly what Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala has
commanded in Surah Al Nas in the last
verse. And,
the prophet used to say that I have
been commanded
to do so, and he would give the
evidence of, in evidence of that, he would
recite this surah meaning
And Abu Hurray
says that after the revelation of the surah,
the messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam
used to exert himself in the worship of
Allah
so immensely that his feet would swell. And
this is something, of course, that we have
already discussed in terms of showing gratefulness to
Allah
and and praying to Allah
to that degree,
meaning with, you know,
praying to him to show gratefulness and to
praise him and thank him, you know, in
such a great way. So seeking forgiveness from
Allah my brothers and sisters, istighfar.
You know, why are we to do this
after
overcoming a challenge, after overcoming adversity?
Well, for at least for a couple of
reasons that we can understand. So for first
of all, for any mistakes
or sins that, led to the challenge or
the adversity because we know that that can
be one of the reasons, you know, for
challenges and adversities to come upon a person
or upon people as due to their sins
and their mistakes. Allah
knows best best, but nonetheless, we seek Allah's
forgiveness.
Secondly, for mistakes or sins that are committed
during the challenge or the adversity.
Right? So the because, of course, when a
person is in a panic, they're in a
in a difficult circumstance,
then they may have made mistakes, and sins
during that.
So they seeking forgiveness for that and also
for greater ease for moving forward when moving
forward. So we know that one of the
benefits of istighfar
is that Allah,
you know, removes hardships and gives blessings. So
that is,
you know, one of the reasons also perhaps
that if we increase our istighfar after a
hardship, it will protect us
from further adversity and challenges.
Now we would also want to note,
as I end, that this past school year
and pandemic have really, you know, created this
balance
inside of ourselves inside of ourselves as human
beings, but also, know, in our society as
well. So some elements
of the pandemic and the restrictions perhaps were
positive, and they actually led to greater balance
in our lives because we were already disbalanced
before the pandemic. So the pandemic helped us
become a bit more balanced. It helped us
recalibrate.
So, for example, like, spending, you know, more
time with our family members,
being together with our families more,
perhaps exploring nature, you know, in our neighborhoods,
maybe saving money because we were wasting too
much money on on, you know,
on on unnecessary things.
And perhaps we were protected from many evil
influences that would otherwise or many sins that
would otherwise impact us, you know, when there
were no restrictions.
So for the positives that we got from
the pandemic, we wanna try to maintain those.
Right? The positives that we got even through
the school year, we wanna try to maintain
those as we move forward. We don't wanna
lose those positives. We don't wanna become disbalanced
again. But, of course, there were many negative
impacts as well. So things which were balanced
before perhaps became
disbalanced now through the pandemic, through the restrictions.
So for example, you know, being in isolation,
especially for children because there's a need. We
all human beings was created as as social
beings. We need to socialize. We need to
see each other and and talk to other
people. And if we then that's not a
healthy thing. So, you know, that has been
a big challenge.
You know, for people who are struggling with
depression or who have become depressed and are
stuck indoors, you know, they don't feel like
getting out anymore, you know, or maybe just
got used to being at home all the
time. You know, being at home is a
good thing. Right? But when it becomes too
much and it becomes impacting a person's health
negatively,
their well-being negatively,
then that is not a good thing, of
course. Too much screen time, of course. Right?
We could not control screen time, especially with
online learning. It was very, very difficult.
So perhaps there was too much of that.
And, of course, impacts on physical and mental
health. People who are stuck at home were
not going outside. It was not good for
physical health and, of course, for mental health
as well. So what we wanna do is
as we get loose in restrictions, as we
are, you know, as we have free time
now after school,
as over now,
you know, we wanna try to spend wholesome
family time
outdoors.
Right? We want to try to reconnect with
our relatives as an example. Wanna try as
much as possible to get away from the
screen,
and and do other activities,
especially those that we were not being able
we have not been able to do. And
of course, most importantly,
to worship Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, especially together
as a family when we are able to
come to the masjid, whether it is for
the 5 daily prayers, one of the 5
daily prayers, or for salahatul jama'ah, you know,
try to do that as much as possible
and especially with your family now that the
restrictions are easing,
and, you know, the age restrictions are being
lowered especially for attending Surat Al Jum'ah, for
attending other prayers, not just here but also
at other masajid as well.
So we ask Allah
for whatever good is hidden in this pandemic.
We ask Allah
to protect us from its evils.
Oh, Allah, we thank you for all of
your blessings.
Oh, Allah, we thank you for bringing us
to the end of the school year, the
academic year.
Oh, Allah. We thank you for all of
the opportunities and blessings that you gave us
even during this difficult school year.
Oh, Allah. Oh, Allah. It could have been
much harder. Oh, Allah. You made it easy
for us. We thank you.
Oh, Allah. Please bless all of our children
and our youth. Oh, Allah, in their studies
and in their well-being, You Rabbal Alameen. Oh,
Allah, please always grant them success in every
way that is good, You Rabbal Alameen. Oh,
Allah, please protect them in this world and
especially in the hereafter, You Rabbal Alameen. Oh,
Allah, please keep them all and all of
us indeed
happy and safe upon deen with istikamah,
with health and safety
and well-being.
Oh, Allah, please protect us all in this
world and in the hereafter.
Oh, Allah. Please cure all of our brothers
and sisters who are ill.
Oh, Allah. You are the shafi. Oh, Allah.
You are the cure. Oh, Allah. You can
cure everyone and anyone at any time.
Oh, Allah. Indeed. You are.
Oh, Allah. Please grant, wellness and cure all
of our brothers and sisters who are ill,
whether it is physically, oh, Allah, whether it
is,
mentally or emotionally or spiritually,
Oh, Allah, all of our brothers and sisters
who are fighting illnesses, physical illnesses, mental illnesses,
Oh, Allah, please grant them strength and a
complete cure, You Rabbalalameen.
Oh, Allah, all the family members who are
worried. Oh, Allah, please grant them relief, You
Rabbalameen.
Oh, Allah, so many different challenges that we
come across, different types of illnesses, especially mental
illnesses. Oh, Allah, please grant relief to all
of our brothers and children, brothers and sisters,
youth and children who are suffering from mental
illnesses, You Rabbal Alameen. Oh, Allah, please grant
peace and justice to all of those who
are oppressed, You Rabbal Alameen. Oh, Allah, especially
our Palestinian brothers and sisters. Oh, Allah, especially
the indigenous people of this land. Oh, Allah,
so many of their children were murdered. Oh,
Allah, and secretly buried. Oh, Allah, please grant
them relief.
Oh, Allah, please have mercy.
Oh, Allah, please grant them justice.
Oh, Allah, please make us those who are,
who are promoters of justice. Oh, Allah, people
of justice for all. Oh,
Allah, please guide us. Oh, Allah, and please
guide those who have hatred and ignorance in
their hearts.
Oh, Allah, please remove the evils, the illnesses
of racism,
discrimination,
and hatred from our hearts and all of
the hearts of those around us and the
people of the world, You Rabbal Alameen. Oh,
Allah, please protect our sisters. Oh, Allah, especially
our sisters who practice your deen by wearing
the hijab. Oh, Allah, who are visibly Muslim,
oh, Allah, please protect them, grant them your
unseen protection at all times, You Rabbalalameen.
Oh, Allah, anyone who is planning to hurt
them, oh, Allah, or is planning to hurt
our community,
any member of our community, oh, Allah, anyone
who is planning to hurt, anyone who is
anyone who is innocent,
oh, Allah, please protect, all of us from
their evil plans, You Rabbal Alameen. Oh, Allah,
please change their evil thoughts to the thoughts
of goodness, You Rabbal Alameen. Oh, Allah, please
guide them to to, and steer them away
from such evil towards the truth.
My brothers and sisters. Once again, congratulations
to all of you who have graduated, who
have completed,
and who have completed the school year. May
Allah
bless you and always continue to guide you
and strengthen you and keep keep you safe.
Be sure to submit your quiz answers,
as a family or individually by 6 PM
today, canada muslims.ca/quiz,
then we will do the prize draw insha'allah
this evening, 9:30 PM, Friday family night live.
Insha'allah, sister, Habsa Khan, will be joining me,
will be joining us to give us, tips,
on, on easy, family fun activities
or, you know, easy things that we can
do as a family this summer.
So please do join us 9:30 PM. Kranamustlums.ca/live.
For those who have registered for Friday prayer,
please do come at your allotted times. Otherwise,
offer your forties of at home.
And nice to see you both here.