Sikander Hashmi – Our Plan & Allahs Plan KMA Friday Message
AI: Summary ©
The importance of planning for events and finding a way to find success is emphasized. The success of Allah Subhan Wa Ta'ala's approach to life is discussed, including his choice to grant success based on his choices and his ability to change things for himself. The importance of positive outlook and the power of intentions is emphasized, as well as the importance of praying for guidance and rethinking one's approach to life. The speaker emphasizes the need to be mindful of opportunities and trusting Allah's guidance for one's success and blessings.
AI: Summary ©
Respected elders, dear brothers and sisters, my young
friends, Assalamu alaikum
We begin by praising Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala,
our creator, our designer,
the creator of the universe and everything that
it contains,
our sustainer and our nourisher, our protector. And
we begin by sending peace and salutations upon
his beloved messenger, Muhammad the son of Abdullah
sallallahu alaihi wa'ala alaihi wa'ala.
My brothers and sisters,
I hope that you and your family
are in a state of peace and tranquility
and health and iman and may Arabalalameen.
My brothers and sisters, today we live in
a world of planning.
For example,
this week, there has been lots of discussion
about the plan
for reopening of schools,
something that we normally don't discuss, but need
to do so this year due to the
pandemic.
And then, of course, even when there is
no pandemic, there are many other kinds of
planning that occur. There's strategic planning,
financial planning,
succession planning, funeral planning, trip planning,
business planning, just to name a few. And
planning is, you know, generally a good thing.
However,
as anyone with experience will tell you, not
everything always goes according to plan. In fact,
a good plan actually takes this possibility into
account,
the possibility that the very plan that is
being prepared or that has been prepared may
not actually
be able to be followed.
Likewise,
not everything that we wish for or even
pray for happens exactly the way we want
it to happen. Because the reality is that
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala has a plan for
each of us.
So, you know, we as human beings try
to use our intellect that Allah has given
us. We try to use our senses.
We try to use the tools that Allah
has given us. So we try to use
everything at our disposal
to try to plan
for the best.
But the reality is that Allah
actually has a plan for each of us.
And that plan that Allah has
takes into account
our free will and the choices that we
make. Right? So the choices that we choose
to make
and the limited freewill that Allah
has given us, Allah's plan takes all of
that into account.
Now since Allah
is All Knowing,
He knows what each person
will choose and decide. Allah
knowledge
is limitless. There's no limit to Allah's knowledge.
Allah
knows absolutely everything
and anything that exists.
In the depths of the whether it's in
the depths of the ocean, you know, in
the loneliness of the forest,
in the in the depths of our thoughts,
of our conscience, of our feelings, you know,
every single thing Allah
is aware of it. There's nothing that can
be hidden from Allah
So since Allah is all knowing,
He knows what each person will choose and
decide. Even before we make the choice, Allah
is already aware,
already knows
what we are going to choose. But that
choice is gonna come from us. We are
going to make that choice. We are going
to exercise the limited free will that Allah
has given us.
We will use our intellect or based on
our emotions and the different faculties Allah
has given
us, we make the choice, but Allah Subhanahu
Wa Ta'ala is already aware of the choice
that we're going to make.
What follows our decisions and choices though is
not in our control. It is in Allah's
control. Okay? So we make the decision, we
make the choice for which we are held
accountable
and the results though are in the control
of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. So we make
the effort,
we plan and we make the effort, but
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala delivers the results. And
this should always be clear. School starts and
you know whether it's at work or in
business or or competitions or sports, athletics,
you know whichever area we're in in which
we find ourselves being successful
or we find success
in front of us
that is because Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala
chose
to to to grant us that result. It
is not due to our efforts. We make
the efforts,
many people make efforts for many different things,
perhaps even more than those who are actually
successful.
But they meet what appears to be failure.
There are businesses and people who have made
tremendous efforts, tremendous investment
but they end up in failure. Right? Perhaps
even more effort and more investment than other
businesses that actually end up being successful.
Right? Similarly with studies, perhaps there's a student
who works very, very hard, more harder than
others, more effort than other students who are
succeeding, but perhaps this student ends up in
failure in that particular course or in that
particular area. So we make the effort, but
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala delivers the results. So
essentially,
many aspects of our lives are decided for
us. So for example, our birth, we didn't
have a choice.
When we die, it's something that Allah has
decided. Sometimes we think, human beings think that
we have the ability to choose the time
of our death or that, you know,
God forbid we can take our own lives,
something which is forbidden,
but yet there are so many people who
try to do that but they actually don't
end up dying. Right? So
our birth, our death, the illnesses that we're
gonna get, the sustenance,
the provisions
that we are going to enjoy, our successes,
our failures, these are all things which Allah
has decided.
Some are based on our choices or are
a consequence of our choices. Or we make
certain choices and Allah
then then gives us,
the the results that we deserved,
or that, you know, we we perhaps expecting.
If we weren't expecting it, it would perhaps
it was the one that we deserved or
that was better for us at that point,
and others
are are put upon us regardless of our
choices.
Right? So some are as a result of
our choices. Others,
regardless of our choice, we still get what
Allah has decided.
So when our plan
matches with Allah's plan,
things happen and we appear to be successful.
So we make an effort, we plan something,
we make an effort,
we exert ourselves,
we move towards doing something, and if it
ends up being
successful,
it's because it matched with Allah's plan. And
when our plan doesn't match with Allah's plan,
then we appear to fail. So we make
an effort, we try our best, you know,
we do certain things, we make choices,
but it doesn't end up with the result
that we wanted because
it didn't match with Allah's plan.
We must remember though my brothers and sisters
that life is a test and our responsibility
is to respond in the best possible manner
at any given moment,
or I should say at every given moment.
So at every moment the question is, what
is the best thing that I can be
doing at this time? Which is the most
pleasing to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, which is
the most beneficial.
At times what we want will happen,
but it may not be good for us.
So perhaps, you know, we really want to
marry someone. It happens a lot, especially the
young people, you know, really want to marry
someone. You really feel like they're the best
person for you. Everything seems to be going
well.
And sometimes it actually happens. We force it.
You know, we hustle. We force our way
through and we make it happen. Or, you
know, we exert ourselves so much Allah Subhanahu
Wa Ta'ala makes it happen that perhaps it
wasn't actually good for us. Or, you know,
perhaps it's a job that we really feel
like we deserve or that we want, we
desire, it's a position, but maybe it's not
actually good for us in the long run.
Or perhaps it's a trip or a move,
so it could be really any major decision.
What we want
may not happen and may actually be good
for us. Right? So sometimes we cover things
and we want things that are actually going
to be end up, you know, being bad
for us, and sometimes,
you know,
those things happen and they end up being
bad for us, or
sometimes, you know, we want them to happen
and they don't end up happening despite our
best efforts,
and it may turn out that that was
actually for our own benefit.
Now what we don't want may also happen
and it might be good for us. So
nobody, you know, wants to lose their job,
but perhaps there is some hidden benefit
that we are not able to see or
perhaps there's a sudden calamity. Of course, nobody
wants to be, you know, put through that
trial or have to go through that,
that that trial, that pain, that suffering, whatever
it entails, but perhaps it might actually be
better
for us. Now why does this happen?
Why does this happen to us? Because
our knowledge is of no match to the
knowledge of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. Allah Azza
wa Jal tells us in the Quran,
Quran.
Perhaps you dislike something which is good for
you.
And
perhaps you like something which is bad for
you. Allah knows and you do not know.
So this verse clearly tells us my brothers
and sisters
that our likes and our dislikes
cannot be
the the the yardstick with which or, you
know, the the measurement with which we we
judge something to be good for us or
bad for us. Right? We can't base it
on our feelings. Right? We can't base it
on our feelings. Yes. We try to base
it on our intellect and our senses and
that using the tools that Allah has given
us but at the end of the day
ultimately Allah
is the one who knows what is actually
good for us. And you know this concept
has been beautifully demonstrated
in the story of Khadir and Musa
in Surah Al Kahf, you know, a surah
that we are encouraged to recite on Fridays,
you know, or it's not the whole surah
then the beginning first 10 verses or the
last 10 verses.
So this concept is beautifully demonstrated in Surat
Al Kahf in which Khadr did acts
which were apparently wrong and unjust. Right? Like
the things that he did were unjust
or they appear to be wrong and unjust,
but there was a reason for each
one that had to do with the future.
So each act that he did with Musa
alaihi sallam watching, and Musa alaihi sallam getting
upset because what was happening or what Khadr
was doing was, you know, was seemingly wrong
and unjust, and Musa alaihi sallam rightfully
was getting upset that you know why are
you doing these things.
So each one though had to do with
the future which only Allah knows about except
in this case Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala had
given Khadr this knowledge about each case
and commanded him to do those acts. So
normally if a person were to do such
unjust acts,
causing destruction, you know, injuring, hurting, killing people,
of course, those types of things in normal
circumstances will be considered to be unjust and
wrong, but here there was a very profound
reason why Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala had guided
and commanded,
Khadr
to act upon this
and to behave
in such a way. Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala
had commanded him because of course there's a
lesson to be taught here. And what it
shows us is
you know, indeed Allah knows and we don't
know what is ahead. Right? We don't know.
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala is the one who
knows the future. Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala knows
how, you know, our destiny, our fate will
twist and turn and where our, you know,
life and our Qadr that Allah Subhanahu Wa
Ta'ala decided will take us and what types
of things will come upon us,
how things may change for us perhaps substantially,
and we ask Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala to
change them for us always for the better
and that He protects us from all types
of trials and tribulations.
Now when something happens that goes against the
person's wishes, wishes, the natural reaction is to
be upset.
To get upset, we get disappointed.
Perhaps we may even become despondent, and we
may lose hope, and we may lose motivation.
Now as believers though, we are taught to
have a positive, like no matter the situation.
This is easier said than done and I
realize that. Right? Because when you're feeling down,
when things are really not going your way,
it becomes it's natural to actually, you know,
feel like losing hope and becoming despondent and
to lose motivation.
But we are taught that we we need
to fight those feelings, those emotions, and try
to find
the silver lining, try to find
something positive and always try to have a
positive outlook no matter the situation.
A few things to consider that can help
us do that insha'Allah.
So first of all, Allah
is Al Hakim, He is All Wise, Al
Aleem, All Knowing.
Allah
is capable of doing everything. Right? So Allah
is much much more wiser than us. Our
wisdom is nothing compared to the wisdom of
Allah.
Allah
is all knowing. Our knowledge is absolutely nothing
is minute,
is a little speck compared to or not
even compared to the complete knowledge of Allah
Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. And Allah's capability
to do everything that He wishes is much
much more greater, absolutely no match to our,
you know, little bit of free will and
little bit of power that Allah Subhanahu Wa
Ta'ala has given us.
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala also tells us what
we should say,
Allah says, say nothing will happen to us
except what Allah what Allah has decreed for
us. He is our protector
and on Allah let the believers put their
trust.
So this is the attitude of the believer.
This is how the believer should be thinking
and should be living their
lives believing that nothing you know, believing with
certainty,
with with with firm belief that nothing will
happen except what Allah has decreed
and He is actually our protector.
And on Allah, let the believers put their
trust. So our complete trust is on Allah
and that everything that's gonna happen to us
is going to be what has been decreed
for us. Whatever has decreed has been decreed
us will come to us. Nothing can change
it. Whatever,
has not been decreed for us will not
come to us. Whatever misses us will miss
us because it was decreed for us. Whatever
hits us or comes to us because it
was decreed by Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. And
Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala will ultimately protect us.
And the Prophet salallahu alayhi wasalam also of
course famously said, ajabalil amril mumid that in
the amrahu kullahu khair that wondrous is the
affair of the believer for there is good
for the believer in every matter.
In every matter, in the amrahu kullahu khaay,
that every matter there is good for the
believer, walay sadaalikal ahadilillal
mummin, and this is for, and this is
not the case except, or this is not
the case for anyone except for the believer.
And the prophet
then went on and said that in asabaatul
sarah shakarafakana
khayrallah,
that if he is happy, if the believer
is happy, he or she then he thanks
Allah and thus there is good for him.
So there is goodness
and having goodness come to us and responding
to that goodness with gratefulness to Allah Subhanahu
wa Ta'ala. This is good for us. So
we must be grateful for the blessings of
Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala.
And if he is harmed, right, if there's
harm that comes to him then he shows
patience and thus there is good for him.
So sometimes Allah
many times Allah blesses us so that we
respond with gratefulness,
and that response of ours to
the blessings of Allah
will be good for us. And similarly, sometimes
Allah
puts us through hardships and harm,
and what is the response that Allah is
expecting?
Patience, And when we respond with patience, with
sabr, with perseverance,
then that is also good for us as
well. The prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam also said,
and you know this is a beautiful hadith,
which we've discussed before, but it's always good
to have reminders
that,
you know, because it's very powerful, right, it
gives us so much hope
that. Right? SubhanAllah, the prophet went through so
many different types of trials and hardships, no
fatigue,
nor disease,
nor
sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress
befalls a Muslim. Hatashawka tiyushahuhaquha,
that even the pricking of a thorn,
except what will happen illakafallahu
bihamal kutaya
but that Allah expiate some of his sins
for that.
So this is very very powerful that every
single difficulty or hardship that we go through,
even if it's stress, even if it's anxiety,
if it's fatigue, if it's being hurt, if
it's sadness, if it's distress, if it's even
a prick of a thorn,
you know the pricking of a thorn, then
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala will be expiating some
of our sins for that. So there's always
something in return for any hardship that we
go through.
And of course as we learn
in the Quran as well,
in Suratul Inshallah Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala tells
us that in Namal 'awsi yusrrah that barely
with hardship
comes ease. Right? So either in this world
there'll be ease or in the hereafter or
both. Right? So with hardship there's always some
ease that has been written for us, we're
just not able to see it at that
point. So every situation that we face that
is outside of our control
has some goodness and some positivity in it,
even though we may not be able to
see it.
We may not be able to see it
but there's always some goodness and positivity
in it. Now before
we embark on doing something
we should seek Allah's guidance
and weigh it carefully
before we embark on doing something making a
decision we should seek Allah's guidance
and weigh the matter carefully, Right? So whether
it's getting married, whether it's a new job,
whether it's a major purchase, any major decision
that you have to make or even if
it's a minor decision, return to Allah
And the way to do it is to
perform is Istikhara.
Jabir Abu Nablullar
reported that the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu Alaihi
Wasallam
would teach
us he says Jabir Abu Nablullar that
Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam
would teach us to pray for guidance
in all matters
just as he would teach us a chapter
from the Quran.
So this dua of istikhara of the Prophet
taught it to his companions
almost like or just as he would teach
a chapter of the Quran. It's not a
part of the Quran that he taught it
with the same importance,
so that they would learn it. The Prophet
said that when one of you has a
decision,
that one of you has a decision, that
one of you has a decision, you should
perform 2 units, 2 cycles, 2 units of
prayer other than the obligation.
And
then let him say,
why? Verily you have power and I do
not have power so you show you know
neediness in front of Allah which is so
important when making dua so verily you have
power I do not have power and you
know and I do not
know. You are the knowing of the unseen.
Allahummainkuntataalam Annahadalamrakhayrulee fidini wamaaashi waaakulati amrii.
The Prophet
said make this Sa'ah
that
oh Allah if you know that this matter
is good for my religion
and my livelihood
and my ending then decree it for me
and make it easy for me and bless
me in it.
And
so they were making dua for her that
if it is good for me, then if
you know that it is good for me,
for my religion and my livelihood and my
ending, they decree it for me, make it
easy for me, bless me in it. But
if you know that this matter is evil
for my religion
and my livelihood
and my ending, then divert it from me
and keep me away from it, and decree
from me what is good for me and
make me content with it. It's
such a comprehensive dua. Such a comprehensive dua
where essentially we're entrusting our decision to Allah
declaring,
our lack of understanding, our lack of knowledge
especially regarding the future, and essentially asking Allah
Subhanahu wa Ta'ala to make it happen, make
this matter happen
happen for us if it is good for
us in every way,
and
if it is not good for us and
to divert it from us, divert it away
from us, to keep us safe from it,
and to instead grant us that which is
better for us and to make us content
with it. Right? So it's such a beautiful
powerful dua'a,
and something that we should do regularly,
of course especially for major matters but also
for smaller matters or any decision that we
need to make. Always make this dua'a or
at least have this, you know, this sentiment,
this feeling in our heart that we are
turning to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in this
manner whenever we are in need
of making a decision. Now if things work
out we should be grateful and we should
ascribe our success to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala
and continue to ask for guidance and ensure
that it doesn't become a trial for us.
Notice what impact the success is having on
ourselves, on our thinking, our personality,
our spirituality, our deen, our relations with others
especially our family members,
and things if things don't go our way,
then how should we respond?
Then we see it as an opportunity.
Is there perhaps a hidden blessing? Is there
perhaps a lesson to be learned? Is there
another opportunity that
Allah is directing towards us perhaps?
So it is so important that, you know,
during challenges,
what appears and what appear to be failures,
that we keep our eyes, our mind, our
hearts open for opportunities
to learn and to bring positive change, to
grow, to go into new areas and things
that we haven't tried yet, of course, which
are permissible, you know. So don't just shut
down when you feel that things are not
going your way or the way that you
thought was best, but rather see it as
an opportunity
to learn and to bring positive change and
to grow and to go into new areas
and try new things which are permissible. Perhaps
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala is redirecting you in
a different direction. Perhaps this is Allah's way
of telling you that this what you're trying
to do is not good for us, and
that instead you should be either content with
what you have or perhaps you should be
trying something different. So these maybe signals that
Allah
is sending you, you know, and showing you
things as a result of accepting your dua,
means of guiding you towards what is better
for you. So don't give up, but rather
take it, reframe it as an opportunity for
learning and for growth and for redirecting yourself.
Consider that Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala perhaps doesn't
want you to do this at this time.
Maybe perhaps later, maybe this is just not
the right time, or perhaps not at all.
Maybe there's some hidden wisdom and maybe this
is a blessing in disguise, you know, subhanallah,
you know, we often hear and again recently,
you know, there was a terrible plane crash
in India, and, I was reading about a
person who, you know, who just missed that
flight
by 5 minutes,
due to,
an infraction or a ticket that he received.
You know, if he had
not been stopped, you know, and received that
ticket, which I'm at that I'm sure I'm
almost certain that at that point when he
received the ticket, when he received the infraction,
he would see it as something which was
negative, something that he didn't want, something that
that, you know, that that was,
the disliked by him. But, subhanAllah, it was
actually it turned out to be a blessing
in disguise because it is what held him
up from getting onto the plane. And if
he had been on that plane, he would
have been in that plane crash. And who
knows if he had if he would have
survived or not. Allah knows best. So this
is just a small example. Allah
sometimes
protects
us or grants us blessings in disguise
in ways that we are not able to
see,
in this case, you know, a person in
some cases like this case, a person is
able to find out very quickly, very soon
that, oh, this was a blessing disguise. Other
times, we may never find out if something
was a blessing in disguise or not, but
this should be our belief, or rather what
form of blessing, you know, it was for
us or how it was to be a
blessing for us. But we should always believe
that whatever, you know, comes from us from
Allah will
there always be khal in it. There will
always be some goodness in it and some
hidden wisdom in it. So believe and place
your trust in Allah
that he will always guide you to what
is best. Expect that from him. Expect that
your lord will protect you and will guide
you and and and be grateful
that alhamdulillah Allah has made his decision and
his wisdom about my matter apparent to me.
He has protected me from unforeseen harm and
he has granted me unforeseen benefit. This is
an opportunity,
an idea perhaps that has potential, a new
approach, a new experience,
you know, that increases
me in gratefulness and opportunity to exert patience
and that there will always be goodness in
all situations.
The prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam said, Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala says that,
SubhanAllah. I am just as my slave perceives
me to be, meaning towards
towards me, towards the individual.
And I am with him if he remembers
me, if he remembers me and himself. Faizakarani
fee nafsi, zakartuhu fee nafsi.
If he remembers me in himself, I too
remember him in myself. Waizakarani
fee mala imdakartuhu
fee mala imkhayim min minhum.
And if he remembers me in a group
of people, I remember him in a group
that is better than them. SubhanAllah. Allah
is always protecting us. Allah
is always there for us. All we need
to do is remember him, and Allah
will grant us much much more whatever we
do towards Allah
which is of course so minute Allah
responds in much much greater ways to us.
This is the mercy and the love of
Allah
And regarding, you know, those who have made
evil plots, Allah
tells us,
They plan and Allah plans and Allah is
the best of planners. So So we should
never give up hope, we should always have
faith and trust in the protection of Allah
in the wisdom, the guidance, the knowledge of
Allah
So to recap my brothers and sisters,
we should plan and we should try to
make the best decision under every circumstance. So
whether it's going back to school, which one
you know you're going to choose, that decision
has to be made for those in public
school,
you know, online learning,
in school learning,
any other decision that we need to make.
Try to make the best decision under every
circumstance,
seek the guidance of Allah
If things don't go the way you expected
or you wanted, seek lessons and other opportunities
that Allah has made that Allah might be
directing towards you and be content with Allah's
plan. Whatever it is, we are not aware
of it, but whatever Allah's plan is, be
content with it and take it as a
blessing, and always expect positivity and goodness from
Allah's plan even if it appears to be
negative, even if it appears to be difficult,
even if it is difficult and and painful,
even sometimes, you know, take it as something
which is positive and something that is good.
Insha'Allah, there will be much and much goodness
in it. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala always
protect us from all types of harm. May
Allah
always guide us to the best decisions. May
Allah
always protect us from trials and tribulations
and grant us the very best in this
world
and the best in the hereafter as well.
Those who are, registered for,
you can come, to the Musa
come at your allotted time to offer your
your Friday prayer, and those, who are not
will be, you can go ahead and offer
aqa of the heart prayer at home.