Sikander Hashmi – Racing for Everlasting Gold

Sikander Hashmi
AI: Summary ©
The speaker discusses the negative impact of the Summer Olympics on people, their families, and their career, emphasizing the importance of preparing for life through hard work and dedication. They stress the need to work hard for one's own goals and fulfill one's own desires, and to not let them be a priority. The message is to pursue forgiveness and pursue life practically, and to focus on doing good deeds and not wait for a particular time to achieve goals. The speaker also provides a personal story about working hard for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa waalala and encourages listeners to focus on their goals.
AI: Transcript ©
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As you probably know, the Summer Olympics have

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come to an end in Paris.

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And there were some

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historic positive moments

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that probably won't be forgotten

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anytime soon

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for different countries, for Canada,

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for Algeria,

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for Pakistan,

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for Bahrain,

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for Turkey,

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for Egypt,

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for the Netherlands,

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and Ethiopia, of course, with their final

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gold medalist, the last competition of the event,

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breaking the woman's rock and running records,

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and then

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wearing the hijab

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while she received the gold medal at the

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closing ceremony in the country that has tried

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to ban the hijab. So that was, of

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course, very symbolic.

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Then there were some not so remarkable moments,

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like for Australia.

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Now making it to the Olympics

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and especially

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getting on the podium as a winner

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is not a joke. Of course, as you

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know, it requires

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years of training

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with discipline

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and dedication,

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strong ambition, strong willpower.

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Because when

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most cases, when an athlete is training, there

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are many ups and downs. People get injured.

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There are failures. You know, maybe they go

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into a competition

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as it happened. Have it happened many times.

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And then they failed to perform for whatever

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reason.

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And the reality is my brothers and sisters

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that this is also usually true for

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our lives as well. This is usually true

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in our lives for us as well. So

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what happens?

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We spend

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years

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to get prepared for life.

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Right? Our parents try to send us to

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the best of schools,

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and they tried to guide us to the

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best of careers to get the best of

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education.

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So that we can be prepared to be

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winners in life.

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But the reality is,

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you know, there are also ups and downs

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in life as well. Just like there is

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for an athlete in their journey

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to the podium.

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Perhaps there are struggles

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for choosing the right

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education

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for the most rewarding career,

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or perhaps we are joining night and day

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to establish a successful business,

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you know, working hard to own a house

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or maybe to set up a decent or

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generous retirement fund.

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Reality is we spend

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a large portion of our lives

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preparing for these things.

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In many cases, which are important.

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But what happens is sometimes we start treating

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the buying of properties,

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buying homes and cars

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and material things, and our careers, and our

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businesses,

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like an Olympic sport.

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We tire ourselves

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with dedication

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and discipline.

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But not so that we can have a

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decent

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and a reasonable place to live

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and a decent car to drive

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and a decent income.

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All of which are important,

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but rather,

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it becomes

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our ambition

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to be on top

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when it comes to these things.

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Within our circle of friends and family

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and perhaps within our profession.

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So it goes

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from being

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an example

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of,

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like, the journey that Natalie goes through, but

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the purpose becomes that of competition.

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Right? The purpose turns

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to being one of competition.

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And this principle applies to everything that we

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do. Whether it is our studies, whether it

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is our work, whether it is it is

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activism,

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you know, standing up for justice. Right? Especially

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when we see what is happening to our

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brothers and sisters. May Allah

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grant them relief. And Al Fazza in Sudan

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and all around the world.

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So we are not a religion of just

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sitting and watching and not doing anything. We

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are

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accountable for the effort that we make. The

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reasonable,

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permissible,

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wise effort that we make knowing that the

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result come from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So

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even when it comes to our studies, when

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it comes to our work, when it comes

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to our worthy lives, we need to work

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for that. Right? We need to work with

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that. For that, we are not to just

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sit back and relax and just hope for

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the best or just hope for, you know,

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a check to come from the government or

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from someone, and we don't do anything and

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we enjoy life. Right? This is not the

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character. This is not the ethos of a

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believer.

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And if we do all of this, even

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worldly things with the right intention,

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to stay away from dependency on others,

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to fulfill our responsibilities

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towards our families,

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and we do it reasonably in a good

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way according to the guidance of Allah and

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his messenger salallahu alaihi wa sallam, then we

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will be rewarded for it as well.

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The question is my brothers and sisters, how

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much of our efforts

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are really for this purpose?

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To fulfill our responsibilities,

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to be a better person, to be a

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better citizen, to be a better servant to

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Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala? And how much is

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it

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to satisfy

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our own desires

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and out of greed?

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If

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we are working that hard

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for the things that are going to last

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a maximum

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of 70 to 80 years for us,

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how much harder

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should we be working for that which will

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last forever?

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If we are to work

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that hard

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for the things which will

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exist as long as we are in this

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world. And when we leave from this world,

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they will not come with us. Then how

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much harder should we be working for that

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which will last forever? Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala

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tells us to race for it. Allah subhanahu

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wa ta'ala tells us to race.

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Prepared for those who believe in Allah and

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his messengers.

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That is the bounty

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of Allah which he gives to whom he

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wills. And Allah is the possessor of great

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bounty. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala also tells us

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and hasten to forgiveness from your lord and

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a garden as wide as the heavens and

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earth

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prepared for the righteous. So Allah subhanahu wa

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ta'ala tells us to race. Allah subhanahu wa

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ta'ala tells us to move forward quickly

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towards his forgiveness

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and towards

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Jannah. So the message is my brothers and

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sisters, don't leave it as an afterthought.

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Don't leave it as an afterthought that something

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you think about only after everything else is

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done. But rather,

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you know, make it at the forefront of

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your decisions, the forefront of your choices and

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your activities. Because, yes, it may seem like

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it is far away.

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The hereafter may seem like it is far

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away, but actually, it is a lot closer

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than we think. So move

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forward

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quickly to prepare for it so that you

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are ready and I am ready when the

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time comes. And

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make make us prepared.

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And my brothers and sisters, it doesn't come

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cheap.

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You know, if you think about it, how

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much struggle

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the athletes go through.

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Right? The hard training,

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the travel, being away from their families,

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the financial burden, the years of determined struggle

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for a chance to be on the podium.

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You know, a few days of fame and

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recognition,

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maybe some sponsorships,

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some positive effect on their careers, maybe some

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good stories to tell, and perhaps to inspire

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others.

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So, if that's how much effort for something

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so temporary and short lived is required,

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then imagine how much effort should go into

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Jannah which is exponentially

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greater and better

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in every possible

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way. In one of the verses of the

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Quran, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala

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says,

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He tells us

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about Jannah being prepared

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for the people of Taqwa.

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Those who are righteous,

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those who are pious, those who are God

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fearing, and God conscious.

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And after that,

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Allah gives us some of their qualities.

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They are those who spend in the cause

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of Allah

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during ease and hardship.

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And who

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restrain anger

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and who pardon the people. And Allah loves

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the doers of good. And why do they

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do all of this? Because

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they have

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piety. They have the reverent fear of Allah

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subhanahu wa ta'ala in their hearts. They are

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conscious of him

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at all times.

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And those who and Allah

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continues and those who when they commit an

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immorality

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or a or wrong themselves.

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When they commit an immorality

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or they wrong themselves what does this tell

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us by the way? That the people of

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Taqwa can sometimes

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find themselves committing an immorality.

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They can sometimes find themselves

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wronging themselves, meaning by transgression,

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by committing a sin against Allah subhanahu wa

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ta'ala. So this can happen even to the

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people of Taqwa. But what do they do

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when that happens?

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They remember Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. They do

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the of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

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And they seek forgiveness for their sins. Allah

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says,

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and who can forgive sins except Allah?

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And who can forgive sins except Allah?

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And their characteristic is that they commit a

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sin by mistake.

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They commit a transgression. They commit an immorality.

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They remember Allah.

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They seek forgiveness for their sins,

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and they are those who do not persist

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in what they have done while they know.

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So when they know that something is wrong,

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when they realize that they had made a

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mistake, then they don't go ahead and continue

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doing it. They try their best to stop

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themselves from commit that. So they are not

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persistent

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in doing what they have done while they

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know.

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And those their reward is forgiveness from their

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lord and gardens beneath which rivers flow of

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meaning in Jannah where and they will abide

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eternally

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and excellent is the reward of the righteous.

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Excellent is the reward

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of the righteous workers. So brothers and sisters,

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the message is race towards it. Work hard

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in doing good. Become a person of and

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live it practically. So make it a priority,

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not an afterthought,

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but rather something that we live by and

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not just turn to when we have nothing

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else to do. So we make it a

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part of our lives, our daily lives. We

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consider, we think, we reflect.

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What can I do to get closer to

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Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala?

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What do I need to do to race

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towards Jannah? What do I need to do

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in order to improve myself, my faith, my

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spirituality,

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my character? What is it that I need

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to do that I can do better which

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I am not already doing? In a number

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of places, my brothers and sisters, we have

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been encouraged to be first, to be at

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the forefront

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of doing good whether it is charity

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or worship and or helping others. And there's

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a narration from the prophet sallallahu alaihi wa

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sallam. Some issues with the chain of narration

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but nonetheless the message is sound where it

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is reported that he said, hasten to do

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good deeds before you are overtaken

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by one of the 7 afflictions.

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Hasten to do good deeds before you are

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overtaken

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by one of the 7 afflictions.

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Then giving a warning, he said, are you

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waiting for such poverty which will make you

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unmindful of devotion?

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Are you waiting for such poverty that will

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make you unmindful of devotion

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or prosperity

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which will make you corrupt

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or disease which will disable you or such

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senility as will make you mentally unstable

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or sudden death

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or the dajjal who is the worst expected

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absent

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or the hour, meaning the day of judgment

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and the hour will be most grievous and

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most bitter. May Allah

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protect us all. So these things could happen.

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Some of these things could happen to anyone.

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Some of these things will happen such as

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death of course. So the message is do

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not wait for that time to come but

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rather seize the opportunity

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to do seize the opportunity to do good,

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to get closer to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

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Don't keep delaying it because you may keep

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delaying it until perhaps you are no longer

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able to do it. So my brothers and

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sisters, you know, as we hear about the

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Olympics, of course, which are wrapped up and

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the Paralympics coming up and the athletes who

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have put in tremendous amounts of effort and

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discipline and dedication

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into where they are today.

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Let us think

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about the effort and dedication

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that we are putting

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and need to put into taking us

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where we really and truly want to be.

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Not just in this dunya but especially in

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the hereafter. Right? So the reason why I'm

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mentioning this is that the next time the

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Olympics come around, next time we hear about

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a competition, next time we hear about athletes,

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we remember.

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We put it upon ourselves

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and ask ourselves how we are doing when

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it comes to racing for Jannah, when it

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comes to trying to get closer to the

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ultimate prize which is Jannah because there's nothing

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greater

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in the entire

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creation of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for us

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than Jannah. Of course, once we get into

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Jannah, then being close to Allah subhanahu wa

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ta'ala and being able to see Allah subhanahu

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wa ta'ala will be greater than Jannah. But

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in terms of things which exist, right, material

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things, then there is nothing greater than

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there is nothing greater

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than

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and let us think about how we can

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make the actions which are pleasing to Allah

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subhanahu wa ta'ala at the forefront of our

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lives. Not as an afterthought but at the

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forefront of our lives. So that everything that

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we do is for the pleasure of Allah

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subhanahu wa ta'ala

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and we find extra opportunities whenever possible to

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go the extra mile which is whether it

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is, you know, coming for salah in jama'at

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the masjid, you know, whatever we are doing,

00:16:02 --> 00:16:04

maybe trying if you're not coming at all,

00:16:04 --> 00:16:06

trying to start on a daily basis, if

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you're already coming, trying to increase that, you

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know, being able to wake up in the

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night and offer some prayers, you know, to

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increasing our even the little things. Right? The

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little things matter. Don't underestimate as we have

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been taught. You know, don't look down upon

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any good deed because even a small thing,

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small action could be the one that ends

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up making the difference for us on the

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day of judgment. So continue striving, continue working

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harder for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa

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ta'ala. Now, there is an aya in the

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Quran

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that I'm reminded of often

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when the Olympics are on. But instead of

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mentioning that aya here, I'm gonna leave that

00:16:42 --> 00:16:44

as homework for you inshallah. And that is

00:16:44 --> 00:16:46

aya number 20 of Surah Al Hadid.

00:16:47 --> 00:16:48

Ayah number 20

00:16:48 --> 00:16:50

of Surah Al Hadid.

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So look it up afterwards inshallah, not right

00:16:52 --> 00:16:54

now but afterwards. Surah ayah number 20 of

00:16:54 --> 00:16:55

Surah Al Hadid.

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And again whenever we recite the Quran and

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we come across lessons and teachings and warnings,

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instead of thinking about other people, let us

00:17:03 --> 00:17:04

think about ourselves.

00:17:05 --> 00:17:07

This was the one of the traits of

00:17:07 --> 00:17:09

the companions of the prophet salallahu alaihi wa

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sallam. That they would think about how does

00:17:11 --> 00:17:13

this apply to me instead of thinking how

00:17:13 --> 00:17:15

does this apply to other people or thinking

00:17:15 --> 00:17:17

of other people who it applies to. So

00:17:17 --> 00:17:19

when you read ayah number 20 of Surah

00:17:19 --> 00:17:21

Al Hadid, try to take it as a

00:17:21 --> 00:17:24

reflection, a moment of reflection and motivation for

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yourself,

00:17:25 --> 00:17:26

and I will try to do the same

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as well. We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala

00:17:29 --> 00:17:31

to grant us the ability and understanding to

00:17:31 --> 00:17:33

make pleasing Allah

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in attaining Jannah, our top priority. And ask

00:17:36 --> 00:17:36

Allah

00:17:37 --> 00:17:39

to make us from those who strive to

00:17:39 --> 00:17:40

be at the forefront

00:17:40 --> 00:17:43

of that which pleases him. May ask Allah

00:17:43 --> 00:17:46

to increase us in everything that is good.

00:17:46 --> 00:17:47

And of course we ask Allah azza wa

00:17:47 --> 00:17:49

jal to grant his mercy and protection to

00:17:49 --> 00:17:52

the entire Ummah and to grant relief to

00:17:52 --> 00:17:54

all of our brothers and sisters who are

00:17:54 --> 00:17:55

suffering around the world.

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