Suhaib Webb – Pay Your Dues
AI: Summary ©
The speaker discusses the importance of testing before becoming religious and how hardships can set the stage for failure. He describes a personal experience where he prayed the wrong way and felt like everything was falling apart, leading to frustration and loss of expectations. He emphasizes the need to face challenges and pursue one's spiritual journey in order to achieve success in the work.
AI: Summary ©
It's really important to realize that in the
process of becoming a religious vocation, you have
to be tested. You have to go through
some hardships. That's just the way it is.
Everybody has to have their life.
Just how the world works, man. It may
come in different moments.
And if you come into religious work with
expectations from people, you will set yourself up
for failure as well as inadequate prophetic work.
I say that because right here,
25 years ago or so, I was invited
to this event
in Washington DC.
And I came after I left from Dallas.
It was an event at Dallas. I came
here,
and I got in, like, around, I think,
11:30. That's not how it was happening. And
the brother
the brothers who invited me
were not here.
They were not here. So I called the
brother, and he actually said to me, we're
not gonna pick you up. This is unacceptable
behavior, of course. It's too late. You just
have to do what you gotta do. I
was so broke at that time. I didn't
have enough money. I didn't I didn't have
a credit card. I didn't have a debit
card. I was still young. I had nothing.
So I was sitting
right over here. I got so frustrated. It
was just me and this guy was waxing
the floor.
I prayed,
And I felt like, yeah, Allah,
everything's falling apart, man. It's like my worst
nightmare. I was still from Oklahoma, so I
don't really know
the world. You know? And then after I
prayed, the brother who was watching the floor,
he pulled up next to me. He he
goes, assalamu alaikum.
Just to let you know, you prayed the
wrong direction.
So then I prayed again, and
everything
eventually worked out. It's crazy how it worked
out. That's another story. But the point is,
if you're in this work,
you have to face some challenges and thought
if and if you have expectations
of people,
and that's why you're in this work,
you're in the wrong work.