Sulaimaan Ravat – Jumuah at Masjidul Quds
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Salam alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
Bismillah al Rahman al Rahim Al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen wa
tibetology 13 wa Salatu was Salam ala Ashura philam via you will
mursaleen so you didn't want to be you know, more shady now and matar
I now well Mowlana Mohammed. While early he was happy he HMI in. I'm
back to follow him in a shaytani R rajim Bismillah R. Rahman r Rahim.
First up him come. omerta woman, Obama aka Wallah Tato waka Letta
Allah wa Abu Bakr had to kill Leah clean sadaqa Allah when all the
honorable Obama respected brothers, mothers and sisters,
over the last few months, there was a great degree of enthusiasm.
There was a great degree of anticipation, excitement, for the
coming of the blessed month of Ramadan. And when Ramadan
commenced, there was a deep sense of appreciation that Alhamdulillah
Alhamdulillah from Alhamdulillah. Allah has blessed us once again
with an opportunity to witness this great month. And as we
progress through the month, we fasted we perform tarawih Surah we
gave charity, we pleaded to Allah for forgiveness. And now so
quickly, almost like in the blinking of an eye, we find
ourselves in the midst of the closing days and the concluding
days of this great month of Ramadan May Allah accept. But the
question is what now?
Ramadan has come and almost gone. Within the next few days, another
few nights, we celebrate Eid, and then it's part of history, what
now, what should our focus be on? What do we do to make all of this
what we did in Ramadan worthwhile in the long run
and the starting point is to understand
and this is a key point, this is a key principle we should understand
that Ramadan is a means is not an end.
Ramadan is a means it is not an end, it is a means towards
transformation, towards betterment, towards improvement
and towards continuous progress. In simple terms, what I'm saying
is, you cannot become a seasonal Muslim.
We cannot worship Allah only when it season. We need to become
steadfast Muslims. The obedience must continue
with the grace of Allah to a large extent we will obedient to Allah,
we will dedicate it to the worship and I bother of Allah during the
month of Ramadan. It cannot come to an end it cannot conclude with
the conclusion of Ramadan. If it does, it means that we are
seasonal Muslims. We are only focused on obedience and we are
only focused on compliance to the dean during season. What happens
after season that Allah who was there in Ramadan is you know, they
after Ramadan, that Quran that was there in Ramadan, is it not
applicable after Ramadan? That Sharia which was binding during
Ramadan it is not equal is it not equally binding after Ramadan?
There is an instruction of the Quran in the concluding verses of
Surah till Headjam which I recited in my introduction, Allah says
what our Buddha Rob burka had to kill Leah thean. You have to
continue worshiping Allah until your last breath. You have to
continue with this path of transformation, Betterment
improvements, there needs to be continuous progress in the life of
a Muslim, even posted Ramadan, even post the season. If you give
a very basic example, even in business, you have your peak
periods, but you don't go to sleep after the peak period. Yes,
obviously during the peak period, you make a great effort and you
hope for a greater profit, but business goes on. business goes on
even after that you need to make a profit every month of the year.
You need to open your business on every business day of the year.
And that's the mindset that we need to develop during these
concluding months in Ramadan, or other these concluding days in
Ramadan. What are both Rob Baca had the kelia Thien Allah says
continue to worship me until your last breath. continue to strive to
become a better servant of Allah until your last breath. Ramadan
was meant to give you a boost to be of impetus to give you
That kickstart you don't because things will slackening. Now make
it count, make it worthwhile. For those who may remember, some
months ago, when I spoke to you on the first Friday in Rajib, I set
the tone that this is a season of change. This is a season of
transformation. It's not only meant to secure reward, it's not
only meant to do a little additional extra within a period
of 30 days, it's meant to transform our lives. So the
requirement of the day as we go into the concluding hours of
Ramadan is that of is the karma. It is that of steadfastness. We
need to become steadfast Muslims. What does this mean? You know,
every scholar will tell you they have this problem. The Arabic is
such a beautiful language. It is a language that's so laden with
meaning that when you try to use it, you try to look for English
equivalents you always struggle. So you could have to find about
six different English words that will perhaps to some extent,
encapsulate the meaning of one Arabic word. So if we want to
understand what is the karma, some of the English words perhaps, that
in their own independent ways, give us different or reflect to
us. The different dimensions of this word is the karma. It means
to persist. It means to persevere. It means to be determined, to be
resolute, not to deviate, to be steadfast. And I'll focus on that
one word. You know, for the purposes of this discussion, that
we need to be steadfast Muslims, the obedience needs to continue,
what is the second greatest command that Allah has given us
after human?
Allah issues the instruction repeatedly in the Quran, that
bring Iman we have brought Iman Alhamdulillah what after Iman,
what is the second most important instruction? It is the instruction
to remain steadfast. First the theme comma or Maratha woman turba
aka wala Tato. It is famously known that one day Abu Bakr, the
Allah one, he saw that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was
starting to gray. And he said, Yeah rasool Allah, I see signs of
old age and Rasulullah sallallahu sallam said, che Yeah, Bethany who
don't want her to have that Surah Hood, and other such sewers have
made me go gray and Abdullah bustle the Allahumma says, it was
this verse in Surah Hood that made the be sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
exerted himself so much. It was the instruction from Allah that
you have Iman now be steadfast be steadfast on the dictates of human
but others you know, it's the comment is so important that Allah
makes us remind ourselves in every regard of every Salah with
regardless the comments. It didn't see rattling Mr. Team, Allah guide
me to the straight path, the path of St. Thomas and steadfastness a
straight road goes only to one destination, because it's a
straight road. So we translate it as a dinner Serrata Mr. Team that
Allah guide us to the straight path. What's the destination Jana,
if you remain steadfast on the teachings of Islam, if you remain
steadfast in your obedience to Allah subhanho wa Taala your
destination can only be Jana. So by reciting Surah Fatiha in every
record of every Salah we asking Allah to enable us but we also
reminding ourselves to Make effort to become steadfast Muslims to
ensure that obedience is ongoing, that we are not seasonal Muslims.
We don't only worship Allah in high season.
Once a Sahabi by the name of Sophia and bin Abdullah Gabriella
Juan, he came to Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa salam and he
said the other salah, telling me something after which I don't have
to ask anybody anything. In other words, tell me something which is
so comprehensive that it's sufficient advice for me for the
rest of my life. What did Allah say to him? Pull men to Billahi
from musta Tim, say that I brought Iman in Allah and after that
remained steadfast on the teachings of iman remain steadfast
on the teachings of Islam.
This is not an easy topic to digest. And the reason is because
it requires a lot of effort from our side. But Islam and the
history of Islam, we never ran away from hardwork. We never ran
away from hard work because you have to make an effort for Jana
lottomatica What Allah says will still kill Jana to let you risk to
move. Habima Quinton time alone. We have granted you this Jana
because of your efforts. You have to exert yourself somewhat. It's
much easier to dedicate yourself to the worship of Allah for 30
days, but it's much more difficult to remain steadfast however, it's
much more important to remain steadfast thereafter. It's much
more important to remain steadfast thereafter. Now I've made my
point, that steadfastness is the need of the hour. Our mindset is
already supposed to be molded in that direction as we move towards
the goal.
inclusion of Ramadan, that now I intend to become steadfast. But
the question then is how. And I want to share in this regard just
a few tips on how we can remain steadfast after this great month
of Ramadan. The first and the most important thing and once again, I
tie it up for those who would remember what the talk that I gave
you in this rested on the first Friday and Roger, the first point.
The first key to remaining steadfast as a Muslim is that you
need to stop sinning.
Remember every time you sin, Allah says, can bail Rana Allah pulumi
him Can we exceed moon, a famous hadith of Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wa salam, every time you sin, a black dot appears in your
heart on your spiritual heart. So every time you sin, you are
screening your heart, you are placing a screen over your heart,
which it makes, which makes it more difficult for hidayah and
guidance to penetrate. Which makes it more difficult for you to do
the things that you're supposed to do and to abstain from the things
that you need to abstain from. So the first thing you need to do in
order to remain steadfast is to ensure that you minimize and you
eradicate sin from your life. The second thing, time management.
This is where many of us fall short. We don't appreciate the
fact that Allah subhanho wa Taala has given us this priceless bounty
of time. So priceless so valuable that Allah takes an oath on it in
the Quran, will ask, will ask Allah takes an oath by time. If
you can manage your time, then you will be able to remain steadfast
you will be able to remain focused. Just yesterday added a
coat of Imam Abu Hamid Al Ghazali Rahim Allah what a scholar. And he
says and I'll give you the English equivalent of it. He says every
breath of life this Listen to these words. He says Every Breath
of Life is a precious jewel that can bring eternal treasures. Every
Breath of Life is a precious jewel that can bring eternal treasures,
wasting it wasting it is a great loss that no intelligent man can
justify
every breath I mean within one breath when you say La ilaha
illallah wa that one breath when you say subhanallah and a tree is
planted for you in Jana. With that one breath when you say something
appropriate and it hits the heart of someone and it changes their
life. Imam Ghazali says every breath of yours is a precious
jewel, which has the potential to bring you an eternal treasure,
which has the potential to invest for you eternally in the stock
exchange of Jannah, which never collapses. If you waste it. Yeah,
as dumb.
To put it frankly, every breath that you waste is illogical. It
goes against intelligence. And then he says, Listen to these
words, what a remarkable scholar and philosopher this man was. He
says, When a man wakes up in the morning, he must tell himself,
that the only asset I have is my life. When a man wakes up in the
morning, you must tell himself, the only asset that I have in my
life, the only asset that I have is my life. And when life
parishes, all my capital parishes. So what's my life made up of every
second in my life, that's what it's made up of. And every second,
that parishes is a second of me that's perishing.
The day I die, it means my capital has been depleted. So I need to
use every second to invest in my laughter.
Not necessarily only on the masala only in Salah, earning a
livelihood in the right way, social interaction in the right
way, even relaxing, and sleeping and eating in the right way is all
investment for the after, but your time has to be managed. So the
first was that don't sin because it creates a screen on your heart
which makes it difficult for you to be obedient to Allah and the
second is manage your time. The third tip,
the third tip towards a steadfast life as a Muslim, towards the
continuation of obedience is adopt the company of the pious. We have
heard many a hadith of Rasulullah sallallahu sallam, when you sit in
a person's company, it has an effect on you positive or
negative, whether you like it or not. Every now and again go to
those people who are on a higher level of spirituality and sit in
the company. It gives your Eman and your spirituality a boost. We
need it we too weak to pull from one Ramadan to the other on our
own steam. From time to time sitting the company of those who
can give you religious perspective.
They can remind you that a this is where you're going off just by the
general discourse just by the general interaction. It is
mentioned some pious people
You just look at them and they remind you of Allah.
Some pious people, Allah is bless them in such a way because of
their piety and their steadfastness, that when people
just look at them, it reminds them of Allah. So adopt the company of
the pious, the fourth thing, Maha Sabha. introspection, and I've
mentioned this previously, every night, take stock of what you did
for the day. It helps you to keep yourself in check. Otherwise 11
months will float. And it will be SHA burn 1438 And you think to
yourself, but I haven't improved since last Ramadan. I'm back to
where I was. I'm back to where I was. So every night starting with
the night after eat, do a bit of Maha Sabha before you close your
eyes and retire for the night. That whatever I've done for the
day, what's my routine? Like? How am I spending my life that's the
fourth. The fifth thing is da da, da. Never underestimate to
remember, in order for you to be steadfast, your heart needs to be
rightly guided. And according to a hadith of Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam, every heart of every human is in the hands of
Allah. It is in the control of Allah. So if you talk to Allah,
and you beg to Allah that grant me that guidance cannot be that
steadfastness who will be by my hand and walk me on the Sirata Mr.
Chemo My Allah yam was suddenly fell Kulu serif Pulu banana Allah
de Nick yarmulke liberal Kuru sub bit Kuru banana orthotic, that oh
Allah you have you are the control of our hearts, turn our hearts
towards obedience, turn our hearts towards the true teachings of
Islam. That's the fifth and the sixth.
Shaytan is your enemy so treat him as such.
The sixth point that the scholars have mentioned in terms of how to
keep yourself steadfast and how to become a steadfast Muslim. And to
ensure the continuation of obedience is treat the devil as an
enemy because that is what it is. And Allah says this in the Quran
in the shaytaan Allah Kuma I don't want foot Turkey who are the
words, he's your enemy, treat him as an enemy, your enemy in life,
he walks in that door, you walk out that door.
You don't want to even be near him.
You don't want to associate you don't want to entertain any
discussion. The difficulty with us is we think well you know, I know
the devil is my enemy, but I trust myself. So you allow yourself to
entertain a few thoughts. But the devil is rather smart.
Allah sees in one verse of the Quran. Yeah, you have levena
Amanullah who could what is Shavon that Oh, you who believe don't
walk in the footsteps of the devil? Now the facility and I've
written they say, Why does Allah say don't walk in the footsteps of
the devil? Allah could have just said don't follow the devil.
And the answer is remarkable. When you walk in someone's footsteps,
you don't know where they taking you. You just follow them one step
at a time. So if you see footsteps leading out of this masjid, you
may not know what's out of the mistake, but you just follow it
one step at a time. That's what the devil does you he takes you
and he miss guides you one step at a time, until Allah forbid you see
yourself in front of the doors of hellfire.
So Allah says, treat the devil as an enemy because that is what he
is.
I don't intend to dampen the spirit brothers obviously, we are
now in in a in a in a season of great optimism and so we should,
because the Mercy of Allah subhanho wa Taala is descending in
greater abundance. We are moving towards the 27th night of Ramadan.
We should be hopeful in the Mercy of Allah no doubt about that. But
together with that this is also the time to make dua for
steadfastness. This is also the time to start molding our mindset
that this year Allah with your help, I'm not going to let it slip
after Ramadan. I am not going to let it slip after Ramadan, this
Ramadan inshallah is going to be different. It's going to be one
way I emerge as a steadfast Muslim. It's, it's going to be one
way or emerge with a continuation of obedience. Otherwise, we become
like that description which Allah has given in the 14th Juice of the
Quran. We Allah says, What are the cool new Colette the Nakada the
Hustla home embody to what in and Kurzeme ALLAH SubhanA wa Taala
gives us the parable and the example of a woman. There was a
mentally deranged woman in Makkah in those days, the whole day she
would knit and if you knit for the whole day you will be sitting with
a nice piece of cloth at the end of the day. And then at sunset,
she would shoot it the whole cloth with own hands,
wasting a whole day's effort. So Allah says don't do that. You've
spent 30 days in the obedience of Allah. Don't run towards sin after
Ramadan like you would a bird who was caged for 30 days and now you
unshackled
wala it's a tragedy. Sometimes when we look at how we behave on
eat day, let alone the day after eat. It is like we caged ourselves
for 30 days.
and abstain from sin. And now the cage has been lifted, I need to go
back to everything that I was doing before Ramadan, as if I feel
like I was missing out for 30 days, whereas it ought to be the
opposite, that the theory is ought to have created within us such a
love for obedience, and such a dislike for disobedience and sin,
that we ought to emerge different from this great month of Ramadan.
Remember, we are all we are all seeking acceptance from Allah
subhanho wa taala. During these last few hours of Ramadan, the
greatest sign of acceptance after a good deed is if you follow it up
with goodness, and the greatest sign and I even shudder to say
this, we are all guilty. The greatest sign of a lack of
acceptance is if you emerge from goodness, and then you get you
start indulging in evil. Allah protect us, Allah protect us in
this regard, but it's imperative that we become steadfast Muslims
and not seasonal Muslims, that the obedience continues the obedience
has to continue.
The greatest appreciation we can show to Allah for Ramadan, all of
us would like to see another another without doubt. And the
Quranic principle is what led in Sheikh Khartoum let us see then
the Quran. If you show gratitude to Allah, Allah will increase for
you. The greatest gratitude you can show to Allah for Ramadan is
to remain steadfast after Ramadan.
Brothers we don't know whether we'll have this opportunity again.
We don't let's make it count whilst we can. Obviously you
cannot do outside of Ramadan as much as you did in Ramadan.
Ramadan has its own climate, come here the day after it and try and
reach into your pockets.
Right? It's not that easy. Try and read as much Quran as you are in
Ramadan is not that easy. And Islam is not asking that from us.
All Islam is saying you read quite a bit of Quran in Ramadan, read at
least something but every day. Outside of Ramadan, you perform 20
records of Salah and Ramadan, at least perform your five daily
Salah and once you've got that under grasp a little of an
affiliate and you gave you a Sakai in Ramadan, give a few reigns of
charity outside of Ramadan, you don't have to do the same in terms
of quantity. All that is required is be constant. That's the meaning
of each department. It must not be that you don't see the Quran for
the next 11 months. It must not be that you don't see the masjid for
the next 11 months. It must not be that you don't understand the
meaning of charity for the next 11 months. No, because that would be
contrary to the karma. That would mean that we have not understood.
Again I'm saying brothers it's difficult. steadfastness is not
easy. However, it's not impossible. It is Jihad Al Akbar
when Sahaba were coming from an expedition, Nabi sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam said Raja Anna Amina al Jihad Al Assad in Al Jihad Al
Akbar. That was the smaller jihad, even though you had to draw
weapons, and even though your life was in danger, but it was for a
very limited period. The greater jihad is the constant struggle
against enough's. The constant struggle to remain steadfast. Why,
why is it the greater jihad, the struggle for steadfastness is the
greatest greater jihad. Why? Because the field is unlimited.
When you add war, the field is limited, because it's timeless and
boundless. And also because it's against yourself. The lesser Jihad
when you go into the expedition is against an open enemy. This is a
struggle against yourself, the enemies from within the nerves,
you cannot see it you cannot perceive it with your five senses.
And whilst we endeavor whilst we endeavor to remain steadfast, we
must also remind ourselves with regards the reward
the reward of those people who have is the karma. I touched on it
a few nights ago, in the Tafseer. After the robbery surah Allah says
in Alladhina CalU Rob Boone, Allah Who musta Camu the Xs xello Allah
in Himalayan Mala Iike to Allah the Hoff who Allah Tarzan, who
were Abba Shiro, Bill Jannetty. Let econ come to our dune. Allah
says My servant. I know. I know it's a struggle to remain
steadfast. But if you continue with that struggle, the angels
will come to you whilst you are alive and they will give you
support. The day you die, they will say we are here to support
you. When you throw it in your grave. They'll say we are here to
support you. When you resurrected on the day of Kiama. They will say
we are here to support you until they give you the glad tidings of
Jana Newsela men have afforded Rahim where you will be the guest
for eternity of none other than Almighty Allah. Make that
intention now brothers that this Ramadan is going to be different.
We're going to emerge as steadfast Muslims, we're going to ensure
that the obedience continues not only in our individual capacity,
we cannot forget the plight of them. Part of steadfastness is for
us to be active and to continue with our activism with regards the
plight of Muslims and humans who are suffering wherever they are
suffering, and especially ill puts. We don't have to be
apologetic about it. Wherever a human suffers. It hurts us
Wherever a Muslim stuff was, it hurts us more. But if he's
suffering, it hurts me. But if my father is suffering, it hurts me
more. So if any human suffers, we hurt because he's a human. If a
Muslim suffers, we hurt even more. But if they suffering and
oppression in the third holiest site in Islam, then it breaks our
heart. It breaks our heart. And we don't have to be apologetic about
that. And part of being a steadfast Muslim is not only about
your own body, your own worship, your own abstention from sin, and
your own dedication to different religious practices. It's about
standing up and speaking truth and being an activist for the cause of
justice.
And let's continue with that dua in supplication during these
blessed nights that Allah liberate Masjid Al Aqsa from the hands of
the oppressive usurpers in our lifetime.
I'll conclude by saying brothers, these last few days of Ramadan, we
still have an opportunity to make dua to emerge a steadfast Muslims
and to start tuning our mindset that I'm going to use these last
few days to start molding myself to become a perpetual obedient
slave of Allah, not a seasonal slave of Allah, may Allah not only
going to worship you in Ramadan, I'm going to continue with it
after Ramadan. The difference between a believer in a hypocrite
the difference between a believer in a hypocrite between a winner
and a loser between success and failure is a statement.
steadfastness loses make promises. Don't promise yourself you will be
steadfast winners make commitment, make a commitment to Allah. Don't
look at your weakness of the past. Look at the greatness of Allah and
Salah today, in this last Friday of Juma in your house at this
blessed hour, I make a commitment to you, my Allah, I'm going to be
a steadfast Muslim after they have read. I'm going to continue with
that obedience because I know I live only once. This could be my
last Ramadan. This could be the last year of my life. I want to
make it count as a steadfast obedient servant of Allah. May
Allah grant us all the Tofik was SallAllahu wasallam Obata kala
Nabina Muhammad, welcome to Darwin and hamdulillahi rabbil Alameen wa
salam alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh