Suleiman Hani – Following The Truth Over Your Desires

			Prophet Lu potty he said
		

			when He
		

			admonished his people and commanded them to do right to be pious to return back to Allah to repent.
		

			As part of their response to him, they said, We're in Nicola Tala manual read, you know what we
desire, you know what we want?
		

			And so you see automatically, historically here as you're reading about what they said, their
religion, their worldview, their lifestyle what they're after is not the truth it's after desires
the pursuit here is not one of what is correct and what is false rather, what do we desire? What do
we want. We're in Nikola Tesla more manual read.
		

			And it's very important for us to reflect deeply on the historical lessons in the Quran so that
today we are not repeating the very same mistakes of previous nations. And that we are also cautious
and aware that a lot of the philosophies and ideologies around us today are a repackaging of old
arguments or repackaging. But at the very core, there are similarities at the very core, there are
consistencies. Amongst them is pride and arrogance, when encountering the truth rejecting the truth
due to Kibet and that is what pride is about, to reject the truth and to look down on others.
Another consistent trait we see between what they said back then, and what people do today is the
		

			preference for desires over everything else.
		

			Surely, we all recognize as Muslims that we have desires where human beings, some desires may lead
you to good and other desires are harmful for you. But when it comes to the pursuit of what is true
in life, surely the pursuit of truth is always good for you. The pursuit of Allah subhanaw taala is
always good for you. And while it may seem like this passage, we are just referencing the people of
Prophet little party, he said, um, for us as Muslims, we make decisions every single day that
reflect whether we prefer in the moment, what Allah subhanaw taala wants from us, or we are giving
preference to our desires. And if you love Allah subhanho wa taala, you're always working. This is
		

			the journey of life. This is what Jihad do. neffs is about striving against your lower self, is to
choose what Allah wants, what is true, what is objectively good, over what you desire, over
something that may cause you some harm. And we find that oftentimes, we are saved, we are protected
from a lot of the problems that people fall into when they have no religion whatsoever, and they
don't have a reference point. We are protected, so long as we're looking at the world through the
Quran. And so our short hotbar today, our reminder is about the Quranic worldview, seeing the world
through the Quran entails that you recognize that a lot of the signs that Allah subhanaw taala gives
		

			you these signs are sufficient, you don't need more than that for you to become a better Muslim. You
don't need to see something with your eyes as a more of this as a miracle for you to change your
ways. And a lot of times what we hear and what we experience, and what we see is that people refuse
to move forward in their faith. They refuse to get closer to the Creator, unless they see what they
want to see unless they see something on their terms. And oftentimes we may think especially today,
that seeing is everything. Seeing suffices, I usually clean the sight of certainty, seeing an
experience that changes you. And while it may help at times propel you forward and change your life
		

			in many ways, you should not place it as a condition for you to become a better Muslim. Just like an
atheist should not claim unless I see it. I want to believe with my eyes. And you look in the Quran
and you find this is not a new thing. You find examples of both believers and disbelievers who were
given the opportunity to see certain things and how it affected them in different ways. Prophet
Ibrahim alayhis salam saw the resurrection of the bird that he asked as a miracle from Allah
subhanho wa taala. And at the same time, the people of Prophet Ibrahim Ali Salam threw him into a
fire and witnessed him not being punished or burned or tortured in any form whatsoever saved by
		

			Allah subhanaw taala did they all then believe? No, they did not. The people of Prophet salallahu
Salam, they said we want to see a miracle. And in fact, in this case, they requested the miracle on
their terms. So they saw what seems to be here, a camel appearing out of thin air a miracle that you
would think
		

			And I would think today, with all the people in the world claiming all believe when I see that
everyone became Muslim, but you look at the example of Prophet salallahu Alaihe Salam, not only did
most of them not become Muslim, those who claimed we want this miracle, they in fact started to plot
and plan and they slaughtered, that's common. And so if seeing suffices to believe, and that's all
your heart really needs that everyone would have become Muslim. All of the signs would have
sufficed. People were chasing Prophet Musa Ali's and a Moses into the Red Sea, trapped, there's
nowhere to go. And now the sea splits. And you would think all of those who are chasing after him
		

			should think twice. Clearly this is a messenger of God. But no, that's not enough. They follow they
pursue. And of course, they drown and they die. So if seeing sufficed, everyone would become Muslim.
		

			But it's a claim. It's a claim for disbelievers. And it's a claim we make as well as Muslims. When
we say, if I could see this, then I would become a stronger believer, then I would get closer to
Allah subhanaw taala. And the reality is, we should not be placing these conditions on us moving
forward in our faith, you do not need to see a more Gza other than the Quran for you to say Now I'll
move forward. Allah subhanaw taala gave all of us enough signs sufficient signs in our lives. We are
all signs for one another, and everyone who departed before us have loved ones and community members
we are reminders and signs as well. Regardless of your religion, your race, your background, your
		

			gender, every single human being will depart from this world. We have so many signs we cannot begin
counting the signs. So new to him is Tina Phil. Firstly wifey unfussy him hat Dieter Bayona, whom
and now will help at the end of swords full senate Allah subhanaw taala says we will show them Our
signs in the heavens in the universe meaning countless signs and within themselves, until they see
clearly that it is the truth mean that the Quran is from Allah subhanaw taala. But does this mean
everyone will accept no. So then you might think, well, if it's not empirical, if it's not about
seeing to believe, like many atheists will claim today, then perhaps it's about reasoning and
		

			rationalism and Lachlan, which in Western society, we should all know by this point, for the last
300 years or so, there's been an elevation of reasoning and rationalism to the extent that it has
become a deity of sorts for many people, that it's become their methodology in life that if it
doesn't make sense to me, and I cannot reason with it, then I will not accept that I will not do it.
		

			And you'll find with reasoning, examples in the Quran as well, on seven different occasions, Allah
subhanaw taala mentions the story the historical incident, of when the devil refused to obey Allah's
command refuse to prostrate to other mighty Salaam. And His excuse was what what was his reasoning
and a higher Omen I am better than him, created me from fire created him from clay. And if no claim
Rama, Allah, the great scholar, he said, not only was this obviously disobedience towards a law and
Kibet an arrogance. But what you notice as well is that in terms of reasoning, this is not even
true. So he suggested more than a dozen examples proves that in fact, clay is better than fire. So
		

			not only was their disobedience towards the law in terms of one prostration, but it's not just about
that one frustration. Not only was their disobedience and arrogance, the reasoning was faulty as
well, that it's not even true. You look at the example of PowToon, Allah subhanaw taala gave him so
much wealth. So many people today in the United States of America are tested and blessed with a lot
of wealth, knowing that there are people in the same neighborhood who are starving, knowing there
are other people who don't have access to health care, knowing there are other people who don't have
a fraction of what you have and what you waste. May Allah subhanaw taala forgive us and make us
		

			grateful. And yet God even with all the wealth that Allah blessed him with, what was his reasoning?
What was his thought, I earned this from my intellect my in. And this is not true. And there were
Muslims who used to look at him and say, If only we had the wealth that PowToon had, this is not
unlike the Muslim today, who has sufficiency in their life, but they're always on social media,
always on Instagram and Tiktok, looking at what other people have of mansions and palaces and faster
cars and more expensive brand names, and thinking what I wish I had what they have, oh, if only we
had that car if only we had this and that.
		

			And this desire to have more and more and more of a dunya looking at what other people have never
makes you happy. You will never be grateful for what you have. If you're looking at those who have
more than you. This is why the Prophet salallahu Alaihe Salam commanded us to look at those who have
less than US of A dunya and those who are looking at those who are ahead of you in terms of their
Deen in terms of their practice. May Allah subhanaw taala keep us ungrateful Allahumma Amin. So if
it's not empirical observation, and it's not reasoning and rash
		

			moslem alaafin then what is it? What would suffice for us to accept the signs that Allah subhanaw
taala gives us it is a pure heart. It is the natural disposition, the fifth era that Allah subhanaw
taala gave us when the filter is pure and intact, the truth is so clear to you and you accept it
very quickly, as sin submission to Allah becomes easy. Yeah, you AlLadhina ammonoid Hooroo facil me
can fatten What are tuttavia hope watershape on a reminder for us all believers enter into a sin
submission to Allah completely Kapha don't pick and choose, I'll take from Islam, what works for me
on my terms, and I can't do these other things. I'm not going to do that right now. I'll become
		

			religious later on. I'll wait until the end of the year, the new Hijra year the new calendar year
I'll wait until Ramadan. I'll wait until Ramadan or hedge. What are you waiting for? You know,
tomorrow is not guaranteed. We all know this every day is the last opportunity every moment is a
final opportunity. Live with each breath as though it's your last. Just this morning we receive news
that a dear brother in Philadelphia who is running one of the chapters of IGNOU over there for a
long time. And he recently launched at the very last minute a convention in the area had just come
back from that convention Subhan Allah about a month ago, and he passed away Rahmatullah Allah may
		

			Allah subhana, Allah have mercy on him and elevate his ranks. One of the very last things that he
did was he ran and facilitated entire conference for the Muslim community, what will be our last
deed in this world, don't base everything off of your rationalism and your reasoning, don't base
everything off of a future that is not guaranteed. Many people here have plans for next week, you
have plans for the end of this year. You have plans for next year as well. You have plans maybe for
your children in terms of their education or anything else. You have plans. Maybe many people here
have to do lists. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam drew a line in the sand the line of life,
		

			it's vertical. You're moving forward, you're thinking ahead, I have these things to do this week.
You're thinking about what you have to do, perhaps later today, maybe you're going back to your work
and you have some things you have to finish.
		

			And then the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam drew a line horizontally crossing it off, cutting it
off.
		

			This line is the line of life and that's the line of death. It cuts you off from your future
ambitions, your hopes, your dreams, your desires, your To Do lists and every plan that you had later
that week, completely cuts you off.
		

			I recently came back we had a group that we were leaving for Ramadan. Hamdulillah. And the very last
day we departed, one of the Messiah stayed for an extra day. And as you know, when you're leaving
there, one of the final things you're supposed to do in Mecca, is the farewell cloth so often
whether it's the very last thing you do and then you depart. May Allah subhanaw taala grant us all
accepted * accepted Armwood Aloma Amin, as well as trip to Masjid Al officer, Lama Amin.
		

			And the day we left, one of the other Messiah reached out he sent a voice message to the 120 people
in the group and he said as he was crying, he told us there was in the last fall off that he was
doing there was a crowd of people there basically a number of people and there was somebody on the
floor and they started making room. He's a doctor so they you know, brought him forward. Check on
this man. He had no pulse. And long story short, the man was in a haram wearing his clothes were a
head on doing his own. And he passed away May Allah subhanaw taala have mercy on him the noble act
of worship and act of worship that wipes away your sins.
		

			And Allahu Allah, if this was the man's first and last Amara, Allahu Adam, if it was his first round
around the Kaaba, his first circuit and he passed away.
		

			What will be our final deed? What will we have done that day? What prayer will you have prayed? Will
you have rushed from the salah back to a dunya or taking your time with a prayer taking your time
with the family taking your time coming to the masjid reading Quran? What's your final deed in this
world? When the heart is pure, it becomes a lot easier to move forward.
		

			And we ask Allah subhanaw taala to purify our hearts along that slug, alumina or Madonna. The second
thing that happens when you see the world through the Quran is it helps you with your emotions. We
all have emotions as human beings, some will experience them more than others, some stronger than
others. And often times you may even think and feel that what you experience of emotions that nobody
else experiences. That feeling of loneliness or a lonely journey is in fact unique to you. But yes,
everyone else has the emotions as well oftentimes not expressed.
		

			And what's interesting about this is when you see the world through the Quran, you realize very
quickly so long as you're connected to the Quran and you study it The purpose is to reflect on it to
implement it is guidance Leah did blue IR to reflect on its signs and verses. What it does for your
emotions is it helps you to channel them in a healthy way. It doesn't mean you don't have grief
anymore or sadness when someone dies. May Allah subhanaw taala have mercy on our loved ones. But
rather what it means is you can channel that grief toward
		

			Allah subhanaw taala your sadness can also be an act of worship. Your sadness is for the sake of
Allah subhanaw taala and you're asking Allah for healing, you're asking Allah for a reunion in
Jannah without individually asking Allah for mercy for them for forgiveness. And if you're going
through a hardship and that's why you're sad, may Allah grant you relief, you're thinking about your
sadness, and you're making dua in a time of hardship in which you think there's no way out and you
say, Allah, I'm weak, so help me rather than going around in life just complaining to other people
about your life. You turn to Allah and you're complaining to him of your weakness, they Allah I am
		

			weak, so grant me strength. When you start to channel your emotions, through the Quran, towards
Allah subhanaw taala. You realize really quickly, that in almost every single passage of the Quran
in which there's a reference to calamity, to hardship, whether for you or for the entire Ummah, the
hardships that we think about every day when we see what's happening in Palestine, and we see what's
happening all around the world, you realize very quickly, Allah subhanaw taala always gives in that
passage, some hope, some resilience, something for you to do, make dua is starting this somebody was
sada in Aloha saw that in Allah subhanaw taala gives you something to think about the afterlife that
		

			there is a day of justice these oppressors will not get away with their oppression when Allah often
and I'm gonna Lottie moon, do not assume Allah is unaware of what the oppressors do. In other words,
when you are constantly connected to the Quran, you're constantly channeling your emotions in a
healthy manner towards Allah subhanaw taala. It makes you happier, it gives you more relief. It
doesn't mean you won't experience emotions, it doesn't mean you won't experience sadness. But there
is no comparison between the one who sadness is connected to Allah and the one who doesn't feel like
they have anything. The one who is not connected to the Creator whatsoever. Turn to Allah subhanaw
		

			taala with every emotion and recognize your daily relationship with the Quran is a preservation of
the state of your heart. And as well, a positive impact on your emotions as a number of studies have
found as well. Listening to the Quran reading, it's reflecting on his studying its Tafseer, which we
all have access to today, helps you to stay connected to Allah subhana wa Tada. There's a brother
who came to me a number of times for I would say for advice, but really, he was just venting. And
then I would give him advice. And he would leave. And then one time, he said, You know what? I
realized like, every time I come to you, I'm just I'm kind of venting, I'm saying the same things.
		

			I'm expressing what I'm going through. I already know the things you're telling me about. But what I
realize is I'm not learning anything new. What I realize is I do feel better when we talk. And
what's interesting about this is and I told him this, sometimes we don't need to learn something new
for us to make progress. But we need to be reminded. We need to be reminded with that kid and they
could not find the chords and find me and remind for verily the reminder benefits the believers.
What was the reminder here, you already know what you're supposed to do you know what your life is
about, you know, you're supposed to turn to Allah, you know, you're supposed to be praying, you
		

			know, you're supposed to stay away from sins. You know what, what happens when you go through
hardship, and so on and so forth. But we need the reminders, because we cut off access to those
reminders. The more you cut off access to those reminders, the more likely you are to experience
weeks or months in your life in which you're going through something and it becomes magnified and
amplified in terms of the pain in terms of the darkness, because you chose for yourself to have an
environment in which there is no Quran, you chose to have an environment in which there is nowhere
and there are no reminders. Rather than always playing something beneficial in the home. Rather than
		

			always being on the phone. It's something beneficial. So it was something useless or was something
of entertainment, you can spend 90 minutes of watching soccer match a football game of football
overseas, you can watch this for an hour and a half and multiple games, not just one or two. But
can't spend an hour reading Quran a day. We can spend an hour a week reading Quran outside of Salah
we really have to ask ourselves what our priorities are. Because if all you're taking in mentally
and emotionally, are worldly things or even harmful things, that how do you expect that your heart
and your mind and your emotions will be preserved? If what you're taking in is harmful? You're
		

			harming yourself. If what you're taking in is beneficial. You're preserving yourself and I'm not
saying you cannot watch something that is how that's something that is permissible it is mobile, and
it has nothing haram of elements in it. But what I'm saying is we need to be honest with ourselves
and admit to ourselves that we need to have priorities and that we are actually pursuing these
priorities for the sake of Allah subhanaw taala. Once again, if you surround yourself with
beneficial reminders, you will benefit and the people around you will benefit. May Allah subhanaw
taala make us amongst the people of the Quran, Allah Allah I mean, and the last point here is that
		

			when you see the world, through the Quran, you realize very quickly, your life always has meaning
and value. When you're always connected to the Quran. You realize you're always reminded that the
purpose of life is to worship Allah. That when you fall short you stand back up that if you sinned
in the last 10 years, you come back to Allah subhanaw taala sincerely, and Allah will forgive. So
you always realize that the journey to true
		

			Success is accessible to you, and no one can take it away from you. But if you don't connect to the
Quran, and you're seeing the world through, let's say, the lens of neoliberalism or the pursuit of
just materialism and a career path, that's all you're thinking about in life, just the accumulation
of wealth, or a relationship or children or anything else, then what starts to happen is your idea
of true success is tied to these worldly things that are not guaranteed. So when these worldly
things are taken away, if they are taken away, you start to feel like a part of your identity is
gone, that your life has no meaning and value. And this is why some people when they lose worldly
		

			things, they think their life has no value and they take their own lives. May Allah subhanaw taala
protect us and our communities. The reality is you always have value. You always have purpose you
always have meaning. Allah subhanaw taala gave it to you made it so clear, and it's your choice. You
connect to it, you decide to make dua so when you're always looking at the world through the Quran,
you realize very quickly your relationship with Allah subhanho wa Taala gives you more meaning than
anything of a dunya and that comes with tranquility, that comes with a agenda that's in your heart
and it's not tied to your worldly possessions that comes with a garden that's in your heart and no
		

			one can take it away from you. May Allah subhanho wa Taala purify our hearts and grant us the lights
of the Quran and may Allah subhanaw taala protect us from the darkness of this world and the
hardships of this life and may Allah subhana wa Tada alleviate our affairs, ask Allah subhanaw taala
for forgiveness, He is the author giving the Ever Merciful.
		

			hamdu lillah wa Salatu was Salam ala Rasulillah while they're early he was suffering he woman WADA
		

			once again the people of profit little tiny his Salam said to him You know what we desire what you
Nicola Tala minute
		

			we make decisions every single day in which we are choosing between what Allah prefers and what our
desires prefer. We're choosing between Allah's pleasure and our own worldly desires our own however,
may Allah subhanaw taala protect us and forgive us. And the more we are working towards the love of
Allah subhanho wa Taala with sincerity and humility, the more we will choose Allah subhanaw taala in
every situation, every circumstance, and that when we fall short, when we fall short that we
immediately go back to Allah subhanaw taala not just seeing a stuff that Allah and moving on, but
rather doing a lot more good deeds in that moment. As a sign of sincerity as a sign of remorse as a
		

			sign of gratitude to Allah subhanaw taala they Allah I do want to keep chasing after your love
pursuing your loves, with humility with gratitude over all else may Allah subhanaw taala grant us
the light of the Quran allow us to see the world through the Quran. And recognize that many of the
injustice is and oppressions and problems whether at a societal level affecting Muslims or non
Muslims around the world, or it's a matter of injustice in your personal life you're experiencing it
yourself or within a family. Recognizing that by looking at the world through the Quran and
implementing what the Quran has a lot of these injustices and oppressions immediately will be
		

			resolved meaning the solutions are clear. You know what you're supposed to do with your family, you
know, you're supposed to treat your family better than your your treating strangers in the street.
You know, your your character behind closed doors should be better than what the community sees in
public, you know that your family has the greatest right upon you in terms of spending in terms of
sadaqa in terms of NEFA you know that your family has the greatest right with regards to all the
good that you have to offer. And with that, as well the justice that we should be pursuing all
across the world, all across society, regardless of who's on the other side that we're always
		

			standing on the side of justice. This is through the lens of the Quran. We're seeing today many
people pursuing justice for different causes, but refusing to fulfill the right of Allah. So they
are just when it comes to movements when it comes to campaigns when it comes to protest and voting
and engagement in terms of politics, but when it comes to the right of Allah completely abandoning
it, Do not oppress your knifes your soul on the way to on the journey to fulfilling the rights of
other human beings fulfilling the rights of animals fulfilling the rights of the environment.
		

			Bla