Suleiman Hani – Your Life Has Meaning

			proximately, seven or eight years ago, I received a message from a college student who had just
entered law school.
		

			And her message to summarize, she said her entire life
		

			was about getting into law school, her parents emphasizing for her to have this amazing, remarkable
career, her friends all on the same track, some in law, school medicine, other fields as well.
		

			She studied really hard, she made it into the program she wanted. And then she was caught cheating
on an assignment, and threatened with a suspension or rather sorry, an expulsion, she would be
expelled from the program, if the investigation went through. And she was in fact, concluded to have
been cheating. And she would be basically expelled from the school with some marks on her academic
record. So she can't apply again, and she can't get into another law program. She said, I feel up to
this point, that everything about my life was to have this career. And now I feel like my life has
no meaning. I feel like I have no purpose. Everything that I identified with is gone. What am I
		

			supposed to do with my life, and my friends are all continuing my family. It has expectations. This
is what I felt define me. And now I feel like I have nothing.
		

			And it's very interesting when these types of questions arise, and they are common. And often times
they are not posed, but they are internalized by many people.
		

			It's very important for us to always go back to the foundation of what really gives us value and
gives us meaning. Our topic today is your life has meaning your life has meaning. But that meaning
should never be attached to a very small, temporary worldly plan. It should never be attached to a
material thing that you identify with having a particular career. Yes, you may have that career in
life. And you're known for such and such a job, or such and such specialization, you maybe are a
mother or a father, you're raising a child, maybe you're single, maybe you're married.
		

			But all of these worldly states that we go through and worldly things we encounter and worldly
things we are tested with of blessings and wealth, they do not give us meaning.
		

			And the reason we emphasize they don't give us meaning is not to take away something that you find
fulfilling, but rather to say these temporary things that we have, could be a milestone and could be
one form of pursuing the greater purpose in life could be one way to connect to Allah subhanaw
taala. That yes, through your job, you want to serve a particular purpose, through the raising of a
child through your marriage and other things that you may experience, that you want the pleasure of
Allah.
		

			But when that thing is taken away from you, it does not take away your identity or your value, it
does not take away your purpose in life. So for someone who believes in Allah subhanaw taala to
think, now what is my life worth? Now what value do I have Wallah, he you have the most noble value.
And the most beautiful thing about this value that you have in this purpose and higher calling that
you have is that it cannot be taken away from you. It's a choice that you make. It's not a material
thing. It's not your job or your studies. It's not your marital status. It's not a child or no
child. Those things give us fulfillment and they are blessings from Allah and they are trials. But
		

			as we all know, they are temporary things as a part of our journey in this life. And it's okay and
encouraged to pursue these things for the sake of Allah. But do not attach your entire T of value
and self worth and purpose in life to these things. Because at times when these things are taken
away, for whatever reason, you should not then think and say, I have no purpose and my life has no
purpose anymore. Well, Allah, your life always has purpose. But you have to fulfill that greater
purpose. And really, when we take a step back, we all know as believers, when you take a step back
and you look at the larger circle of life, the entirety of your life really is for Allah. The
		

			entirety of why you exist should be for the sake of Allah. As for every worldly thing in this world,
everything we experience in this life, they come and they go, they're impermanent, they are
temporary. And we all have different circumstances. We all have different trials, we all have
different journeys. So what gives life meaning is what Allah subhanho wa Taala from his mercy out of
His mercy told us about not only is it your natural disposition, your fifth law to know that it's
not about physical or material things or desires, but Allah subhanaw taala out of His mercy created
us as human beings with freewill with a trial and sent a messenger SallAllahu
		

			While he was sending them a message that is timeless and preserved until the end of times, making it
so simple and clear, a young child can understand it. Making it so simple and clear. You can always
reflect on it. I exist we exist for the sake of Allah, wa after ginawa insert in learning our
balloon, while subhanaw taala says in the verse we all hear often, and I did not create the jinn and
mankind except to worship Allah subhanaw taala Hola, hola. Hola, como el Hyah, Talia bluer Kuma
ucommerce. And Ramona, the One who created death and life, he brought you into existence out of
nothing, in order to test you to see what's best in their actions, your actions, you're a buyer that
		

			cannot be taken away from you. So your value your self worth your identity, your purpose is so
magnificent and remarkable and greater than any worldly thing. But also it cannot be taken away from
you. That's a choice we all have to make, to stay connected to Allah subhanho wa taala.
		

			Oftentimes, when you think of the idea of a mission, that you're focused on one main thing and
obviously along the way, there are many other things we experience. We're here on a mission. And we
should reflect on that often we are here on a mission and we have very limited time. We are here to
worship Allah subhana wa Tada. And our values our morals come from Allah subhanho wa taala. So they
are factual, they are objective. You automatically have value and purpose. No matter what happens in
this life, no matter what hardships you go through. But if your heart starts to become attached to
something worldly, and you become distant from Allah, and you're no longer fulfilling the actual
		

			purpose that you were created for, and then that material thing is taken away. Then you might start
to suffer emotionally and mentally and wonder why am I here? What is my life worth anymore? What
will people say? When in reality, none of those things really matter at the end of the day. Yes, we
pursue well being and we ask Allah subhana wa Tada as the Prophet salallahu Salam used to ask for
our Alfia for well being in this life, and in the next life we ask for goodness we ask for all that
is beneficial. But at the end of the day, your purpose is connected to Allah. So always channel your
emotions back to Allah subhana wa Tada.
		

			And hustle bustle yo la mala one of the great scholars of the early generations. He said May Allah
grant mercy to some people who use this life as if as if it was a loan, ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada
entrusted them with their souls with their time with their lives. And then he says they give it back
to him, the one who entrusted it to them, and they went away they departed they died with a very
light weight, meaning they had no burden on the day of judgment to deal with sinfulness and
consequences of their actions. Allah subhanaw taala reminds us so that our hearts and our minds are
not distracted. Marrying the commune Fadwa in the law Heba. What you have with you is going to
		

			disappear. And what Allah has is eternal, it's lasting. What this means is everything you have a
dunya will end what Allah has Subhana wa Tada of reward for you is lasting. So seek that which is
permanent over that which is temporary. strive with your priorities with your day to day balance of
your job and your work and your family and your children and everything else. Strive to ensure that
your heart is prioritizing that which is lasting over that which is temporary. And if you look at
the psychological impact of thinking this way, we start to realize very quickly, that emotionally,
psychologically, mentally, in terms of our states, when we attach ourselves to Allah subhanaw taala
		

			and to actions deeds have an eternal return, may Allah subhanaw taala grant us all an abundance of
good deeds and protect us from sinfulness and forgive us along the Amin, when your heart is attached
to that which is permanent, your heart starts to have a tranquility and a piece that cannot be
attained through anything that is temporary, anything that is material. And this is why Allah
subhanaw taala reminds us in the Quran that tell kabuna acaba can on top of you will experience
stage upon stage in the detail to see it and commentary and to the boat on this idea. We find a
number of beautiful observations that help us they liberate us from being shackled to something that
		

			is temporary or something of this world,
		

			that you will experience everything of this life, but it will always be temporary. And we're not
just talking about the minor things. You're a child, you grow older, you're an adult, you go through
experiences as a child, you see them develop as they start to learn to talk and walk and all of
this. And as you go through stage and Season of Life replacing the last season you know, no season
of life is permanent. You know, no stage is permanent. What you have today is not always going to be
there. The people around you and your own life experience will not always be the way it is today.
And that reminder, frankly, is constantly surrounding us. It should not frighten us. In fact,
		

			When we embrace this reality, we're liberated we're detached from a dunya. This is a type of Zuid, a
type of asceticism where you are not renouncing the world but it's not controlling your heart.
You're not identifying with it. Everything we have now is temporary. Miranda commune. Fadwa Marin de
la Heba. When you attach your heart to Allah subhanho wa Taala you realize even that major stage of
life, meaning life itself, will depart and will be replaced with a permanent life will be replaced
with an eternal journey and eternal place. May Allah subhanaw taala grant us a place of peace
Allahumma Amin.
		

			And when we think about that departure again, it should not frighten us to the point where we are
uncomfortable dealing with it, rather channel that discomfort towards preparation for what's coming
next. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam described the most intelligent of people is the one
who controls or controls himself or herself meaning they hold themselves accountable while I'm in
that email validation mode and they prepare for what comes after death. That's wisdom and
foolishness is for you to follow your desires with no boundaries. What to Munna Allah, Allah and
then to have false hopes and Allah. This is the like the example of someone who plants a seed
		

			expecting a particular type of tree. You ask, what did you plant? He says an orange tree? What are
you expecting a banana? What do you mean, you planted something completely different? You did not
study for a single exam or a complete a single requirements for your university class. Did you
really have false hopes that somehow you're going to get 100% in this class? Absolutely. Not. With a
dunya we don't do this. So then why would the greater purpose with life itself with a reason that
Allah subhanaw taala created us for? Do we plant false hope thinking what everything will just be
okay? I'll just be forgiven. I don't need to worry about it. I'll become religious later. I'll
		

			repent later, I'll change my life later. When we know that if we're planting the wrong thing, today,
we are going to be repaid for what we planted.
		

			And in the final revelation, the last idea to be revealed i a 281 of Surah Al Baqarah. According to
him in Ibis this was revealed Nine Nights before the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam passed
away.
		

			Allah subhanaw taala gives us a summary of the entirety of the purpose of life. And a final reminder
what tuck will reopen to Raja ona fie it Allah be mindful prepare for the day in which you shall
indeed return to Allah. Thelma to offer could Luna Fatima cassava to whom now you have Lamone every
soul will be repaid for what it did. And no one will be treated with injustice. No one will be
treated unfairly by law. You will be given what you worked for. May Allah subhana wa Tada increases
in goodness. One time, the same scholar al Hassan basilica from Allah was in the graveyard with some
companions of his and as they were about to leave, he gave a beautiful short reminder he said May
		

			Allah have mercy on the man who works for the likes of this day. For today you are able to do what
these brothers of yours the residents of the graves cannot do. So make full use of your health and
your free time before the day of distrust and accountability comes upon you. In the very next idea
in the Surah that we were referencing Allah subhanaw taala says when I'm email Sonya Hammond Decker
in our own way, who are Macmillan fellow North Korea Janna who hired them for either whoever does
good, whether male or female, and is also a believer in Allah subhanho wa Taala we will surely bless
them with Hayato employee Eva. And if you look at the commentary of these two words, Hi, I'm Paul
		

			Lee. But a good life has several connotations, several understandings one of the reports from it, it
only Allahu on is that this means you will be content in life, you will be happy with what you have.
Another of the meanings is general happiness, Asad. Another of the meanings is for you to be content
with good deeds and the worship of Allah subhanahu, WA Tada and even Taymiyah Rahimullah, he says
Allah subhanaw taala links in this area to things he links and Armano Sada, the righteous action
that you do with a good life with happiness with contentment. A good life does not necessarily mean
a lot of wealth, for you might have wealth and be the most depressed of people, you might have
		

			wealth and never be happy and satisfied with what you have. There are people who have a lot of
money, and we all know they're not satisfied. They're always looking for the next thing. And also,
they're always increasing their expenses. So they're always feeling like they're on the state of
poverty. And other people have a lot less and they are content, they are satisfied with what Allah
gave them. And the reality is the pursuit of a good life. At the end of the day is what most people
are after. But sometimes they look for it in the wrong things. Sometimes people look for happiness
in material things and they're never content. They're looking at someone who has more. She has this
		

			and he has that and they're watching and following people on social media and TV shows and reality
shows. People are showing off worldly things and this person
		

			always feels what? I'm not happy with what I have, I want more. And the reality is you'll never feel
content if you're always looking at someone who has more and wishing you have that rather than being
grateful for what you have, and looking at those who have less than you, as the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam advise us in an authentic report from amateur Ignace, while the Allahu on the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said by the IFLA Herman who do evil Islam, he has truly
succeeded the one who was guided to Islam and is content with the risk that ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada
gave him. And the reality is, once again, people are given so many blessings, and they don't have
		

			gratitude towards Allah subhanho wa taala. So they end up finding depression through those things
rather than happiness and contentment. May Allah subhanaw taala protect us guide us forgive us and
elevate our ranks. Indeed, in our religion,
		

			we emphasize that we can never lose hope, hopelessness is not a part of Islam. Because so long as
your heart is attached to the purpose of life, you know, that you have value that cannot be taken
away, you know, you have something to be content with, that cannot be taken away, but other human
beings. And if you feel like even that is not something you have choice over the reality is we
cannot blame other people. You cannot fault other people for not pursuing ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada. You
can't even fault your own parents, if they did not raise you upon Islam or righteously, you can't
blame them. Because we all get to a certain point in life in which we really have to be responsible
		

			for all of our actions. And the longer we blame society, or people or friends or parents, the longer
it's going to take us to turn back to Allah subhanaw taala and really accept responsibility for the
actions that we are doing. So glad tidings glad tidings to those who fulfill the purpose of life and
glad tidings to those who fulfill the purpose of life and glad tidings to those who fulfill the
purpose of life and those who repent and seek to fulfill it today. Allah subhanaw taala tells us
what Elisa did in Sony Illamasqua the human being will not have except that which he or she used to
strive for your actions matter, what do you rush towards, at the very beginning of this pandemic, we
		

			saw in 2020, when people felt a sense of urgency, and fear, people were rushing to certain things,
people were rushing to buy certain supplies and sources, and so on and so forth. The fear and the
reality of death makes us act causes us to take action, which is why it's embedded in Islamic
theology. It's embedded in every Jews of the Quran, a reminder that we are mortal that we will leave
that we will depart. And it's not a sad one, it's one that should cause us to channel that reminder
into something of productivity. The Quran is all action based. There's an internal action of the
heart, and then there's the external action. But very few times do you see an emphasis only on you
		

			claiming to be something righteous, and then not acting upon it? Very few times, will you ever see a
reference to a parent advising their child, but then the parent is not acting upon it? The reality
is we need to be a people of action. And as we see reminders every day of people departing before
us, our brothers and our sisters, locally and all around the world, our relatives and our loved
ones, may Allah subhanaw taala have mercy on them. We need to take action. And we need to be really
conscious and mindful of that action because we have limited opportunities, limited time. So if
you're wasting that time, you're missing out on something greater. If you're distracted, you're
		

			missing out on something greater something that is lasting, of hustle and bustle de la mala he says
how strange isn't that person whose departure of meaning from this world to the next has been
announced and whose predecessors the people before have departed and this person is still playing
around. The steward this person is still wasting time. This person is still killing time. How
strange is it to kill your time when you know you're going to meet Allah subhanahu wa taala. And as
we work hard, and we strive there's a time for this and a time for that there's a time to rest and
socialize with family. And there's a time to strive and certain about that. But don't ever get too
		

			confident or too proud of the good that you've done but rather keep moving forward knowing what
ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada constantly in the Quran is giving us promises that are linked to the actions
that we perform in this world. That is the Promise of Allah and the Promise of Allah is always true.
The promise of Jana Abdullah bin Masaru Radi Allahu Allah and he says, There is no true comfort,
true comfort, arrested aha for the believer until he meets Allah. Yes, this life is difficult. Yes,
this life requires a lot of striving but there's a lot of good we have to focus on and the
difficulty itself should be something we find sweetness through. And we ask Allah subhanaw taala for
		

			relief and for wellbeing for us in our brothers and sisters around the world. Just remember at the
end of the day, the saying of Allah subhanho wa Taala and the authentic hadith Where are my servants
who worship me without ever see me? Oh people of Jana, where are
		

			Are My servants who worship me without ever see me? May Allah subhanaw taala guide us forgive us and
elevate our ranks and forgive us for all of our shortcomings seek forgiveness from Allah. He is the
Ever Merciful The oft forgiving a poodle Cody ha that will still fit Allah and you want to confess
to Pharaoh in whoever photo Rahim.
		

			hamdu lillah wa Salatu was Salam ala Rasulillah while early he was so happy woman Wada.
		

			If you feel disconnected from ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada know that as you look into the Quran, know that
it always requires you to take some action. If you want to feel connected to Allah starts with you
turning to Allah, you raising your hands because Allah subhanaw taala promises if you raise your
hands and you call upon Him, He will respond. Allah subhanaw taala promises you take one step
towards him, he takes many towards you, you walk towards him, he runs towards you in his own way.
subhanaw taala In other words, you turning to Allah is the first step and Allah subhanaw taala has
already turned to you he's already welcoming you he's already waiting for you. So if you feel
		

			disconnected from Allah, and you feel distant, you feel like you're struggling with the purpose of
life you feel like you're struggling with many distractions in this world or many temptations or any
other hardship. Turn to Allah subhanaw taala consistently and if you don't know what to do and where
to start, start with dua start with just calling upon him, emptying your heart out fears empty your
heart out temptations Yola helped me your weaknesses call upon him and ask Allah for strength as the
Prophet sallallahu Sallam taught us after the incident of Paul, if so, call upon Allah and ask for
help. Ask for guidance. Ask Allah subhanaw taala for guidance as well and clarity about what to ask
		

			for. Ask Allah subhanaw taala for the purification of the heart, at the very least Lomasa honeybee.
Oh Allah purify my heart, correct. My affairs.
		

			There was a scholar of recent times, she embezzled como la, one of our teachers who studied with
him. He said one time some students came to ask him a question, maybe in his office or in a room and
he was making dua, and he didn't notice that they had come he maybe did not hear them. So he's
making dua, he was alone. And so when they entered and he was making this dua, they waited a few
moments thinking it was temporary, and it seemed like he kept repeating it and repeating it and
repeating it. So the students left the room. They came back in a long time after this, and he was
still making the same drop. So we asked the teacher what was the DUA he was making? He said Allah
		

			must call me Oh ALLAH purify my heart. Oh Allah purify my heart. If your heart is purified, your
spiritual heart is purified, you will find contentment and as well it will purify your actions. May
Allah subhanaw taala purify our hearts and guide us and forgive us. And may Allah subhanaw taala
make us wrong. So through constantly seeking to fulfill the purpose of life, I do have an advice
here for all parents, and all soon to be parents Inshallah, to Allah. Remember how important it is
to emphasize as we emphasize to our children in abundance, to have good grades and aim for a good
career or whatever else we aim for. And it's good to have high standards, I don't feel like that is
		

			a reminder that we are always in need of in fact, that's usually the default. Emphasize to them that
will give them value and purpose and worth is their relationship with Allah subhana wa Tada. First
and foremost, what gives them purpose is not whether or not they failed an exam. Yes, they should
aim not to fail. But that does not define who they are, that does not define their entirety of life.
For there are many youngsters there are many youth who have lost their lives or taken their lives,
because the only thing they thought about their identity and their self worth was their success in a
material state or the hardships that they are going through. And it was never embedded in them or
		

			enough emphasize within them. That what gives you value is your relationship with Allah. And that's
a choice you can always make. So if you feel disconnected from Allah, you can turn to him today. The
pursuit of Jannah is one that does not end and our lives are entrusted to us. Our children are
entrusted to us. And one of the greatest rights that children have upon their parents is not for you
to tell them get a 4.0 and become a successful lawyer or a doctor. That's great Alhamdulillah. But
one of the greatest rights in Islam, that our children have upon us is that you teach them what the
purpose of life is, not once or twice, but throughout their lives, that you emphasize it and you
		

			showcase it as a role model as well, because there are many people who are struggling mentally and
emotionally young and old, because this is not embedded within them. So I encourage myself and
everyone here for us to be a little more supportive and vocal and reminding ourselves and others but
why we are here, why we exist, what our mission is and what gives us value because at the end of the
day, once again, your calling is not a worldly thing. That could be a goal that could be a milestone
towards Allah subhana wa Tada. Your calling is La ilaha illallah your calling is Allah
		

			pinata, your calling is to worship the One who created you. And that mission does not end until our
last breath. May Allah subhanaw taala grant us fulfillment as believers and protect those who are
struggling mentally and emotionally all around the world and may Allah subhanaw taala forgive us for
all of our shortcomings and make us a source of guidance and optimism and hope for others. Allahumma
Amin
		

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