Suzy Ismail – #13 AlBari

			Santa Monica, it's nice to see you
again on this last night of
		

			Ramadan. As we continue on our
journey of exploring the 99 names
		

			of Allah subhanaw taala, and
bringing the divine
		

			characteristics of Allah into our
daily lives to improve our
		

			relationships, and our family
life. The name that we're going to
		

			discuss today is L bear.
		

			The meaning of L bear is the
designer, or the one who designs
		

			the form imperfection.
		

			It's very common for us to look at
our own forms to look in the
		

			mirror and to sometimes question.
It's very common for our teenagers
		

			for youth to do the same. So how
many times have we seen our
		

			teenagers maybe looking in the
mirror and saying something like,
		

			oh, I have a huge pimple or I look
horrible? Oh, I look hideous. And
		

			many times our response as parents
is to brush that off, or to say
		

			you're fine. But the reality is,
our children also pick up the cues
		

			from us in terms of how they view
themselves. So how many times have
		

			we as parents, and particularly as
mothers looked in the mirror as
		

			well, and said something like, oh,
I look so fat today, or, I hate
		

			the way I look in this, or Oh, my
goodness, I really need to lose
		

			another 20 pounds, Oh, if only I
could change this, if only I could
		

			do that. Without realizing these
self criticisms become the
		

			soundtrack for our children's
lives as well. So that when they
		

			hit those teenage years, those
years of puberty when their bodies
		

			are changing, when their faces are
changing, when their skin is
		

			changing, it becomes a mantra that
becomes part of their lives as
		

			well. So we'll begin to hear the
comments of self criticism, the
		

			comments of how they don't like
the way they look. But Allah
		

			subhanaw Medina, and Barrett, the
most perfect designer has created
		

			us in that state of perfection in
terms of how we look. And one way
		

			to ensure that our children begin
to embody that sense of self love,
		

			that sense of self worth is for us
to model it for our children, and
		

			even better for us to model it to
one another as a couple, husband
		

			and wife. So husbands as your
families begin to prepare for
		

			AIDS, as your wife begins to pick
out her outfit as your children
		

			pick out their outfits, be sure to
provide those compliments, to
		

			remind them of how beautiful they
look, and how perfect they are in
		

			the fact that Allah subhanaw taala
is the most perfect of all
		

			creators, wives, as your husband's
put on their aid outfits, as they,
		

			you know, fix themselves and put
on the Cologne and try to beautify
		

			themselves on the day of aid.
Don't forget to tell them that you
		

			appreciate the fact that Allah
subhanaw taala has blessed you
		

			with someone that has their inner
beauty as well as the external
		

			beauty. It's not just women who
need to hear those compliments,
		

			but our husbands need to hear that
as well. And even more
		

			importantly, our children need to
hear it. So I pray that Allah
		

			subhanaw taala continues to remind
us all of how beautiful we truly
		

			are on the inside and the out. I
pray that Allah subhanaw taala
		

			allows us to remind one another
our sisters, our brothers, our
		

			siblings, our spouses, our
friends, our community members
		

			have their beauty, their inner
beauty and their outer beauty. And
		

			I pray that Allah subhanaw taala
blesses you blesses your families,
		

			and that he ends this Ramadan on a
beautiful note for all of you.
		

			Does that come a low head and I
look forward to seeing you all
		

			tomorrow in sha Allah on the day
of aid as we continue our journey
		

			and understanding the 99 names of
Allah subhanaw taala Isetta mahalo