Give Thanks Where it Belongs

Previously, in Surah Yunus, Allah azza wa jal had told us about prophethood.

We shouldn't be surprised. He said, that a loving, knowing God who wants us to succeed, should communicate with us, and try to guide us. This should not be surprising at all. We should not be surprised that all the prophets were men sent to their own communities. We should not be surprised that the job of the messengers is to warn people about the eternal consequences of the decisions that they make in their life here on Earth. We should not be surprised that those who are sincere and open to guidance and faith will be rewarded with a position of honor. We should not be surprised that those who deny and reject guidance and faith will be punished for their insolence.

And if we are surprised by any of this, any of it at all, it shows that we don't really know Allah. Which is why Allah subhanahu wa Tada begins to teach us about himself in the very next verse. He says in not all but when when law will lead the Forever center where it will have easy to the ATM. So most of you will enter Miami on a Shafi I mean, barely in the valley from the log book on fabuleux. To Dr. Moon.

Indeed, your Lord is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth in six days and then established himself above the throne. He arranges the matter, there is no intercession except after his permission, that is a law your Lord so worship Him,

then will you not to remember

Allah subhanahu Azada focuses here on our indebtedness to him because any decent person, when they're reminded of their indebtedness will feel grateful and want to show that gratitude your Lord is Allah. We translate Rob as Lord but in Arabic it means so much more. Rob is the one who cares for you, who provides for you Rob is the one you depend upon for everything. Allah subhanho Ivana is telling us that He is our Sustainer then he tells us about the creation Allah created everything that heavens and the earth. Allah reminds us of His power to create time and time again. Because it is so unique. Try as we might we cannot create in the way that Allah subhanahu wata Ana creates.

When people invent things, we simply rearrange other things that already exist.

Allah subhanho wa Taala alone creates from nothing. We toil away to invent new things Allah subhanho wa Taala simply says Be and it is

several times in the Quran. Allah subhanahu wa taala points out that the inability to create is a tell tale sign of a false god. And l for con he says what Chicago mean and do any he Lehighton lay of Laguna che and will homeo flaperon. And they invent it for themselves Gods instead of a law that can't create a thing. Rather they are themselves created and sorted out off.

I used to be coronella che and we're home you have Neptune do they worship those that cannot create a thing, but rather they themselves are created and sold to NASA? Well let that ruin me. I don't need to lie I'm gonna show you and we'll hope you'll stay home.

And those who they pray to besides a law they can't create anything. Rather they themselves are created.

As people we of course are part of this creation. We live within this creation, all of our joy is and success all of our good times and happiness. It wouldn't be possible if Allah subhanho wa Taala had not made it all in the first place. And since creation is unique to Allah subhana wa

To honor our indebtedness, and thus, our gratitude should solely be for a loss of how to what's odd. Sometimes this point is too abstract. For us to really grasp. Let's take an example most of us can understand.

Having children is an enormous responsibility. It's hard enough to be a parent, even in the best of circumstances. Let's imagine for a second that you're a single parents, and we have plenty of single parents in our community. May Allah assist them. Imagine your children and everything it takes to raise them, and put them on a path where they can succeed. And you have to do it all by yourself. You work long hours at a thankless job, you don't take time off, you forego the finer things in life, you sacrifice your youth and your health.

You make sure that your children are involved in the right activities, you make sure they study hard and that they work hard to get good grades, you do everything in your power to set them up for success. And he pay this price willingly with a smile on your face. Imagine graduation day. Your child is valedictorian, full scholarships to whatever university they wants to go to every day your mailboxes stuffed with acceptance letters from colleges trying to compete for your child's attention. The entire world lies before them. And they step up onto that stage to deliver their graduation speech. And they don't thank you.

They thank someone else

who in reality was on the periphery, someone who was inconsequential. They found someone else who didn't either didn't ever have to wash the laundry or cook the meals or drive them to pack to practice.

Who would not feel slighted?

Now the analogy here isn't perfect. All parents make mistakes. No parent is perfect. And sometimes we lose sight of everything our parents do for us because we're so aware of their shortcomings. But what about Allah?

What about Allah subhanho wa taala? Who is perfect? What about Allah Subhana Allah to Allah who has no shortcomings? What about Allah azza wa jal, who is much more responsible for our success than any parents?

What an insult to not single him out for worship and devotion.

And while Allah subhanho wa Taala is above the pettiness of feeling slighted, he tells us time and time again, that we are only hurting ourselves by our ingratitude.

Because those things that we are devoted to besides Him, those things that we trust in besides Him, those things that we are grateful to besides Allah, whether it's luck, whether it's our zodiac sign, whether it's the blue beads or our own abilities, they will not help us on the Day of Resurrection.

They will be useless. And only Allah subhanho wa Taala will matter.

This is why ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada follows up the subject of creation in the Surah with the subject of intercession. Naveen and Sophie and in lemon valley in the valley from Allah horombo confab will do as added to that pedal,

there is no intercessor except after his permission, that's a law your Lord. So worship him. Then will you not remember

the Quran and all idolaters really were duped by the idea of a shortcut.

Instead of being held accountable by the All Knowing Allah azza wa jal, they hoped to have favor with the imperfect idols who would then save them from ALLAH SubhanA wa COVID a miscalculation. Nothing can save you from being responsible to Allah, not an idol, not an ambulance, not a Webby.

Allah subhanho wa Taala tells us that He is in control of everything, so worship and be devoted to him alone. Apolo Kohli had suffered a lot and he was what he said he must be in an equally them stuck in a hole of over him.

Al Hamdulillah

Al Hamdulillah Haryana FSN was shipping the whole thing he wanted I want to share on the blog last week in the hotel, the militia, or shadow and the Libyan embassy and Mohammed Abdullah Sulu, a devotee in Atlanta. So the low body odor earlier he was having he was fine. But suddenly much of Sleeman Cathedral

also kind of looks hollow, then tells us about the resurrection.

He lay him on the Jeeva come Jimmy, why the law he has taught in the law, the other double your ADA, who will end the war on the Saudi hitbtc.

While arena capital, the humps are all on the Camino anymore in our can we accrue to him it is your return all together. This is the Promise of Allah the truth. Indeed, he begins the creation. And then he repeats it, so that he may reward those who have believed and done righteous deeds, injustice. But those who deny will have a drink of scalding water and a painful punishment for what they used to deny.

We aren't going to return before anyone else, we're not going to stand in front of anyone else on the Day of Judgment, just us and Allah.

This is his promise.

And if that level of responsibility, if that level of accountability makes us uncomfortable, such that we might be tempted to data, Allah subhanho wa Taala he reasons with us, says, Look, I created everything in the first place, don't you think I have the power to bring it all back.

This life isn't random. It's not accidental. It's not without purpose. Our consciousness will not end with the death of our bodies. We aren't headed to a cold void of annihilation the soul will live on the soul will live on in the grave waiting for resurrection. When the people of faith, the people of gratitude will finally have justice served, all the hardship they suffered will finally be avenged. And the people who insisted that this life was without purpose that we are just here animals to eat and to drink and to reproduce. Those are the people who will be punished.

And if anyone is in doubt, Allah subhanho wa Taala invites them to use their reason and reflect on what they see around them. Who are the jhanas Shamsul Lea and will come on and overall welcome Tara home and as you know, Italian or others see you know what I said Ma Allah Who that he got

you first signal to the follow me on the moon. It is He who made the sun is shining lights, and the room and a reflection of that light and determined phases for it so that you may know the number of years in the account of time. Allah subhanho To Allah has not created this except in truth. He details science for people who no

look around you.

The sun is like a burning lamp. We only use the word liat in Arabic for something that produces light. The sun lets us see it gives us warmth. Plants use it to grow and make medicine and food for other animals. It's all for us.

The moon ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada uses the word nor for the moon, which is not something that produces light itself, but something that reflects light. And that light which we don't depend on for warmth, it changes so that we can keep track of time

who created a more perfect system.

It's all allows signature, the signature of a master creator the signature is there for people who know where to look.

In the 50 Laughing lady when the hurry when I had a long summer working on the ugly

economy.

Indeed in the alternation of light and day, and in what Allah has created in the heavens and the earth are signs for people who fear Allah. fearing Allah being conscious of Allah being mindful being aware of a law comes first. For people who are sincere for people who are looking for guidance, who are sincerely looking for proof Allah subhanho wa Taala will show you the way

are the signs are literally everywhere?

In Nadine Allah the alternative call Anna. What are two Bill hieratic? Dunya Wautoma en no Bihar we're living in a home on a Saturday afternoon. Allah eco whoa nap. Be mad at can we see boom.

Indeed those who do not anticipate a meeting with us, those who are satisfied with the life of this world and feel secure they're in

and those who are heedless of our signs. For those, their refuge will be the fire. And that is what they earned.

Those who don't want guidance, will never find it.

Those who don't want to be grateful will never see the signs, no matter how many they are.

It's like driving on a four lane highway.

Two lanes going each way. You've got cars in both lanes side by side and cruising down the road. All the sudden there's a sign that says the road is going to go down to just one lane you're going to have to merge. The first science tells you the right lane is going to end in one mile. Some people in the right lane are going to merge right away aren't they? But other people are going to wait until the last possible moment.

right lane ends in half a mile. There's still a few people in the right lane. Maybe they're even putting their foot on the gas to get ahead of other people. right lane ends in a quarter mile. There's only one or two people still in that right lane and they're not slowing down at all.

Finally here comes the time to merge. The traffic cones are out it's not possible to continue in the right lane.

But now there are so many people in the left lane that there's nowhere to go they have to pull to a complete stop on the highway and wait they're angry they lay on the horn because no one would let them in yeah see you had a chance on my old Mac

you did this to yourself. You saw the signs but you chose to ignore them because you were in denial.

You wanted to speed down that right lane with no one in your way as long as it was possible to and now you have to pay for not getting your mind earlier in other than I am and what I'm gonna saw the hottie he has a D him Rob Gollum OBE man he tells you the near attack to him and how fi Jannetty Narine. Indeed, those who have believed that the righteous deeds their Lord will guide them because of their faith.

Beneath them rivers will flow in the gardens of pleasure. Allah tells us how it works. He guides those who have faith.

What is that faith? Allah gives us a definition, belief and righteous deeds. We need to know what to believe. First of all, then we need to affirm it in our hearts. And then we need to act on what we believe putting it into practice. If we work on ourselves, if we do our parts, Allah subhanaw taala will continue to guide us.

Sometimes we wonder why our hearts feel dead? Why don't we cry when we read the Koran? If we read the Koran at all? Why don't we feel motivated? Why don't we feel reverence and offer Allah subhanho wa Taala look back at the last five years, the last 10 years? What was your practice on this land? Like? Have you been doing the same old things year in and year out? Can we expect our hearts to feel alive when our practice on this land? Is so stale, and routine?

When we put in the effort to orient ourselves with sincerity, Allah subhanho wa Taala will bring the results that we're looking for. The results in this life are the motivation, the reverence the all, and then the afterlife. The results are even better. Thou houfy has Subhana wa Houma. What's uh he has a movie has Salam, wa salam alaikum and Hamdu lillahi rabbil aalameen They're called they're in we're talking Paradise will be exalted are you Oh Allah, and they're breathing they're in will be peace. And the last call will be praise to Allah, the Lord of All the Worlds in paradise. The people of faith will praise Allah because he is responsible for our success.

Our greeting to each other will be peace, and this time we really mean it.

When we say Saddam in the dunya oftentimes we don't feel very peaceful. Either on our end of things we don't feel peaceful. Maybe our world is falling apart around us. And we say salaam almost

As a prayer, hoping for some peace

in paradise, we will finally feel that peace that we have been wishing for each other all along, inside and out and saying peace to each other will not be a hope. But it will be a recognition of this blessing that Allah subhanaw taala provided for us.

Our last call will put the praise and thanks right where it belongs Alhamdulillah hid behind me. This is our graduation speech filled with gratitude and praise for the only one who deserves