Ramadan 2022 #12 – Rules of Istiqamah 3 – Challenging the norms

Salam Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh my brothers and sisters in Islam, our culture's our upbringing, our surroundings, our family members, neighbors and friends, they influence our behaviors, manners, and even our religion in a way or another, whether negatively or positively the hero of the past couple of episodes and perhaps the wants to come. Ibrahim alayhi salam, the hero of rules of is the karma. He was born in a culture that promotes idol worship. So naturally the norm is to worship idols because this is what he had observed as a young boy growing up in that culture in that environment. Yet, Ibrahim alayhis salam had that intelligence of reflecting over the fact that

these are stones the neither harm nor benefit and as a result, he challenged his people the rule of is the karma that we will be discussing in sha Allah Allah today is titled challenging the norm. Sometimes the norms are not what Allah subhanaw taala will sometimes the rule of majority shouldn't when we should be smart enough to reflect and think and ask ourselves the questions whether what we are about to indulge in pleasing to Allah subhanaw taala or will cause the wrath and the anger of Allah subhanaw taala. And either way, we have to make a choice, we have to decide whether to follow and practice that thing or to stay away for the rest of our lives. Ibrahim Ali Salam was of the time

that he will stood his ground and face a culture that normally they used to worship either yet he broke their idols, he confronted them, he invited them to Islam, he challenged his own father without any fear. Why? Because he knew that Allah subhanaw taala will be on his side, he expected that Allah subhanaw taala will never fail him. He knew for certain and go back to the previous episode of Tawakkol or reliance on Allah subhanaw taala he knew that when you fully trust Allah subhanaw taala he will intervene to drag you out of your difficulties when we observe the following If in sha Allah Tala, you will get to know how courageous Ibrahim alayhi salam was, and perhaps you

can adopt some of his traits of bravery and confront any situation or anyone who's inviting us to do their own and tell them in the face. You are wrong and invite them rather to goodness invite them to the way of Allah subhanho wa Taala Ibrahim alayhi salam didn't only talk to strangers he confronted his father, oh my father, why do you worship that which does not hear nor even see and does not benefit you at all? Subhanallah alim, when you pray to them, those idols, these inanimate objects, they do not number one, they do not hear your prayers, and they don't even see you. How could you not reflect on this? How could you not think about that fact. And as a result of them being deaf and

blind, they wouldn't ever benefit you in the least. So he's talking to his father very politely with a very gentle tone, yet very firm upon the truth. And then again, yeah, but he, oh, my father, and this is very tricky in the ecology, any mineral me, melamine tikka, Tabby, honey, deca, Surat, and so we all my father, knowledge has come to me, not to you knowledge from high knowledge from Allah subhanaw taala. Come to me, so follow me. And I will guide you to a straight path. And this is very difficult. Sometimes I'm a teacher, myself and students will come to me and tell me how do we teach our parents who grew up culturally on the wrong in terms of practicing that Islam, and I tell them,

it is very hard to tackle this matter and you have to be very smart so that you don't hurt their feelings and don't make them feel that you are more knowledgeable than they are and so on. And, and as a result, sometimes the ego overtakes them, especially elders, and they reject your teaching, they reject your invitation, but Ibrahim alayhis salam Subhan Allah Allah Allah, he was very firm in his approach seems like he didn't bother about the reaction. He just wanted to save his father from hellfire. So follow me or my father, follow me and I will guide you to a straight path and again, yeah, but let Abu shaitan don't ever worship the devil. And his father wasn't worshipping the devil,

right? He was worshipping idols. But in saying that he's telling his father indirectly that these are Satan handy works. This is only how Satan plot against you to worship idols and to stray away from worshipping Allah subhanaw taala because shaitan can a little rough man y'all see your shaitan has been always disobedient to Allah subhanaw taala and again, yeah, but in a half or a year Miss Sagada will mineral Rama

and feta coonelly Shaitan Eulalia I'm so scared I'm very scared that a punishment will touch you from Allah subhanaw taala who is also the most merciful if you obey them and if you follow these commands and as a result of your disobedience to Allah subhanaw taala you and the shaitan will be allies to one another, you will assist each other towards evil and then the father reacting all around the moon and

the Ibrahim let in Lambton Tehila or juman nakawa journeyman he,

the father reacted very very strongly saying, do you reject my gods or Ibrahim? If you don't desist? If you don't stop right away, I will surely stone you. So depart away from me now. Leave me alone at this moment because this was going to be the case stoning you to death. Then Ibrahim alayhi salam responded, seeing that his father was very adamant to follow what his father's been following for generations. He said Carla salah, and when Alec he said, peace on you, I will surely ask Allah Spanish Allah to forgive you your sins. And that was before Allah subhanaw taala revealed and I don't ever seek forgiveness for those who didn't obey Allah didn't worship Allah didn't acknowledge

his existence. Subhan Allah Allah but Ibrahim because he had that very kind and compassionate heart. So I still feel like a liquor lobby. I will ask Allah Subhana Allah to forgive you know who can be half a year. He's been always kind to me. He's been always gracious to me. And this is an acknowledgement from Ibrahim Ali salaam based on his understanding of what's been happening previously, his reliance on Allah subhanho wa Taala is full trust in Allah subhanho wa Taala not relying on his good actions alone and all the rules of the karma, that we will be discussing in sha Allah in the next few episodes. He knew that Allah has been always gracious to him, What does he

look home, but I will leave you I will depart from this environment one after the other when I mean do Nila and whatever you are worshiping other than Allah subhanaw taala as a corner with your OB be shopping, perhaps that in my dua to Allah subhanaw taala I will not be unhappy, I expect goodness and best from Allah subhanho wa taala. And what happened after that? Well, I'm not as at home. What am I doing? I'm in doula. We're having a doula who is her way our COO we're cool and John Anivia when he left them, and what they worship besides Allah subhanaw taala Allah gifted Ibrahim alayhi salam with his heart. And with Dr. Kolb and both of them Allah subhanaw taala made profits to the

nations when you step when you stand firm for the truth when you speak the truth and when you confront these challenges and these norms which are against Allah subhanaw taala and when you leave the environment that is encouraging you to do the Haram encouraging you to sin against Allah subhanho wa Taala and you leave that Allah subhanaw taala in return, substitute all the laws that perhaps took place in the process with gifts, blessings, and rewards when you walk away from an environment that is inviting you to do haram. Allah subhanaw taala walk with you, Allah subhanaw taala walk by your site to guide you to bless you to reward you to protect you. But when you stand

your ground Will you challenge the norm when the norm is against Allah subhanaw taala will you care whether the norm is followed by minority or majority because Allah subhanaw taala said what Kali La Mina Iberia Sheikh who are very few of my servants are grateful. Will you be among the few or will you go with the majority the Prophet Muhammad wa sallam said letter Kuno in MA Don't be people have no will. No determination of your own no decision based on your understanding of what's right and what's wrong. And then he continues to Kowloon in asanas. ACEN were Inessa if the people do good, we will also do good and if they do bad or evil, we will also follow and do the same thing. So remember

my brothers and sisters in Islam, if you wish to expect the best from Allah subhanaw taala you have to be willing to challenge any norm that goes against the commands of Allah subhanho wa Taala May Allah bless you all and keep you strong. Zach Lowe. Hi. Ron said I'm on a con law here but I get