Yahya Rhodus – Futuwwa Be People Who Shepherd Their Time
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AI: Transcript ©
Salah more Allah like as ain Al
hamdu lillah wa Salatu was at SC denodo. So Lila while earlier he
was so heavy woman why Allah at hamdulillah Al Hamdulillah Al
Hamdulillah. We ask Allah Subhana Allah to Allah to bless us to
always do what is most pleasing to Him SubhanaHu wa Tada. And we are
all in need of Tofik enabling grace for him subhanho wa Taala so
that we can do what is pleasing to Him. And the greatness of tofu.
One of the proofs of why it's so great is because with the meaning
of enabling grace, it's only mentioned once in the Quran, while
Mao tofi Ilhabela. That mitofit is only from Allah subhanho wa taala.
And this was a DUA, that our teachers in Mauritania and
specifically model but that harsh, he would say regularly, he would
ask for Tofik in Afia, that Allah give you enabling grace, and then
Allah give you wellbeing and all of the meanings of well being. In
someone who becomes successful in the spiritual path. They say this
person has more luck.
And ultimately, there's nothing that you and I can do, ie that
person has received Tofik from ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada. And it's a
beautiful word that you have to find some way to translate it
enabling grace is nice and English. However tofield, when you
say that in Arabic, it's so much more profound. It's so much
further reaching, and what a blessed language this is. And
while we have to speak, and translate, outwardly and inwardly
the realities of this mean, there's no doubt about this, this
is something we have to do. Living in lands where the native language
is not Arabic. At the same time, we also have to start plunging
into the depths of the Arabic language. And really, we're not
even we think that we're plunging into the depths, but really, we're
still in the shallows, because it's such a deep language. And
there are so many meanings that this language has in it. And
there's so many different ways to express the loftiest and the
highest meanings. And as one of our teachers said, this is the
language that Allah Jalla Jalla Lu has chosen for the best of
creation, for the chosen ones Eden and Muhammad, Salah lady sent him
and he went on to then same is that all of the beauty that is
found in all of the other all other languages because all
language is a sign of Allah, and all languages are beautiful. But
ultimately, they stem from the beauty of the most beautiful
person ever created. Our Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu said them
language is from among the things that Allah Allah has created. And
everything ultimately, is from the blessings of Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam. So it is upon us to ask Allah regularly for
tofield. And one of the greatest manifestations of Tofik if Allah
gives someone enabling grace, you will find that person very careful
about how he or she spends his or her time.
And that you will find them striving to make the best of every
moment, making the most of every single moment that Allah subhanaw
taala permits that person to live. And this is one of the great
traits of the righteous. And this is across the board. Wherever you
travel. In the Muslim world, you will see the true people of a
tsunami that have embodied the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu.
I do send them they simply don't waste time. I remember being in
class with one robot that has you'd come and you would read with
him. And oftentimes, there'll be other students who would start
reading right after you.
But if you stopped reading in paused for a second or two, he
would immediately say La ilaha illAllah. In a way that would
resound, that would impact you very deeply. Because this is
someone who's saying La ilaha IL Allah with a state, he's moved up
in the meanings of Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah, where he's not just
realized in the meanings of lamb and Buddha, Allah Allah. He's not
just realized in the meanings of lahmacun at Allah, he's realizing
the highest manifestations Lambo, Jude, it Allah Allah Muhammad
Rasul Allah, of the meanings of la ilaha illa Allah, and that impacts
you.
And it's not that he's saying it loudly. But just there's something
when a true real
lysed individual says that it impacts you. And I remember that
being one time with one of his greatest students, one other, I'm
involved. And we were sitting there and he was very kind. He was
very gracious, very welcoming, very hospitable. But you had to
realize that you do realize that there was a point where you had to
just stop and move on to whatever it is that you need to be doing.
Because he has a mission, he would welcome you, he would ask
questions he would talk to you. But then if you went too long, you
could start to see him get a little bit uneasy. And he had
started like making vicar with his hands and different things, where
we should get the chakra and the indication, Okay, it's time for us
to move on and talk amongst ourselves. But it's not for him to
do what it is that we do. He's either going to be in a state of
teaching a state of remembrance, a state of worship, or something of
that sort. And you see how careful they are with their time. And I
think about my experiences, that in the blessed valley of how the
remote as well, our teachers how careful they were, literally, you
see a living example of what Allah means when he says, either Fidel
Jota, funds a weed out a bigger fee that fell off the one of the
meanings of this verse, once you finish, ie one form of worship,
one type of act of goodness, funds up, literally erect yourself,
start another one immediately weighed out a bigger font of hope
and desire, what is in the presence of your Lord, this is
what you see from one act to another for one gathering to
another. And everything that they spend their time doing is
ultimately for the sake of Allah. Everything that they do, they do
with intention. And they are the most careful of people in terms of
how they spend their time, not wanting to waste a single moment,
because we know because our Prophet Tada salatu salam, and he
told us in informed of something about the reality of people, when
they enter into paradise, even, even after having entered into
paradise, they wish they could come back to the world, and just
make one remember Allah one more time,
because they see the reward of what Allah has in store, for those
who remember him. And for those who do righteous deeds here in
this world, and the yield that they receive, and the next. And so
you see them very careful about their time. And you find them that
this state of Buldhana, idleness, which so many people are in, and
this goes hand in hand, with this word that we really shouldn't say,
I'm bored boredom. And this is something that if our kids use
that word, we have to find creative ways to that, make sure
that they don't see that word again, because they should never
say that word. And we should never say that word. And that should
never be our state, even if we don't say the word. Because
there's too much to do remaining idle is a very dangerous state to
be in. Because when you're idle your prey to ship on, it's very
easy for him in his host, to lead you astray. And to that insinuate
various types of things that will that take you away from Allah
subhanho wa taala. So being concerned about our times the
tradition of the great scholars who came before us, to the extent
that they mentioned these miraculous stories of those who
came before us. And yes, we should mention them, even if it's not our
state, because even mentioning them just mentioning the righteous
mercy dissents, just by mentioning them, let alone if you mentioned
them with love. And even if you can't be like them, you try. And
by mentioning their stories, Mercy distance, you come to love them.
And at very least, you'll be with them, which is the greatest thing
of all. And to the extent that you put the words into practice, even
partially, will be to the extent that you're actually close to them
in the next world. So we should mention these stories, even if we
think that they're too far from us. And they mentioned about the
great Imam who have had the remote Imam Abdullah bin bin Hussein
Mandara, when he was gifted, a wind up watch. And the person who
gifted it to him asked him some time after he gave it to him. And
he said that, how do you like the watch that I gifted you? And He
said to him, do you have to wind it for it actually to work? And
obviously, you don't have to wind it that much. It doesn't really
take that much time to wind the watch. And then it's functioning
for a long period of time. And he said, Yes, this is how this watch
works. And he said, I can't I couldn't find time in my schedule
to spend winding it.
And they mentioned another beautiful story, where and this is
something you and I should do in the upcoming months, that we are
getting very close to origin. And then in the month of shot ban, we
should gather our family and we should ask everyone and our
In the family, what they plan to do and Ramadan, set a scheduling,
we talked a little bit more about schedule here in a minute, set a
schedule for Ramadan. And after that he had all of his children
mentioned what it is that they were going to do in the bus at
month of Ramadan. He asked one of them will any of you sell me their
time with any of you sell me their time, which is obviously something
that you can't do. But it's so important to the extent that they
actually say that your time your lifespan, which is essentially a
number of bus is your routes and mile they put it in the US a term
that is normally used for money, it's your capital, is that
initially money that you have to invest in order to make more
money? This is all you have, ultimately, is time in Newcomb, a
yam. Yeah. In a yam as the famous statement of you remember how
Senator bacillary has it, you are days, this is our reality. We are
a set number of days a set number and accumulation of a set number
of moments. And he said when I looked at my schedule, I didn't
find any extra time to increase in anything in the bus and month of
Ramadan. His schedule was so well laid out. And this is the secret
of getting the blessing from your time having a schedule. And when
he goes out. He says that every breath that we take is a precious
jewel every moment of our lives. The way you bring blessing into
your life is to develop a schedule certain times where you do certain
things. And in the classes that have you ever seen a sock off was
giving last summer, he mentioned some of these special times that
are especially helpful for hosting and hajima for a good seal. And
what is our state when the sun is setting and when the sun is
rising? When the sun is setting, and the sun is rising. He said
What is your state before you go to bed, and we immediately when
you wake up from bed. He said that what is your state during the last
to Shahid in prayer.
And he mentioned a couple of other things as well. But these are
times that you and I can all work on to make sure that we're doing
something that is pleasing to Allah, the sun is about to set.
Let's repent. And let's make dua if the sun is about to rise, let's
try to be awakened in a state of a bad the worship before we go to
bed. When we wake up immediately that the first thing which is the
Hamdulillahi li that all praise me to the one Jana bad demand Madonna
who gave us life after having caused us to die. because sleep is
the brother of death, we lean ashore unto him as the
resurrection, we're going to one day really die, and then wake up.
And then all be driven to the plane of judgment on the
resurrection. And then in that to shout,
be present, let's all strive to be present during these periods of
this period of time. And so the way that a Muslim he frames this
is he says in talking about it as a trait of spiritual chivalry, he
says is for an Euro eight, why loo and vassal who?
What are you the admin has shaitan li daddy.
And this translates roughly as it is from for two or four a servant
to keep an eye on how he spends time and not waste a single
moment. But again, the richness of the Arabic language, you can't
really translate this because the word that he uses is URI. And this
comes from the word to shepherd. What ah is to shepherd. And when
you shepherd and you herd goats, and you take care of a flock, you
have a lot of responsibility. And you have to look out for the
flock, and to make sure that they all stay together and so forth and
so on. So look at the imagery here, that everything that you
need to take care of a flock, you should we should learn to shepherd
our time. But then he said your squad and your advice. Your squad
is the flow of how which is all of your different states, all of the
different things that you do and all of your different situations
that you find yourself in in circumstances and your end PFASs
which is the plural of Memphis, your breaths is that you need to
shepherd all of that, preserve all of that, observe all of that very
closely and watch over all of that so that you spend it in the very
best of ways and you make the most of every single moment. And he
says that not to waste a single moment. And it is for this reason
that the great Imam Salim Abdullah to study that he said,
your time I eat the time that Allah gives you is the most
precious thing of all that you've been given flesh a hull Who is it
i shot, so use it for the most precious
of things. The thing is the most precious thing of all that we've
been given his time. How do we spend it, we should use it for the
very best of things. And then that opens up a whole door but we have
to learn what is the very best thing that we can do in every
given moment. Because every moment is different. And what we want to
do is to train ourselves to do what is most pleasing to Allah in
every given moment. And one of the great ways we can do that is to
strive to achieve this state of maraca vigilance where we bring to
heart that Allah sees us and then if we have knowledge will be
inspired with what it is that we should be doing in that particular
moment. And then emammal Junaid said, Gmail hair, Gmail hair
color, all of good is summarized visa ratha T Usha and three
things. And lampoon D in the hierarchy. My luck fell out on the
heavy metallic, that if you don't spend your day doing something
that's going to benefit you, in literally before you then don't
spend it in a way that is going to be against you, where you're going
to bring about harm on yourself because of the decision that you
made. And he said when lamp has habit achiara fella does habit
assured. He says that if that you don't take the companionship of
good people, very least don't take the companionship of companionship
of bad people.
And then, when Lambton, sick Malik, female ally, for Hillary
law flat and Fukushima, the life is solid. If you don't spend your
wealth on things that will lead to the pleasure of Allah at very
least don't spend your wealth and things that will lead to his
wrath.
So how do we spend our time? Who do we take the companionship of?
And what are we doing with our wealth? May Allah forgive us for
all of our shortcomings and inspire us to do what is pleasing
to Him subhanho wa taala. And then in closing, I just wanted to share
this is taken from the Success Magazine website, I thought this
was very helpful. Because it says that these are eight things that
successful people never waste time doing.
Eight things that successful people never waste time doing. And
one of the ways of translating them. wafak is someone who's
successful, but not in a worldly sense as this is really for in a
corporate sense, or in relation to that the people of dunya the way
that they see things we take from this and we apply it ultimately to
our deen into the religion. But the first is productive,
successful people don't get sucked into social media.
That's the first thing that they mentioned. And they say that
you need to learn how to control how much time you spend on it. So
at least put a time limit or do your best to minimize it. Second,
productive successful people don't go through the day without a plan.
That's essentially what the scholars of the science have to So
of us and teach us plan out your day. And then you rely upon Allah
not your plan. Plan out your day. But your reliance is not upon your
schedule or your regime, it's upon Allah. And that will come clear
when something comes your way that was unexpected. You can't just
say, Oh, no, my plan was to do this. If you need to do something
different you have to based upon the situation Allah places you in,
but you will find blessing in your time. If you do that. Third,
productive, successful people don't do emotionally draining
activities. This is partially true. Sometimes you have to do
that. Sometimes you need to be there for your brother, sometimes
you need to that counsel someone sometimes you need to deal with a
difficult situation. But you could say your unnecessary that
emotional draining activities. We should we want to use our strength
for the very best thing of all that we can do and realize that
all of us have limited strength. If it's been drained in multiple
ways, then you're not going to have the focus that you need to do
the things that you really need to do. Fourth productive successful
people. Don't worry about the things they can't control. That's
too so off. Leila, Hala, worry doesn't help you at all. So that
turn your thoughts to action based activities, the things that we can
actually do.
Number five, productive successful people don't hang out with
negative people.
Productive successful people don't hang out with negative people. And
there's a lot of armchair critics out there. And there's a lot of
people when you're around them will make you despair. When you're
around them. They just make you want to just give up and their
discourse is one of just tearing things down.
It's very
easy to tear things down to try to build something, try to build
something, and see how hard it is not just a physical building,
whatever it might be, and see how hard it is to build anything, in
building people is the greatest thing that can be built. And
that's the hardest thing of all. And we're not to be for the mercy
of our teachers, Leila Allah, who haven't given up on us when they,
you might have thought that they should have given up on us a long
time ago. It's a blessing from ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada because of
the Most Merciful people, but don't hang out when negative
people don't have. And people have different tendencies towards
pessimism and negativity. And some temperaments are more inclined
towards those and others. However, we should be around people that
uplift us. And in the end, that what's the point of being
negative, that's not going to help you remain positive. And in the
end, you must remain optimistic as as our Prophet was, in the end, no
matter how bad the world gets, when all data is in store for the
believer is beyond any conception, ultimately. And then the last
three, productive successful people don't dwell on past
mistakes, what a beautiful piece of wisdom, you made a mistake. You
repent from that mistake, you rectify yourself, and you move
forward. And even if you keep making that mistake, every time
you do it, you dust yourself off, you repent from that mistake, and
you keep moving forward. And then productive, successful people
don't focus on what other people are doing, how beautiful it is.
You don't worry about what other people are doing. If you're like,
at the level of being a student, you're not worried about how fast
other people are progressing. You work on your own self, that's all
that matters. Your institution, it doesn't matter what other
institutions are doing. You work on your own self and do what is it
you can do. And then finally, productive successful people don't
put themselves last in priority, I would tweak that a little bit. And
that say that make sure to maintain your own self. That's a
responsibility. You have to give yourself it's right. And you have
to by way of diet, by way of rest all of the various lifestyle
factors, give yourself that's right. Because if you're not
healthy and strong, you're not going to be able to benefit other
people and to help them in anything that you need to do to
maintain yourself so that you can then help other people is not
selfishness, that's being that that's that's fulfilling the
rights that Allah has given your physical body and that everything
that goes along with it. So there's a lot of wisdom in that
and may Allah Tabata Katara blesses to be from these people
that literally Shepherd our time, that keep an eye on how we spend
our time and to use it for his sakes upon on data in ways that
will be beneficial and lasting collusion, Harlequin, Illawarra,
everything is perishing except his countenance. And every it's one of
the meanings of this verse is, every deed that you do for his
sake will remain, and you'll seek the reward of it and receive the
reward of it from a lot of adequate data. If it's accepted in
the next roll May Allah to bateau to give us Tofik and give us
openings and to protect us as a community and all the Muslims
wherever they might be on the face of this earth, impulses to be the
keys whereby which the doors of evil are of good are opened and
locks where by which the doors of evil are closed, while still a lot
is at Muhammad and my dad used to have you send him at home. Did he
lie here behind me?