Yahya Rhodus – Knowledge & Wisdom Imam alHaddad #25
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Smilla salatu salam ala Rasulillah while early he was behind Omen
wala now we need to add lemma with any one of our indiefab What does
occur what is good what you've heard it what is this fad well is
the fad what has the added ms Suki Biggie tabula rasa he sold a lot
and there is no What do I either hold up? What the lyrita added
higher if they're hot or what you'd like to add Omar Lottie
akorbi with a Barbie subhanho wa Taala Omar Ali Muhammad SAW THE
hidden Yunus Adela and yada yada min and olema allow me a minimum
looking what I need to clean well how could you clean Where's gonna
come out and whatever it is Satan mursaleen
mashallah, and just received a text from sending Hamid Rodriguez
we're gonna start with the Fatiha at any analyst panel data make the
birth of his baby in Sharla to Anna that easy manner Tada that
show his divine gentleness to his blessed wife and to make
everything easy for them and may this child be an Abraca hola hola
omitted Habib salatu salam and to facilitate everything in return
outwardly, and was said to be a source of great good for him and
for the community for the home of our prophesy son. And we intend
that which aren't teachers intended when that they had their
children when I couldn't hear them. Sadia Horton read our
hollered, send me a fat
so in sha Allah Tada, we're going to look at the next Hadith and the
collection could do full value. I mean, from the blessing words of
our Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa sahbihi wa
salam. And after reading the book of Allah Tabata, Kota Allah, the
very best thing that we can do, is have a regular reading and study
of the words of Satan and Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa salam. This
hadith is narrated by the great Abdullah ibn Massoud Radi Allahu
Allahu anhu, and will speak a little bit about him. And then
there'll be sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and who can you call? So he
says that the Prophet SAW Allah Allah it is obvious that him used
to say, this is a dua supplication alone in a local Hooda what to Ha,
while alfalfa well Lukina is narrated in the collection of
Muslim and translates as Oh ALLAH indeed I asked you for Hooda
guidance, talk or piety or five, self restraint, and Alina en self
sufficiency. So let's look a little bit at the biography of
Siena live and Miss Oh God, Allah Tala and home, much could be said,
but we know he was one of the very first of the believers to enter
into this Deen. And that they mentioned in his biography is that
he became Muslim, even before dotted Autocom, which was that
initial space that building where the believers used to gather, and
that used to gather secretly. And this is why some of them said is
that kind of Sadie Sanford Islam of everyone who became Muslim, he
was the sixth of all people to become Muslim. And he made the two
heroes to how Bashar but at the same time he was present with the
Prophet sallallaahu send them at the Battle of better in all of the
subsequent battles. And so that Satan abdulai miss out madness Oh,
is that he used to say, luck, or a Tony sad is sick, the 10 or MA
Allah watching all the muslim or you don't know. And so he said
that I that was the six of the six Muslims, that who had converted
and there wasn't on the face of this earth a single Muslim other
than us. So you can just imagine that this is the Prophet Muhammad
SAW sent him during his time and that those from those who entered
into Islam at that an early early stage one of them will say number
two Allah human method, he said I was the sixth of six in total and
there wasn't a single Muslim on the face of this earth other than
us. Law Hello, Muhammad Rasul Allah, and that those early
believers as they had a special merit, and that a special closest
to our Prophet sallallahu sallam, as we will see is the case with
not only say to have deja, and not only say no, but not only seen as
Ativan Hadith, and not only st
emila but also that insane ally but also that say nom de la he had
been Miss Oh god Allah Tala Anhu. And the story of his becoming
Muslim is very well known as at the Prophet Salah lifecenter was
traveling that in the desert with that Sina mobile Carter. And he
comes upon saving up to live in miss out, and they actually
mentioned is that he was extremely short, he was only about half a
meter tall. So basically, the other rock, which is an arm's
length, he was very, very small. And that he was tending to sheep,
he was hurting them. And the prophesy centum that asked him if
he had that any milk for them to drink. And he says, and I'm what
he says that this these sheep are trust to me, right, or goats,
whatever they were our lamps. And that, in other words is that this
is the property of the owner, I can't just give something that's
not mine to give. And then the prophesy son asked him for a
specific type of that goat that didn't have any others, meaning
that it's impossible for it to have that milk without others. So
he directs the prophesy sound to a particular goat, and then the
prophesy center wiped over it, and had no others and then immediately
that it grew others that had milk.
And then the Prophet milked it. And he actually brought him he
said, I went and got him a concave rock. I rocked it. And that was
concave, so would be something that would hold the milk, and the
Bravo's I sent him milked it and they drank from it. And then he
wiped back over and said Nicolas contract. And it went back to the
way that it was before. And so he realized very quickly is that this
is a very special person. And then he says to him and look at this
house, how eager he was to benefit from the Prophet sallallahu
sallam. And he says to him, teach me. And then the prophets, let me
send them that comforted him and said that you are someone who has
learned and he will become one of the most one of the closest
companions of all, to our Prophet salaallah alayhi salatu salam.
And the story that was also mentioned recently, but it's worth
repeating, because it's so beautiful, is that he was very
short and very skinny as well. And his skin was very dark. And one
time he had climbed a tree. And some of the other companions were
looking at him and when he climbed the tree, is that his that his
calves were so skinny is that some of the companions thought that
they started to laugh, because they claim that his cows were
really super skinny, and then the prophesy centum that said to them,
Why are you laughing? And that one of them that pointed out that it
was because of how skinny the calves fell below him and mustard
was and then the Prophet said his famous statement is that, that the
that calves have to live and Massoud are heavier in the scales
on the day of judgment than Mount Bart.
Imagine the weight of a mountain. In other words is that weightiness
is not how much you weigh on the scale. Even if you're skinny,
weightiness comes from your iman. It comes from your good deeds. It
comes from your quality as a believer with Allah subhanho wa
taala. That's what makes us weighty. And for this reason, that
he was very beloved to our Prophet. He converted very early,
but he also devoted his life to the service of Rasulullah
sallallahu sallam, he was the one that used to tend to the prophets
pillow, he would tend to the Prophet see wack is to stick, he
would tend to the prophets, I send them sandals, he would carry them.
And he would carry that what he needed to clean himself, that
while he was traveling, and they said that he resembled the Prophet
slicin him closely in terms of how he was how he carried himself, the
things that he did.
And there's this incredibly beautiful description
that they used to see him so often with the prophet is that they
actually thought that he was from Al Bayt. They thought he was from
the Prophets family, because he would also come in and out of the
houses of the Prophet sallallahu sallam. And when they describe
him, they describe him as that, always being the one who would
walk with it or school solar lights and him and he would put
the profit sandals down for him. The profit would step into his
sandals and he would walk with Him. And then when the profit that
stopped and was going to sit down, he would take the sandals and that
puts them underneath that his arm and hold them for a little soul
until the Prophet when they get up again, he'd put his sandals down
for him, and then he would
Then walk with a messenger of southern lice and, and he's also
known to be one of them who used to wake the prophesies and him up.
So he would be in charge of imagine that it's time that he
goes and actually it's the Messenger of Allah slice and that
how comfortable he was that he could go and awaken Laura sol,
sol, Allah Allah are those of you Salam, and that that he says he
also used to avail the Prophet sallallahu sallam, that when he
would take baths, they didn't. It wasn't like the type of easy lives
we have of comfort and that separate bathrooms in the house
and then showers inside of the bathrooms is that they live very
simply. And that they would just have some type of veil around
them. And they would pour water over themselves. They didn't have
running water in they lived with utmost simplicity. And when you
see no place like Mauritania, it's hard to even imagine so you
actually see it. And in what Italia they used to make an entire
hustle. Take an entire bath with a pot of water this big.
That's your water. It's time for you to shower. Hollis, there you
go. You have a pot of water this big. And that anyhow, he was the
one who would veil one of them who had veiled a prophesy centum
and was known to have walked with him when he went places and
sometimes they would be distant places. And as a result of this
closeness and what he benefited from little soul. The previous
lesson said something very, very beautiful about him in the
collection of remember how come he says I'll lead to the Almighty
mouth or the Aloha, even Ibn Omi ABD? He says that I am content for
my OMA that which had been on abd who's Abdullah him and Miss IRD he
is content with for this OMA will suffer to lahat Massa hatherleigh
Hi Ibnu Omi ABD and that I am displeased for my Alma for that
which have to live in Minnesota is displeased with for my oma in
other words is that he had that followed the prophesy sin was so
closely
that what he wanted for the OMA was what the Prophet wanted for
the OMA is think about that, how amazing that is, that you can
become annihilated in the prophesies and in in his concern
and in his sunnah and his character traits
such that the way you view things is the way the prophesy said a few
things. What you want is what the Prophet SAW sent him once what you
seeing, the Omanis is what the prophesy centum sees that the
Omanis, there could be a lot of people that are concerned for the
OMA. But what they want is not that close to what the prophet
actually wants. Sometimes there's people that are well intentioned.
But the key is in addition to being well intentioned, to also
have in knowledge, but on top of knowledge to also have a state of
heart whereby which you realize the importance of the closest near
the profit slice and internally. Those are the two people that will
serve the OMA of the prophesy centum in the highest of ways.
It's not that the others don't have a share in it, they do and
they're part of the picture, but the closer that we can match,
internally and externally, the Sunnah, the more benefit that
we're going to bring out for the OMA and then on one occasion, our
Prophet Salah liason came to say number limen been missing. And he
that said to him, Quran Allah, He said, recite the Quran to me.
And say number line, Mr. Hood said that yes, will Allah O Messenger
of Allah, Akbar Alec, why am I gonna recite the Quran to you? And
it was revealed to you and obviously Saddam said now um, yes,
he wanted to hear it from someone else, as is clarified in another
narration. And so he says, For Cara to Surah Nisa, I read surah
nisa until I reached the verse for key for either jednym and Cooley.
omoton be Shaheed and so how would it be when we come with a witness
from every OMA from every nation would know Vika Allahu La Shahida
and we bring you to be a witness over them. And then the prophesy
psalms that has spoken. Right? That's suffice as you for now. And
he says that I looked at the prophesy centum and I saw that his
two eyes were shedding tears.
Somehow now just imagine what it would have been like to have been
in the presence of these people, how impacted they would have been,
these are the truly jobs in the SAT the true men and women that
conveyed this theme. And there's something to be said for this. And
that yes, that there's a lot
We can do on our own through our intelligence. And after we see
we've received, the tools that we need to learn, however, is that
there's always that people that are close to those who are
conveying the deen. And then if you step back to the early period
is that they because of that special Association, they have
something special.
They have something that no one else can get because of their
closeness. And this is why that there is a statement of Abdo live
in this Oh,
where he says had this in vignetting Tila proclaiming the
blessing of Allah Tada upon Him will Llahi Manasseh limited Koran
shade it though on an island Morphe Shane, as he said by Allah,
nothing of the Quran was revealed except that I knew that for what
reason it was revealed
Well, I am Becky tabula Mini, no one has more knowledge of the Book
of Allah than me. Although I know I hadn't told him the healing
herbal, lemon, lemon, Nikita Villa Tito, were to know is that there
is anyone more knowledgeable than me about the Quran that I could
ride a camel to IE traveled to, I would have traveled to seek
knowledge from that person. Well, not until it comes. So he's just
indicating at the end. He's not boasting, he says I'm not the best
of you. He's humbling himself. But if you think about how amazing
that is how much he knew from the Koran, because he was always with
the prophets, Elijah. He was with the Prophet all of the time,
regularly. So he knew that why this verse was revealed and what
was the cause of the revelation. And even if he wasn't present, he
would ask about it. And he would acquire that knowledge, because
this was their life. And the more that you and I dedicate our lives
to this theme, and the more and more that we take the
companionship of the true people of this Dean, the more and more
that we are positioning ourselves to serve the Ummah of our
prophets, Allah, Allah, Allah, I do sub you Saddam. So this is just
a little bit, the tip of an iceberg, about this great sahabi,
or the Allahu Taala and who are law, and he's the one who narrates
this great hadith of our Prophet sallallahu sallam. And there's
something really special about the Dawa, the supplications of our
Prophet satellites. And why, because we know a DA is a bad it
is the bone marrow of worship is the essence of worship. And one of
the meanings of dua is it teaches us how to be before our Lord. It
teaches us what it is to say. And there's very few things more
important to master.
Other than mastering to art this is one of the most important
things of all, is that we learn how to make dua, and God doesn't
have to be an Arabic, it's good to memorize to ask for the quote from
the Quran was of the best Diaz. And then after that the Diaz of
our Prophet SAW licen. And after that, the Diaz of the Sahaba, and
the tablet ain, and those who came before us, but it's also good to
that learn that How to Make dua in whatever language that we speak,
or whatever our native languages, learning how to make dua, what it
is that we can say, what are the things to avoid? What are the
etiquettes of it? And we do it enough such that we've mastered it
in the sense that we know how to turn to Allah to Allah, we know
the way that our hearts should be. We know what it is that we say. So
think about the blessings of learning, how the most
knowledgeable of creation of the Lord Subhana wa, tada are
prophesized and how he used to beseech his Lord, what was it that
he used to say? So in this dua, that he mentioned four things. And
of course, if the prophet is asking for something we know
that's something that we should all want to obtain. So the four
things are Aloma in the Iluka hada. Oh, Allah, I asked you for
guidance. And that guidance, who is clear, we all know what
guidance is. And what we mean by guidance, ultimately, is guidance
to the straight path, the very first command in the Koran, a
command here that in the form of a DUA, because even though it's a
command, it's men and Edna l Allah, from us, insignificant
means to the Lord Most High enough serotonin stuck in guide us to the
straight path. So essentially, what we mean by hedaya is guidance
to the straight path, and that we learn this through our Prophet
Muhammad Sallallahu sallam, and there's another verse in the Quran
says an AHA CRRT will stuck Iman in indeed this
Is my straight path. And in some interpretations of this first had
here refers to the resource analyzer and did have the, this
this one, the prophets Allah sent him him. Indeed he is my straight
path. So the prophets Allah Allah I sent him just as he was that a
walk in Quran he was also that the greatest manifestation of the
straight path right before our eyes. It's the epitome of the
scrotum stoking he was Salah lives. And so when we asked for
hedaya, we want that straight path that we know is sharper than a
sword and finer than a hair. It gets very subtle, it gets very
subtle. And it gets so subtle that sometimes we get confused and
knowing what exactly it is that to do in any given moment. And
sometimes our knifes overcomes us sometimes that we fall victim to
the insinuations of shaytaan. So we know that we're not supposed to
do certain things, but we do them. And this is why we have to keep
repenting, keep repenting, and keep trying to pick ourselves up,
dust ourselves off, in travel down the straight path. So we ask a lot
of other gods either for guidance in all of its different
manifestations. And every day of our life, we want to increase in
guidance.
And then he asked a lot about forgot to add a four or five,
excuse me to CA and we translate it here as piety.
But Taqwa is just another way of referring to tequila. It's the
same word.
With it's a different form, but same meaning.
And that Taqwa is essentially about that fulfilling the
commandments of a lot inwardly and outwardly avoiding Allah's
prohibitions inwardly and outwardly as a concept. It's
simple, but to live one's life uprightly where we do that day in
and day out, every year, every decade as we get older, we
maintain our uprightness we the increase in Taqwa. That's really
what is difficult. This is why that there's great blessing in
asking Allah to Anna, for taqwa, asking him to that make us that
firm upon the straight path. And as one of the Imams has said,
Is that the reason that the Prophet combined between Hooda and
Dukkha
is so is that it would include that everything that it is that we
need from our worldly life and to prepare for the hereafter, from
good character and everything that is required for us to know and
abandon that we're descendants from Allah subhanaw taala are due
by way of obligations so that combining Hooda and Taka is a very
comprehensive way that we are asking Allah subhanaw taala, for
everything that it is that we need, on the path to him subhanho
wa taala. And then he follows up with that l FF Wilhemina. And both
of these words, that we've translated here with the word self
in front, and that oftentimes when we use this word self dash, it has
a negative meaning here, it has a positive meaning in terms of how
we view the self, is that self restraint, is really the essence
of what I found is and that if is one of the great traits EFA here
is that it's centered and it's the same word. It's the same form.
same root word is different form, but it means the same thing. And
what if an FF is really about it's about holding back, learning to
restrain tartar? Krisha How about abandoning that certain desires,
things that we want restraining if it's unlawful, that by way of
obligation, and then that making sure that when we do indulge, we
do so with intention, ideally, and then that it's that come to me
I'll kephale Amala Yeah, hello Wijmo Romeo colon affair, that
restrain you from anything that is not permissible or that good from
anything that you can say or do. So the essence of a faff is, it's
about self restraint and another definition, who will Seanna to
unmold Tom dunya. We protect ourselves from having overwhelming
desire for the things of this world. What to Nuzzo a mafia ad
NAS and we don't desire what's in the hands of people
will add them to our local kalbi be him and nor do we let our
hearts attached to them.
simply because they have something from the dunya. And we don't, for
your money and when your stuff is that the believer, part of the way
of being a believer is to try to learn to develop this trait of fo
within ourselves, where we teach ourselves to restrain, it's very
easy, when certain people have certain things that you don't
have, and you're struggling with whatever it is that you're
struggling with that you that want those things. And it's very easy
then to start treating people a certain way, because we want
something from those people.
And so that teaching ourselves to restrain from that teaching
ourselves, that not to be impressed with other people's
dunya. And to especially not lose our hereafter over someone else's
dunya it's even worse to lose your hair after over someone else's
dunya than it is to lose your dunya lose your hair after over
your own dunya. Both are bad, but it's worse. If you don't even have
the dunya component, you lose it over someone else's dunya. And a
lot of people are that just enamored with other people's
dunya.
And sometimes it's because they're in a state of necessity. And other
times they have what is it they need, but they just want more. But
anyhow, is that these last two virtues go hand in hand i Five and
Lavina. So a five is about restraint. And that in a hadith,
and Behati, Muslim woman, your staff, if whoever seeks to achieve
self restraint, your ephah Allah, Allah will give that person the
ability to remain restrained. And then it also comes in this word
delay, not which we'll finish up the Hadith in a second. And so
then here, Lena, Lena normally is the word used for wealth. A little
honey is someone who was rich. But l honey is also one of the names
of Allah to Allah, He is the one who is truly rich, even those who
have wealth here enriches in this world is that everything that they
have is on borrow. And that part of the adult of having wealth, is
that what is in the hands of Allah subhana wa Tada, you have more
trust, and that then you do what is in your own hands, because
Allah could take what you have, any moment. Any one of us, you
could be an able bodied working person making a good living,
getting a good paycheck now called Little law, you get hurt, you have
no way to work, and maybe your spouse can't work either. And then
you're in dire straits. That could happen anyone, anytime, any any
day, or a major catastrophe happens.
Where you think that everything is fine, and so forth, and you lose
everything. Anything could happen. And sometimes those of us living
in Western societies, we say, oh, no, but I have insurance, and oh,
no, but I have this and that I have places no, all of that is Oh,
those are all Oh, ham, those are all that just illusions and
delusions is that we don't have anything if you hang on to the
dunya that it will let you down at some point. We rely upon Allah
even when we have something a reliance is not upon what we have.
It's not upon the money that we have saved. Again, something could
happen, all your savings goes instantaneously, our reliance upon
Allah Jalla gelato, in times of hardship and in times of ease. And
sometimes it's harder to rely upon Allah in times of ease, because
you think you have something. But we have to realize that it's an
illusion.
All we really have is Allah and our trust in him. subhanho wa
taala. So elvina here is doesn't just mean wealth, although it
could. It's okay to ask Allah to Allah, that wealth from the
standpoint is that you don't have to ask people for things. And this
is something that's always impressed me about so many
Muslims, that I know is that they take honor in earning a living, to
provide for their families.
And that I've seen so many beautiful stories just where
people come literally with nothing. They might come as
refugees. But they don't want to take handouts, they start working.
And they work hard, day in and day out, day in and day out. And
anyone that thinks that working hard day in and day out is from
dunya that person is deceived, that is not from dunya. Especially
if you're required to provide for a family. Those are acts of the
Hereafter. And if you make the intention, you get a reward for an
obligatory act for every moment you spend at work.
And if you make a righteous intention to do what is you
You're doing to provide a service, you get a reward for a recommended
act every single moment that you're at work and your
feasibility law, you are in the path of Allah, you are feasibility
law, when you go out in the morning to work to provide for
your family.
And that we have to change that perspective working is not dunya.
We're not here just to sit back and relax, and that take from
other people, no, a respectable person will not do that. We'll
work hard. And that will provide for our families and realize
there's responsibility upon our shoulders. And this is very
important, because this is one of the traits of the new generation.
And part of that this new generation and the world in which
we live is that taking this trait from the especially young men,
that little by little, where that they don't feel that sense of
responsibility anymore. And they want to have a prolonged
childhood, and just live off other people. And again, in our context,
here, there's nothing wrong with living with your parents, this
whole idea that you have to move out by the age of 18. That's a
very weird thing. Right? That's a very western type thing. And
there's nothing preventing you from that living with your
parents. But you should have the mentality that I need to work. And
I need to provide for my family, that most people in a traditional
society when they got married, they would either live in the same
house with like a new room, they had more sizeable homes at times,
or it was either easier to just add another part of the house, or
they would live nearby. And so living as an extended family,
there's nothing wrong with that. There's nothing on Islamic or
there's nothing blameworthy about that. On the contrary, it's
actually that much more healthy. So however, that we should all
that have the mentality I need to work. And that working hard, is
something not only something good, but it's extremely virtuous. And
it tells you a lot about a person.
So that there's an outward dimension to this, but then
there's this idea really of self sufficiency, this is really what
we're asking a lot for, Oh Allah, that don't put me in a position
where I'm in need of people.
Right, and that this is one of the meanings of the Edit earlier being
Heydo many of the sofa, the giving hand is better than the receiving
head, be in a position where you can give back, be in a position
where you can help not in an arrogant sense, because we're
taught even we give people wealth to hold your hand beneath so that
you don't think I'm the one giving no have a dumb have humility,
however, that giving back is a very good thing. And asking a lot
to either for self sufficiency in at a deeper more spiritual level,
Alina enough's and what is meant by there is that not inclining
towards what other people have not relying upon what other people
have being content. In other words, with what Allah has given
you, is why when our Prophet spoke about Elkanah, which is a type of
contentment with your worldly lot,
is that it's a Kenzan letter for life now, it is an inexhaustible
treasure. And we think of wealth and treasure going hand in hand.
And this is why our prophets I send them said Lisa Lavina and
Catherine tell us
that Athena wealth is not by having a lot of merchandise that
you for instance, sell. Well I can elvina Innes true wealth is that
wealth of your soul?
Being a magnanimous person, being above having greed and desire for
what's in the hands of people. And the blessing here is, is that our
Prophet is teaching us what it is that we should ask for what it is
that we should strive for.
And it doesn't mean that we're going to attain that overnight.
This is why that we have a hadith in Sahih Bukhari where the
prophesy centum said, My Yukon nd Men hate Allah adecuado uncom. He
says, whatever good that I have, I will never keep it from you.
Amazing. Whatever good, I have let a decayed one call it the hardest
to save something. So it's like saving food. When people need the
food. Our Prophet is saying all of the hair that I have, I'm not
going to keep it from you. I'm not going to say anything that I can
do. I'm going to give you all the hair that I have and what hair did
he not have? Right? That all the hair that we need in the two
worlds
comes to us by means of the middle school salatu salam. But he went
on to say when numenius to FIU for Hola. Whoever seeks to that
attain this virtue of self restraint, Allah will give him
this virtue will man yet the sub body sub bit Hola. And whoever
that strives to be patient, Allah will make them patient, when
you're going through a difficulty and all of the other times where
you need sub patients, if you strive to achieve that virtue,
Allah will give you that virtue will munya Stephanie Ukrainian law
and whoever that seeks to be self sufficient and rely upon Allah
only, and not rely upon people in to be that rich of soul, as it
Allah to add will make him like that. And then the Hadith NS
Wallan Otto Otto von phaedon will also I'm going to say that you
have never been given a gift that is better, or that more expensive
than patients. So these meanings are very deep. And
that they that help us to that put our that religious life that into
perspective. And that one of the about that he said, you out of the
year can have Lallemand PSA or decline of volume and PSA, what I
now hate him and die.
Is that how many times has that constructiveness been better than
expensiveness in difficulty been better than ease in this specific
context of this as in your livelihood is that sometimes when
Allah put you in difficult circumstances, and you don't have
the flexibility to do what it is that you want to do, or sometimes
even a difficulty that you go through in relation to your
livelihood is better than just being able to live how it is that
you want to live? We don't know. Allah knows. And what we have to
do is submit to our Lords of Herrnhut data and know whatever he
sends our way is what is best for us. But there's nothing else we
can do other than to hammer that into the heart, day in and day
out, day in and day out and respond in a way that is pleasing
to Him. Subhan Allah Tada. So Allah men, yes, a Luca alhaja
taco. While as well, Vina all I asked you for guidance, piety,
self restraint and self sufficiency. Just as the first two
went together, the last two went together, and may Allah benefit is
from the words of Satan and Muhammad.
Fear let's move on to chapter 26. From knowledge and wisdom, he
could replace
the short chapter
Smilla Rahmanir Rahim Al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen wa sallahu
Elysee the number 100 And while early he was he was seldom in
knowledge and wisdom, but Imam Abdullah had been Halliwell had
that may Allah preserve him and benefit us through him.
Chapters 26 on assessing one spiritual state
should a person wish to know whether in religious terms he's
improving and ascending or diminishing and descending, he
should look at how his state and conduct had been in the month that
has just gone by or the year that has just ended. If he finds that
they were better in his estimation and superior to his present state
and conduct, let him know that he is falling into integration.
Whereas if you find whereas, whereas if you find his present
state and conduct better and superior to his previous ones, let
him know that he is ascending proving
it has been handed down that He who finds his day to resemble the
day before has been cheated, and He who finds his day to be worse
than the day before is accursed.
Accursed here means remote from a particular and specifically,
especially accorded mercy. He who is not increasing is diminishing.
To elaborate. If when thinking about previous days you feel that
you then had no wish for the world. We're eager for the
hereafter scrupulously avoided doubtful things were quick to good
actions, prompt in obedience and remote from transgressions and by
comparison are now no better or to any extent worse than know that
you are going down deteriorating in your religion, your aspiration
for God, and in your striving for the hereafter,
you should then feel apprehensive and fearful and begin to move,
reserve resolutely forward and exert effort.
If on the other hand you find that you have more aspiration and
eagerness than before, then thank God the Exalted even more. So
remember his gifts and graciousness, and be ever
attentive to them. You should never feel pleased with yourself,
nor think that it is due to your own ability and power. For as God
the Exalted has said, had it not been for the favor of God upon you
and His mercy, not one of you would ever have been purified. But
God purifies whom He wills, and God is the hearing that knowing
that Allah and Allah Muhammad Allah rasool Allah. So this
chapter, Dr. Mustafa wedowee, titled assessing one's spiritual
state, and it doesn't really need much commentary. What I remember
Dad said here is clear what remains is for us to do this. And
just as that we do this in so many other aspects of our lives, it
reaches a certain point where that your car, you have to do an oil
change, you have to that do upkeep, you have to change the
belts, you have to change the brake pads, you have to do things
to keep your car running. And your house is the same thing, you have
a brand new house, but you have to let do a number of things on a
regular basis, just to keep your house functioning. And if you
don't, something ends up happening. And then eventually,
you have to replace the H vac system and you have to get new
shingles on your roof, and so forth and so on. And all of these
other types of things. This is like this interview aspect of the
dunya. And that this is like this as well with our own spiritual
states. Now, that is not what he's saying here, I'm putting in
context is that it is expected that we will that go through
states, where we see ourselves as having diminished in relation to
our religious practice. And what is important to recognize here
is that
some sometimes we don't exactly know
whether
that this has actually happened, or just seems to have happened.
And part of that is usually in the beginning, there tends to be a few
more perks, in other words, is that when someone converts to a
song where they get back into their Deen,
there's this beauty that they experienced in the beginning,
oftentimes, that really helps solidify their conversion, if they
did convert or that if they came back to the dean, that they're
coming back, there's a beauty that they feel there's an opening of
the hearts that they feel. And there's a warming of the heart, if
you will, for what it is that they're experiencing now. And
that's done to make them firm in the decision that they've made.
And then after that, though, oftentimes, is that this is where
things start to get a little bit more difficult. When some of those
perks start to go, where now it's about rolling up your sleeves and
doing what it is that you have to do.
At that stage sometimes that you think back, oh, I used to feel
like this. Oh, I used to feel like that. And those feelings that you
had aren't necessarily the criteria.
Because sometimes those were just given to you at that stage to make
you firm. And now really what it's about is how you are conducting
yourself in dean. And it is for this reason is it He tells us to
look at our state and our conduct. In other words, we have to have a
spiritual checkup regularly that on a monthly basis, and on a
yearly basis. One of the things that our teachers like to do at
the end of every year is to repent for everything that took place in
that year. The new year comes is that we make a dua for the year to
come. And so that we have to think about that past year. What did I
do? Could I have done anything better? How was it compared to the
year before? That? Am I increasing in that my understanding of the
deen and my understanding of the Quran and the Sunnah. Am I
increasing? In my knowledge? How was my worship? Were there certain
types of worship that I abandoned this year that I did the year
before?
or am I increasing my voluntary devotions of saltwater or making
liquor for instance, service that I'm doing and my roughly doing
about the same, or am I doing more, we have to think about this.
And ideally, what we should do is to put something in place where we
do this on a monthly basis. And then we do this in a larger sense
on a yearly basis, we don't want to just have the months and the
years pass. And we're not thinking about these things, we really have
to stop and think about how I've progressed or what has happened.
Because if there's something that has happened, we could nip it in
the bud. But if it solidifies over a period of several years, it
becomes harder and harder and harder to treat ourselves off. And
that so he says here, if he finds that they were better, in his
estimation, superior to his present state and conduct, let him
know that he is falling into degradation. So specifically, here
our state, not just our state in terms of feeling, but our state in
terms of that the desire that we have to draw near to Allah to
political data, and that to what degree are we quick to that
fulfill the commandments of Allah? Or to that avoid his prohibitions?
How quick are we to that worship Allah to Allah? Are we starting to
postpone our prayers? Whereas before, that we didn't do
something like this? That do we find it easier to sin? Or that is
it that are we more distant from sin. And so if we don't do this,
it's very easy to get into a rut. And the way that happens is not
usually overnight. It's usually by very small things that you leave
that add up over time, where you end up getting to where you are.
And a similar example would be in the type of food that we eat.
Yes, someone could just eat terribly, like everyday, all day,
every day. But we develop these habits, and that it takes a toll
on your health over a long period of time, if you catch it quickly,
you can change it fairly quickly. But if it, if it goes on for
years, you don't see it come in. And next thing you know, it's a
habit you can't get rid of, and it's taken a toll upon your
health. So that we have to nip things in the bud.
And this is advice to all of us. And the one speaking first and
foremost, is that we take stock, and we say this regularly. But we
really have to commit to remaining introspective to really think
about how can we better ourselves? How can we improve spiritually,
and as we were saying, in the morning, Arabic class is that
there is no understanding that we have of material progress without
spiritual progress. Any material progress. Without spiritual
progress is a disaster.
There is no material progress without spiritual progress, our
material progress has to be informed by our spiritual
progress. And if there is a disconnect, the more that there is
then material progress, the more detrimental it will be for our
spiritual progress. And so we have to first and foremost focus on our
own spiritual progress our own state, and that making sure that
we don't get into bad habits, that one of the speakers said recently
is that one of the ways that you can really, that describe a person
is ultimately that by his habits, or her habits, what are your
habits? Do we have good habits? Do we have bad habits? And are they
just okay habits, look at someone's habits? What are the
things that they do regularly? That tells you a lot about that
person.
And so on one hand, that
it's actually a good thing that we are, in a sense, our habits,
because developing good habits is actually not that hard, isn't you
have to go over, you have to get through that initial period of
struggle to get that good habit going. And once you get it going,
it's easier to maintain.
But on the other hand, that it's difficult because sometimes it's
hard to put in that energy to overcome a bad habit, and to
develop a good habit. But if we look at it like that life is
essentially about developing good habits, and replacing our bad
habits with at least neutral or good, just permissible habits, and
then moving towards good habits. And that's one of the ways that we
have to actually get rid of bad habits is slowly replace bad
habits with permissible habits. And then we go from what is
It's merely permissible to what is better or what is best.
But this is really an important discussion. Because I've seen a
lot of my own friends that converted a long time ago. And now
many of the people that I converted with, we're getting
older. Right? Many of us have been Muslim now for over 20 years. So
long time. And sometimes you think back, you're like, what was
SubhanAllah? What happened to all those years, I should be doing
more, I should know more, I should have accomplished more, I should
say, it's like some part of my life is going quickly. It's like
it's going. And pretty soon, you know, we used to always, in those
days, think of the generation before us to convert, like, oh, we
have so much time, right? There's so much older than us. And all of
a sudden, we're now pretty much the age they were. And now we
still look at them. And they're Subhanallah generous rewards
getting really older. Right? Getting to that average lifespan
of the OMA of our prophesy centum, which is between 60 and 70. And
it's like this is a serious sign, like what are we doing if we live
in average life, but the remaining part of our life? What are we
doing?
And that some of those good things that we've done in those initial
stages we've lost, or we've abandoned? And yes, maybe some of
the things stemmed from a bit of imbalance, okay, maybe we could
have been more balanced in the beginning. But even if we consider
what that balance would have looked like, where are we now in
relation to in retrospect, what we would have seen as something that
was balanced? And how have we increased upon that, or that moved
away from that? And this is something that we really have to
think about. And I've mentioned this before, but I remember
someone saying, when they wanted to take the family to go study
sacred knowledge, and someone told them, ah, that's so 90s. Bro,
that's so 90s You're going to take your family to go study? And it's
just like, what kind of understanding is that? Since when
is tolerable elements seeking sacred knowledge? Something of the
90s? Since when?
When is something of the 90s? No, what we need to do is, as we
transition through life, because it's easier when you're young, and
you don't have a job yet to kind of do certain things. But then
what happens when you get a job? Do you still do those things? What
happens when you get married? Do you still do those things? What
happens even more? So when you start to have children? Do you
start? Do you still do those things? What happens after that
when you start to experience health problems, or family
problems? or some other type of problem? Do we leave those things
that is that we were doing?
If we're committed to this Dean, we won't let anything. Not a job,
not a spouse, not children, nor any tribulations come in the way
of Dean.
Come in the way of Dean.
And the end, the vast majority of people won't be too merciful with
us, especially if we fall short.
So we have to worship Allah because he deserves to be
worshipped now for people. We have to get over what people think
about us. And do what is that we know we have to do.
And that, in the end, it's all about priorities. Yes, people are
busy. People have families, they have jobs. There's a lot to do.
Just just the type of what we have to do just to maintain a
household. And everything that goes along with that. paying the
bills and insurance and doctor's appointments and mad that ation.
Federal and state I don't even know there's such thing as local
taxes, and you get a bill like three years ago that you're
supposed to pay local taxes in Lehigh Valley. We didn't have that
in California, when I used to pay taxes, they're all of these types
of things. And just just getting by and right, keeping your car
running, and whatever else. It's a lot. So I understand that people
are busy, but I do think it's about priorities. I do think it's
about priorities at the same time.
And we have to make Deen a priority.
And ideally, that if we can't do all of them, we don't leave all of
something. And what we've tried to do here in this community is
provide really what our teachers will say is the bare minimum.
The encouraging people to pray Fajr and Isha and congregation,
that one gathering of knowledge a week, one gathering of remembrance
a week
That's for the album. That's the bare minimum for the common folk.
That's not someone who is that really focusing on their hereafter
and taking it real seriously. That's like the bare minimum.
Beyond that, like, we're slipping into a territory, where we're set,
we're falling short, even in our time. Now, I guess you could say
in our time, it's a little bit harder to do that, of course,
right, given the distances that people work in their commutes, and
the amount of hours that they need to spend, and so forth. So that's
understandable.
But if we missed one day, we should boom, come right back the
next day, and come right back at it.
And that, again, it's about priorities. And this is one of the
things that people like to be critical of the quote unquote,
Uncle generation, but many of them that understand the benefits of
this and some of them that will live in that rundown areas, and
when they can afford much nicer houses simply because they want to
live right next to the masjid because they want to pray in the
masjid.
And we took that hadith not too long ago, whenever it was, I guess
it was in the, the the
loving the beloved, is that this is one of the things that leads to
that a lot taking care of your affairs, is that walking to the
masjid, praying at a masjid, waiting after the prayer to the
next part in the masjid. And that a bada is not ever going to be
irrelevant. It's not ever going to have a shelf life and to be cool
at one time and not quarter other a bada is what we've been created
for. And this is what we want. As we get older and we get closer to
death, we want to increase any bad. And we always want to
increase the knowledge. But we especially want to increase in a
bad day. So when I read this, this is what reminded this, this is
just a reminder, I'm speaking to my own self. Now, we're getting
older, a lot of the perks are gone. It's about rolling up the
sleeves and preparing for death. Like really, let's do what we can
do now. And let's maintain the bare minimum at least. And again,
I don't mean to put anyone to despair, if they can't maintain
the bare minimum. But let's least bounce back the next day. If we
can't do the bare minimum every day or every week, one week on one
week off, or at least one week on and three weeks off, where at
least we try to make this a priority. A priority over eating
out at restaurants a priority over socializing a priority over
shopping a priority over watching movies. A priority over our screen
time. Let's check our screen time. Right we can do it right now. On
if you have an iPhone, I don't know about these other phones,
screen time, we can check our screen time. We can see how long
we were on this. And then you can see if someone's really truthful
about their priorities. Compare the screen time to that the bare
minimum about which I'm speaking. And then you're just left to let
in the end we make our own decisions. And if we make Dena
priority in relation to in SoloQ in Dawa knowledge, devotion and
service, that you will find amazing blessing in your life.
undoubtably in this is exactly what he's encouraging us to do.
How are we progressing? And let's all think about our practices or
habits. Was there something that we were doing for an extended
period of time that we've abandoned?
Is there that certain that permissible things now that we're
just doing too much do we fall short in another sense and things
that previously we're able to avoid that we've now are doing,
let's work on ourselves, and come together, support each other, help
each other, love each other, encourage each other. Because
we're all in this together, we're in a time that's trying to rip all
of these meanings from us, just completely uproot them from our
hearts. And we need each other.
And, again, no matter how much we fall short, in that bare minimum,
in trying to assess our one spiritual, we never ever, ever
despair, no matter how much we fall short. And we keep calling
ourselves to action, we keep calling ourselves to action. We
keep doing what it is that we need to do to find motivation, so that
we can at least die trying.
And that this is what it really is all about. And this is what we
hope that we've come here to achieve and wherever someone is on
the face of this earth is that we can implement these same
principles in that different ways. So what what beneficial advice
that remember her dad has given us and that as time progresses, let's
take
heed. And let's make sure that we don't fall short and prevent
ourselves from the attaining higher ranks that can be attained,
let alone that developing bad habits that prevent us even more
so, from the higher ranks of Paradise made a lot of adequate
data, give us tofi committee's words penetrate our heart. We'd
love to have the benefit is through Sydney mum Abdullah bin
Edward had died in his words in his state in May Allah Tada that
bless us and give us Sophie equal sal Allahu Allah say nama Medan
while early he was Saburo Salam on him. Did he lie here of anatomy