Yahya Rhodus – Knowledge & Wisdom Imam alHaddad #4
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Meet me Hey man, why Allah Minetta animal Italian wonderful on TV
what do the good what healthcare What do you find what is the fad?
What has added Tomasi Makita villa? Also not sort of sold he
sold Allahu Allah send him What do I ll Hado de la la la la higher up
to what Sheila had to add on my daughter he awkward to be with
Robbie subhanho wa Tada oh my god, Mahalo and sod hadn't yet settled
law. And yet, John in a minute, I mean, that is in your opinion
writing in your brain will happen, the thing will result in a coma
mad and whatever it is even more stunning.
Okay, so that we are again going to go through a few of the
intentions here.
And we have reached the intentions for what is known as Hello.
And hello, is essentially seclusion. It's going into a state
where you are alone by yourself. You free yourself up from
distraction so that you can focus on what is truly important.
And we know that it was the way of our prophets, Allah, Allah and He
sent him is that he can hit the Hala he used to go in the state of
Hawaii, it's the same verb. And a lot of hit up the cave of Iraq.
Before that he received prophethood before he received
revelation, Salah lighly, do Serbia send him this was his
custom. And he would go for that periods of time. And he would come
back and get those Oh would take provision, get provision. And then
he would return. And his bless his wife say to her Khadija was very
supportive of him from even that time. And that realizing is that
this was something that was wanted from him by his Lord for him to be
in this state. And we don't know much about the nature of the
prophets worship. When he was in the Hadith era, the narration says
what kind of yet Johannes? And that hint is that essentially,
sin, its wrongdoing, and yet the hand that is ridding oneself of
it, of it. And obviously, we know the prophesy centum didn't have
that problem to begin with, as the prophets are protected before and
after receiving prophecy, from major and minor sins, let alone
that associating partners with a loss of Panama data or that
believing in something that is that unbefitting for them to
believe in. And so in other words, is that the way you would look at
that, because then the that narration never nourish and says,
Well, what tabloid, it's worship, it's a form of worship. So we know
that the Prophet was worshiping the exact nature of what that
worship was. Allah subhanaw taala Haarlem, Allah to Allah knows
best, but we know that he worshipped, and we know that that
time of being alone precedes his receiving of Revelation.
So there are some say, that point to the importance
of people, that being in a state of isolation being in a state of
seclusion, before that, they then have openings and go out to
benefit people. And that's understood in in a
relative sense in relation to each person.
And that if you look at it, it makes sense. Even if someone's a
physician, there's a time where they are that focusing on their
studies, they're in medical school for however many years and that
how often do they actually get to see their family? How often do
they get to see their friends, it's a type of seclusion. And even
in relation to studies, they're focusing on something so that then
when they graduate, and they go on to do their residency, then that
they're still in a type of seclusion slightly, that the door
opens up a little bit at for them and so forth until they actually
are licensed and then they start practicing, but little by little,
so everything we do, it's kind of like that. So this is not a
meaning that is not far from that our intuition and what we
understand the way that things really should be. And that if you
even look at a plant and a seed that grows is that a seed has to
be buried under the earth. This is why I said city of an alternative
secondary says it fair enough sucker out that hole, bury
yourself in the earth obscurity
as you said, because is that anything that is exposed too
quickly, it won't reach its fruition.
If that a that sprout is exposed too quickly, to a wind or
rainstorm, is it it could easily get washed away? If it stepped on
that it could put an into it very
easily. And so it's very delicate at first, until it grows and grows
and grows and grows and human beings are like that. And this is
the way that teachers tend to be with their students is that they
want to give them time to grow, they want to give them time to
learn. And even it's like that in their own spiritual lives, it
doesn't mean that you don't want to help people, no, you want to
help everyone on Earth, if possible. But you also have to
know where you're at in the moment, and you can't overextend
yourself. And you have to know what your limits are. And it's
actually very dangerous to overextend yourself, and to not
understand your limits. And it's one of the most beautiful things
of all, in a traditional setting, and aromas very clearly from what
attended even also when I was studying in Yemen, is that you see
the different students that along the way that some were very early
on in their study, some are advanced in their studies, some
had finished their basic studies, and were starting to teach others
were seasoned teachers. And then you have the great shoe, and the
great teachers who are also teachers of teachers.
And you get to see kind of what they do and what they don't do at
every stage. And that they're very careful. And they're very clear on
what they can't do. They know their limits. And they stop there.
And they say, Well, this is how I can help you. And anything beyond
that I'm going to send you to so and so. And this is very important
in what in the world, but also in relation to the dean. So that's a
little preface for the importance of seclusion that relates to
stages in our lives. But it also, as we go through the various
stages of our lives, happens on a regular basis. So even if we're
not fully in a state of seclusion or isolation, that at least a part
of the day, we should be in a state of seclusion or isolation,
at least a part of the day, even if it only be five minutes, where
we're focusing on the relationship with Allah subhanaw taala. And in
all of this, whenever we go into a state of halwa, what intention do
we make? Or what intentions do we make? And he's going to mention a
few. He says the first is that you devote yourself to, to worship.
And so when you're in Hello, that's a time to block everything
else out in focus yourself on the worship Allah Tada. We were just
recording that before the session.
A lecture from the Bookman, how's it Aberdeen, the path of the
worshipers of normal Rosati. And it's a beautiful book. And he has
what I call the aka Saba the seven hurdles and obstacles on the way
to Allah subhanaw taala. And the first is knowledge, the second is
repentance. And the third is that he calls them our EQ. And there's
four impediments, and one of them is the world. And one of the
things that he says about the nature of the dunya is that the
more that we have of it, the more preoccupied we become law hidden
and vaulting, outward and inwardly.
And I know that just by now living in a house Subhan Allah, the
amount of time that it takes just for the upkeep of a house, y'all
law, it's one thing if you're renting, it's a lot easier if
you're renting, but just the upkeep of a house, that all of a
sudden today, one of the fire alarms starts beeping, and you got
to make sure you have batteries, and you realize you don't have
batteries. So you either have to order them, or you have to go out
and get them. And you have to wait and tolerate the beeping, and go
or detach it. And then that you have to if you have a water
softener, you have to make sure that you have enough that salt and
then all of a sudden, an ice bridge is created in your water
softener. And you have to call specialists and wait several days
for him to come out, take time out of your day to meet him, and he
shows you how to do it. And then you have to change your air
filters. And then you have to service that your H vac system in
the spring. And in the fall, it makes sure the AC and the heat are
all working. And then your basement might flood and you have
to fix the drain, and you have to make sure that the drain doesn't
clog and that the leaves are all swept up. And you might add on
something to your house. And that's a whole process that takes
a lot of time. It's just constant and you didn't realize oh my god
my gutters are my gutters are filled with that leaves, I gotta
get that taken care of. It's just one thing after the other, my sump
pump now has issues on I gotta get that fixed. And just the amount of
time that goes into the upkeep of a house or just even cleaning a
house, keeping the carpets clean or keeping the dishes washed or
anything, the amount of time that goes into one house,
let alone if you had to let alone if you had three or four, or
several properties, or that if you have investments all over the
place and a whole bunch of different things. And the point
is, is that the nature of the world is that it preoccupies us,
outwardly and inwardly, outwardly because
have, you have to spend all that time doing those things in it's a
significant amount of time. If you just look at everything that we
need now in the modern world, you add in all your doctor's
appointments, and all of your dentist appointments and going to
the cleaners, and that making sure everything's okay for the kids
school and going to figure out what's going on. All of these
things that we have an after school activities are how they
would go to the villa, that in of itself is a lot
in and of itself. And then you start adding, let alone you have
another property, like we have here. And everything goes along
with that. It's like having two and a half homes, because it's a
bigger property. And, oh, all of a sudden that you haven't you find
yourself outwardly having to spend a significant amount of time until
you can hire someone just put on their shoulders.
But he's not paying attention.
Or maybe he is, but then inwardly as well, you're alone, because
you're constantly thinking, oh my god, I forgot this, oh, my god, I
gotta do this. And, and if you if you if you're not constantly
thinking about it, something slips through the cracks.
And so you have to think about it. But the point here is, it's just,
you're preoccupied. Now, if you make a righteous intention, it's
not that you don't get rewarded for it. But it distracts you from
worship, there's no doubt about that. Because sometimes, these
things will come to you while you're in prayer, these things
will come to you that, you know, at times, you should be focusing
on other things. And that the point here is, is that this is why
it's so important, is that we have times during the day where we just
devote ourselves to worship, and you leave your phone outside, and
that you don't let anything distract you in that time you
force it out of your mind, as difficult as and you just focus.
And that's very difficult and different people can process that
in different ways. And sometimes you have a list of 100 things to
do. There's only so many hours you have in one day. And to be able to
that stop at a certain point, take a break in focus on your deen,
it's essential that we learn how to do that. And it's not easy,
it's essential, otherwise, you just get completely overwhelmed.
And then you can't do anything, right? That job that you're
supposed to be doing or the task or the duty it's on your shoulders
or that the religious side of things. And especially for people
where it's all or nothing. They're either fully into something or
fully not into something is that we have to find that balance. And
to be able to that separate all of these other things are a part of
our life, which they are and we have to make intentions behind
them. But we also have to have times we just devote our hearts.
And again, there's different stages of our lives where this is
relatively easier or more difficult. And then that he says
that you may be accepted by Allah. Now that can be an intensity we
make for a lot of various things. But especially for Hello,
especially when we're in that state of Halawa. Yato accept us.
You want a lot to accept you know, one of the great duels that we can
make is that Oh Allah, except us in the state. We are in as we are.
Oh Allah accept us as we are.
Or another version of that is Allah Mala Domina ADA ma indica.
Liz Shirley Leisha reminder that, Oh Allah do not forbid us, do not
withhold from us the good that is with you, that because of the evil
that is with us, and so that you realize you are I'm falling short,
and despite my state, except me as I am a Kabbalah Allah mafia,
except us just as we are. So, but then also, to protect people from
your evil. They explicitly mentioned this,
to be very careful to go into halwa with the intention of
protecting yourself from the evil of other people. Because there's
very suddenly a type of self righteousness, I'm going to
protect myself from those people. Or that's almost like a type of
arrogance, where you're thinking you're better than someone else.
If you go into a state of isolation if you move into a place
to be somewhat isolated. And that to be in a type of seclusion, is
it your intention is your job, I know who I am, when I'm around
people, I'm protecting other people from me. Right and not the
opposite, even though he does mention that from as one of the
intentions with the focus is that protecting people from our own
evil, our own issues that when we interact with them, but these are
the type of things that happen. And we make the intention to
rectify our heart, as at those times of seclusion that we have on
a daily basis on a weekly basis on a quarterly monthly or quarterly
basis on a yearly basis, ideally, that we have different levels of
seclusion that we that put as that part of our yearly schedule and
And one of the intentions that we make is to rectify our hearts and
heal during those periods in ways so that we can then get back to
work and that help other people, we also make the intention to
expose ourselves to spiritual openings.
And this is one of the great times that we are, especially
that this is one of the great times when we are that especially
that receptive to spiritual openings is when we're in a state
of Ohio.
There's there's no doubt about that. You could receive an opening
anytime. But when your heart is focused, your heart is directed
towards a lot to honor. You are that in a much greater state in
order to be able to receive and the mercy of Allah subhanho What
to Allah, and there are a number of other intentions that we can
make as well. And
that he also mentions here that the words of the great Sheikh
Hasina Shakti, so we'll just read through these has also mentioned
10 benefits of halwa. So some of these are intentions that you can
make and some of them are seen as benefits, safety and protection
from the harm of the tongue, safety and protection from the
harm of gazing, shielding and protecting the heart from
ostentation flatterer and other diseases, renouncing the world and
its pleasures and feelings of satisfaction towards it, safety
from Bad Company and from mixing with those who are based devoting
yourself to worship the Quran the resolve to be God fearing and
pious to attain the sweetness of obedience to comfort the heart and
body since mixing with people brings about the weariness of the
heart, to protect yourself and your religion from engaging in
evil. And the disagreements that arise from mixing with people. The
ability to worship with reflection and contemplation, which is the
greatest aim of Halawa. And he that have you saw I've mentioned
here which is worth reading. What needs to be stressed about Halawa
is that is not meant to be continuous. Just as a sick person
spends a short spell in a hospital to rid the body of illness, after
which time he leaves the hospital in better health, with stronger
immunity and enjoying the grace of health. Similarly, a Muslim who
spends a short period of Halawa will subsequently have a
strengthened relationship with his or her heart that has been
replenished with immense uncertainty. And there has been a
book published recently, that I haven't had the opportunity to
read but it's been translated by city that Soraka Abdul Aziz Abdul
Aziz Soraka. The merits are the benefits of seclusion. And Dr.
Shadi wrote the foreword to it. And it's a short treatise by
Sheikh Abdullah honey and Abba Lucy, where he they speak of some
of the benefits of seclusion, and the various times where it's
especially
encouraged. And, you know, we so we shouldn't think that in all
circumstances for all people, that it's always about engaging,
engaged and engaging. We have to be balanced in general. Yes, we as
believers contain a limited, digitally NAS, you were the best
of all communities sent forth to people. So there's no doubt or
diminish our religion, everything about our deen that has a social
dimension.
And we can't deny that however,
it doesn't mean that for every person, and every time and at
every stage of their life,
is it many of those obligations or community obligations are the
whole point is certain people fulfill them at certain times, and
as you go through the various stages in your life, is that you
have what's best for you in any given moment, as long as there's
someone fulfilling those obligations, that it removes the
burden from the other. So it's, it's, we have to look at things
holistically, and let for our own selves and for the community.
There are times that we simply have to be in a state of worship,
it is healthy, to have people in our community that are focusing on
worship. And oftentimes these are people that are means for the
warding off of tribulation for the entire community that we live in
and are that some of the most important people of all that not
just for human beings but also for animals and the environment and so
forth the blessing of those people that actually that that goes
beyond merely the human sector and goes as well into the other
kingdoms as well.
Clear so let's get on why not?
Because I need this can you just get the book from he's got it that
was the 30th.
This bin or homeowner who was so that was salam ala Sayidina
Muhammad in earlier so I'm gonna send them
from the book
knowledge and wisdom. By Imam Abdullah bin Ali will headed May
Allah benefits through him I mean,
the third chapter, good times and evil times, where he says in every
epoch, there has always existed both good and evil, virtuous
people and villain villains, people who do good and others who
corrupt when at a given time, virtue, goodness, loyalty and
righteous behavior and manifest and predominant and corrupt error
and their people are subdued and inconspicuous. That time is set to
be a good that time is said to be good and righteous. Such were the
times of the prophets on the law who I knew he was setting them,
and his right rightly guided successors when the time and its
people are predominantly evil and corrupt, when good is scarce, and
the virtuous, few and hidden. Such times are attributed to evil and
temptations and are said to be evil and wicked times of
temptations and afflictions. Thus, our times thus our Times described
according to the, according to their predominant attributes, for
no times are ever entirely without good or evil, are current times
and those immediately before them are predominantly corrupt, evil
and villainous. Good and virtue are rare, and superior and
virtuous people few and conspicuous, subdued and
vanquished God it is whose health we seek, he is sufficient for us,
and He is the best of custodians Rashanna.
So this means,
in this short section, that email her dad is reminding us about how
to view our time. And this actually, is, goes hand in hand
with what we just took, by the way of Halloween by intentions,
because that accordingly, based upon someone's assessment of their
time, is the way that they will respond and carry themselves in
that particular time. And he's pointing out the fact that, in
every time there's always good and evil, there's always good and evil
in the world, even during the time of the Prophet sallallaahu. Selim,
if this time that we that think so highly of that, for us is the
model. There were companions who did wrong, there's no doubt. Now
out of other we have a particular perspective about those companions
is that we see that wrong from those companions as being a means
for us to come to know what to do after them, when we actually do
wrong. And we believe that they're forgiven. We believe all of the
companions that died upon Iman and belief in our Prophet sallallaahu
Selim, they are forgiven by Allah to Allah and have attained the
contentment of Allah. So they are special, and that they are even
that more special companions amongst them. That, for instance,
that those that the promises inform us about from the battle of
better is Allah, Allah, Allah, that Allah Allah, Allah better,
all along, if I do Machito that,
that in Allah to Allah, that the Prophet said is as if ALLAH
SubhanA wa Tada had that said to the people who fought in the
Battle better, is that do whatever it is that you want, is all of
your sins are forgiven. And we know that there were incidents
where some of them that committed very serious that
infractions after that. And that as this is something special for
them, though. So anyhow, that in every time there is good in there
is evil. And, um, but if you think about the number of companions
that existed during the time of the Prophet slice him, compared to
the number of people in the world, it was a tiny fraction. So there's
no doubt that there's people that even in their own society, let
alone in the world, that we're not doing good. And so that we're when
we speak about these good times these evil times as that we speak
about them in a in a very specific way. And whereas you could have a
non Muslim historian who comes in and says, Oh, well, their whole
history is focused upon everything from their own lens, and so forth.
And, you know, bring in these ways of viewing the world that make
Muslim seem as if they're very naive, and even uneducated in
their presentation of their own history. But their whole point is
that they forget the whole purpose of, uh, speaking about our quote,
unquote, sacred history in the way that we do.
We speak about our sacred history in that way. And we call them good
times, especially these early times the time of the prophet in
the hood of our Rashi deen and the time where there's an abundant
amount more good than there is evil. Is that from the standpoint
of that, how you and I then will internalize those same principles
in our own time and be inspired by their stuff?
Rice,
so is perfectly legitimate. And that perfectly that balance for us
to look at these times in this way, because it's supposed to be a
source of inspiration. And it doesn't mean that things were
perfect. On the contrary, they were real people who went through
real circumstances, who had to make real decisions, and sometimes
fall short in that, however, we always have to remember to is that
these were people that were validated by a law.
And that is one of those amazing things, if you think about that.
These are human beings. They were human beings. They were human
beings. However, these were human beings that took these principles,
put them into practice, and were validated by a law
in most people just simply can't understand that, for some reason,
it's very easy to understand. And it's the same way that we look at
the great scholars throughout the centuries, that contributed to the
development of the various sciences of the deen, whether it
be tafseer or Hadith or whether it be fit or or soul or any of the
other sciences lower, and on and on and on, is that it's not that
they were not assume only prophets are divinely protected, but they
were special people. And they were people in themselves that were
validated by Allah. And so the opinion of someone that is
validated by Allah is not like the opinion of someone who's not
validated, validated by Allah in a number of different ways. And
sometimes it can look very similar, but it's different. It's
different, because of the validation by Allah subhanaw
taala. And this is why that when you have these people have tidied
that come along, and renew the deen in any given time and find
ways to present the same realities of the Quran, but in the tongue in
understanding of the people of the time, is that sometimes there's
other people who attempt to do the same thing, but their state with
Allah is not the same, it doesn't have the same result. And this is
the reasons because these are not people that right have been
validated by Allah and what we really mean by that is, is it
people that Allah to Allah has taken their affairs over, which is
if you look at the word in Arabic, Woody Walia Jelle has a number of
meanings. One of it is to be close, okay to be near. And it's
also to be a patron of,
into be in control of, and so that when you take it to a added form
to Allah, is to take the affairs over of someone. So the Wali is
the one that Allah Tala, Allah Omoro, Allah has taken over that
person's affair. Does it mean that they don't act, of course they
act, but it's not just about them acting.
So for instance, that you have someone who is beloved to Allah,
tada,
they make a decision.
And that decision could be the same as someone else who doesn't
have that same state.
But because that person is beloved to Allah, there's a blessing in
that decision.
And there's an immense amount of good that comes from that. That's
just simply not there with the other person.
That is very possible. And not just about a minute, but there's
also a protection
is it that when the righteous are behind something, there's also a
protection that's there as well, for that person. And that for
whatever it is that that person is doing. There's a protection as a
result of that. And so that these are realities that for some
people, it's it's very difficult for them to understand. And
especially when people start to do new things that aren't the way
that the things were done before. But as set up to Hakim Murad
reminds us in one of his contentions, roughly, he says, is
that the reality of tradition is not just to focus upon the past is
to do what they did. You connect to this tradition of the past, so
that you can understand the principles in all of its
manifestations, and all and understand its historical
development. And you since you were speaking on the terms of
principles, but that relates to beliefs, it relates to that, legal
rulings, and so forth, and different states of the heart and
all of these different things. But it's to understand that it is to
live it and internalize it and do what it is that they did.
Now, we have to be very humble in that regard. Because you look at
yourself, and who are we compared to the people who came before us?
And we don't have that false sense of humility that doesn't allow us
to do anything? No, we do it is that we can do and we never said
Oh, no, I can never be like them.
So I'm not going to do anything. No, we still do whatever it is
that we are that supposed to be doing despite our state and
despite our deficiencies, despite our shortcomings, and despite our
lack of knowledge and our lack of piety and our lack of remembrance
of Allah subhanaw taala. And you compare yourself to these people,
and it's, you're supposed to be humble in relation to it. But it
doesn't mean that we can't do something we have to that take
what is that we that can and to do our best. And then, as we heard
our teachers say, it's, it is possible as well, where you could
have someone that has much less than all of those meanings of
less, and that there's greater effects that are brought about on
their hands from Allah subhanho data. This is a loss of fair and
we have to detach ourselves and result in to do things with
sincerity, Inshallah, there will be great things that come from it
so.
And every time, there's always good and evil. There's always
virtuous people, and there's always bad people. There's always
people who do good, and there's others who are corrupt. But
generally speaking, when we talk about a time in this relative
sense, so we're not necessarily talking about the entire world,
usually we're talking about, right, the Muslim world, we're
talking about different places within the Muslim world, but in a
very general sense, that when a given time, virtue, goodness,
loyalty and righteous behavior are manifest in predominant and
corruption air and the people and their people are subdued and
inconspicuous. That time is said to be good and righteous. And this
especially refers to that earliest period
in Madina Munawwara with the Prophet sallallaahu, Selim and
even from before that, and makin macabre and the rightly guided
successors, and then to the degree that also includes the time that
the Companions lived and the tabbing. And then the opposite is
true is that when the time and it's people are predominant, evil
and corrupt, when good is scarce in the virtuous, few and hidden,
such times are attributed to evil and temptations are said to be
evil and wicked times of temptations and afflictions. And
despite that, they're always at even in these times of temptation
and afflictions. Great, good.
So, generally speaking, when we speak of our time, this is a
difficult time.
We all feel that it's a difficult time.
And if you would rewind and speak to people 50 years ago, there's a
lot of people who would say the same thing. People that were
living in Turkey, when it was secularized, would say, Wow, this
is a very difficult time. Imagine that having lived under an Islamic
state. And then all of a sudden, it falls. Imagine living through
the fall of the Ottoman Empire.
And the the fit that is there after, like, one of the longest
lasting, the longest lasting, that dynasty, if you think of it like
kind of in a more Western sense, but that rule in human history,
all of those years, and then it falls in crumbles right before
your eyes. And everything that happens after that. I mean,
imagine if you were living on time you think that the day of judgment
would be very soon.
And imagine living in Bosnia when the war took place? And being a
part of a genocide? Yeah, hello, Dakota.
I mean, and then in Europe, imagine witnessing the destruction
of World War One, and World War Two. Imagine living through that.
And so the point here is, is that,
that we have to understand the time in which we live, and to know
what is the most important thing that we can be doing in that time.
And in that regard, there are certain things that we always have
to be doing. And that's what gives us clarity.
However, if we leave those things that we know that we should be
doing,
then things become very, very confusing. There are things that
you always have to do, we always have to pray, we always have to
fast, we always have to have good character, we always have to take
a life of learning, that has to become the foundation and the
bedrock of our practice. If it doesn't did the degree that it
isn't will be to the degree that we are confused by the time in
which we live. And it doesn't mean that we're going to always have
all the answers of how to respond to our time, but we make that the
place of focus. We make self transformation, the focus, we make
the focus our path to Allah subhanaw taala. And we have to
stubbornly refuse any tendencies that are taking us away from that.
And if we do a lot to add a will give us that much more clarity
than other people get in terms of how what it is that we should be
doing in our time now, and that your mom or her dad just lived
about.
100 years ago, so he passed away 1132. So what does he say our
current times, and those immediately before are
predominantly corrupt, evil, in villainous, good in virtue are
rare. In superior and virtuous people few, inconspicuous, subdued
and vanquished
is a member had that. Now keep in mind, during his time, Imam
Abdullah bin alloyed, her dad, the one we're reading his books 300
years later, and love so much. And think of him as one of the
greatest Imams of the Ummah of our prophesy Center.
He actually had very few few students in his time.
And their stories of some of his great students going to study with
him, where they would ask about where his house was. And so they'd
find someone in the same neighborhood like in his same
neighborhood nunnery, do you know where so and so is.
And they would say, it would be said to me that old blind man,
double blind man. That's how some of his neighbors looked at him,
the old blind men. And if you go to see where he used to teach
part, one of the places used to teach was in his day, which is
like his, basically now there's stairs, where he would go from his
home, walk down the stairs, and then that go to his what you guess
you could call like a patio and then enter into the masjid.
And there's only place for like two or three people there.
And so sometimes that when we think about these great Imams, we
imagine them having, you know, 1000s of students before them. And
that wasn't always the case.
That have you been hassling? orthos mentions who's one of the
great Imams, great Imams, just he was just a treasure trove of
knowledge, and could articulate the message that of his
forefathers in his that spiritual lineage in such an amazing way. He
said for about 25 years from the time that he returned from his
travels of study, which took him to places like Egypt into the
whole domain, and he comes back to holiday mode. He said, He speaks
of in this context, and I don't know if that's mubadala. He says
Not a single person came to me
to actually seek knowledge and to ask from the greatest of things
that I could offer.
He says rather, people always just were wondering, they'd come to me
and asked me to make dua for children or this or that, or all
these other types of things. He says, and on top of all of that,
they even spoke ill of me and said to him, he was Macassar. He just
fell short in our rights. He doesn't do this. He doesn't do
that. And this is Imam Morris, not us. He has he lived in a place
where it was there was a lot of Bedouin like rough people. But
there's a lot of places where there's Bedouin like rough people,
and some of them are in the middle of big cities. But the point here
is is that this is the way things are. And so it gives you realistic
expectations. And it gives you the ability to appreciate the good
that a lot about a God has opened up for you in your time.
And this is something we have to be thankful for. For opportunities
to that worship Allah terracotta Allah and to learn our deen in a
an environment that is more distraction free than others. This
is from the great blessings of Allah subhana wa Tada.
And if you look at what he says here, look at these traits that he
says about these righteous people is that they are Kowloon. So they
are few mesterolone he translates as inconspicuous, they're hidden
motherlove Boone, they're subdued and Makoto rune and vanquished
meaning is that their model does very little that they can actually
even do
they're not able to do a lot and they're my poor is that their
vanquish they just, there's this simply things that they want to do
that they can't do. And they're very limited in SubhanAllah. And
these might be great people. And so we have to have correct
perspectives and one of the wisdoms and understanding things
such as it will ward off some of the Wasp wasa of shaytaan, when he
tries to, that causes us to see things in other than a way that is
that motivating in relation to what it is that we can do in any
given time. And in the end, is that we know that there are 120
that rose of the rose of paradise. And we know that there will be
people in that even those first rows that exist in the very, very
last days. There will always be people that are in those first
rows and the way that
people achieve that is not necessarily the way that they
think.
And this is why that, it's very important to understand your time.
Because sometimes we're prevented from putting in that the energy
needed in order to do certain things that we don't even see them
as in the realm of possibility that they will lead to something
great. But not that we see what we do is great, but that if you have
the perspective that in any given time that you can reach the
highest degrees of closeness to Allah subhanaw taala. Oftentimes,
that might come to someone who is a very simple person doesn't have
a lot of knowledge, and doesn't even have a lot of worship, but
based upon their circumstances, is that they reached the highest
degrees of closest to Allah data, that is also very possible. And so
in other words, is it the more difficult times become from
another perspective? Is that the more open
the ranks of closest to Allah subhanaw taala are
and that's one of the things that have you ever seen told us at the
retreat, he says is that there are there's mercy descending
everywhere.
And in that particular place, if there's very few people that are
there to receive that mercy, it's likely that a disproportionate
amount of that mercy is going to go to that a smaller number of
people.
In other words, there's an immense opportunity. And if Allah if our
prophesy Sam teaches us about
the, about the dove entering into the souk, which is we should all
have memorized this dua every time that we go to a mall every time
that we go to a store, and Allah's wasa every time even that we're
online shopping.
Is it make the daughter Leila Halawa daughter Sharika Loman
colada hemmed up will you meet who are Hi Yun Leia moto bat hit
fairwild acquisition Kadir Our Prophet said Whoever says this dua
when he enters into the soak the market or a store the buy and sell
is that the he will that have elf elf has written for him 1 million
good deeds written for him. He will have elf LC removed 1 million
bad deeds removed him and he will be raised elf elf Dasha, he will
be raised 1 million degrees.
Just from saying that very simple invocation. And the son of Satan,
Omar, Abdullah bin Omar Abdullah and Houma. He used to go into the
marketplace every day just so he could say that dua.
And the reason this is the case because our Prophet says another
Hadith, Abba huddle, beloved Allah He as waka Ha, the most detestable
places to Allah or the marketplaces. Why, because this is
the place of Shabbat. This is the place of people's desire.
So that if someone finds like in their heart, that when they move
to a particular place, they miss all of these stores, h&m, and Zara
and that don't have their Apple Store as close as they like it or
whatever the PC corresponding store is, or they don't have, you
know, all of these things that they really want there. That's not
a good sign. Gotta work on your heart. Really, really, it's not a
good sign. Gotta work on your heart because our Prophet said
those are the Abba hudud beloved Allah. Right. And if we find
intimacy in malls, and we feel estranged in a masjid, that's a
sign on the fuck sign of hypocrisy.
So we got to work on our hearts, and that we should feel
comfortable in mo Salah in a masjid, in gatherings of knowledge
and gatherings of the crowd. We should love our Prophet said about
those fluttered Tao Gray's, they're in and think of the image
of grazing cattle just graze for hours and hours and on in goats
Graze for hours and hours on then, that the metaphor there is one of
feeling so comfortable that we don't want to get up. You want to
stay and be in that gathering. And that's the way that it should be
but until we're there we need to work on our heart into the
Escalade to attitude blesses to be reality that to make this a
reality within us and that he says for lovin Mr. Ahn, got it got it
is was helped we seek he is sufficient for us and He is the
best of custodians, Subhan who want to Allah and if you rely upon
a lot of adequate data is that he will facilitate for you what is
best in any given time. And having said that, and despite all of the
difficulties of the time in which we live, our teachers Subhan Allah
law
Are that stubbornly optimistic, stubbornly optimistic and a good
way stubbornly optimistic about the good and time in which we
live? And I think I mentioned everyone already, is it when it
was explained to one of our teachers about the time which we
live? And people's worries with the that the new political
changes? And that the answer was very simple latter half. There is
no need to fear El Faro, mocha Bill alikom. Good is coming to
you. Good is coming to you. And if Allah Tada, that wants to bring
about good he will, did not Moses LASR to salaam, they grew up in
the palace of the Pharaoh. Amazing story, he grew up in the palace of
Pharaoh.
And this is why the Pharaoh tried to that remind him of this. Right
that at a later stage? Did we not raise you as a child? Do we not
raise you as a child? And that trying to make that claim? I could
you think you are that we raised you as a child. And this happens
oftentimes to people that convert is that people in their own
society that see their society as the best society, that in human
existence, and people then that go against the grain and actually
accept the truth of Islam. This is oftentimes how they're made to
feel, right? Almost in that sense, did you not? Were you not raised
in the society. We were not given all of this opportunity. It is as
if that they're saying like, this is what you choose to do. Right?
And that even though you had all of this privilege and all of this
opportunity, and our response is absolutely hamdulillah Al
Hamdulillah Alinea, Methodism waka Fabian yet Nam, we think a lot of
adversity Muslim in it is sufficient, as a blessing
sufficient. And every time someone looks at you funny, every time
that you go through secondary checks at the border. And it seems
to happen more and more these days. Is it just remember Subhan?
Allah, if that's because we're Muslim.
If that if that's what we have to go through that extra screening,
and that quad s on our boarding passes, and all that taught us. We
don't we ask Allah for alpha alpha. For we want to be we want
things to be facilitated for us. However, if that's what we have to
go through, that's very little, very, very little. And, you know,
we should we should, that be proud of the fact that we are servants
of Allah. That's what true pride, that's where it lies. True pride
lies in that we are a bead of Allah. That's our pride and that's
our glory is that we are servants of Allah subhanho data, and that
we are proud of the shootie of Satan enormous ly saddened because
those are individual opportunities for us to show our servitude to
our Lord Tabata, Kota Allah, Charlotte Allah we will read a
little bit from the men in the universe. How are we doing on time
here? What time is McGraw?
In two minutes,
wow. Okay, we'll just read a little bit and so we get a quick
Placida end from CD Abdelfattah.
So we for those following along, I know there's different prints of
men in the universe. We have the orange cover, which is one of the
earlier prints that Dr. Mustafa Betawi says here on toward on the
last paragraph of page 12. The invisible worlds also exercise
their influence at the individual level. There is a two way traffic
between each person in the higher and lower worlds. For instance,
there's a well known Hadith the effect that whenever a person
others love ilaha illallah, a pillar of light extending upward
all the way to the Divine Presence begins to resonate, and continues
to do so until the comment issues from that presents for it to stop,
to which it replies that it cannot possibly stop unless the person in
question is forgiven all his sins. And he mentioned that the Hadith
of the Hadith it's in the collection of Abu no aim, and
others narrated as well. Other good deeds also ascend to the
throne. There are noted by the supreme assembly, the Maillol
Allah
who bless in support those whose deeds gain their approval and
satisfaction. The corrupt on the other hand are cursed and
obstructed in their endeavors. Again, the result of such action
by the supreme assembly is not to eradicate all even nor will the
people they support always be perceptively victorious in this
world. Evil is a necessity. Look at this an overlap of all these
means evil is a necessity. That's an interesting idea to think about
that. Evil is a necessity and the times must deteriorate so as to
reach the bottom of the Abyss at which time the horn will be
sounded and the resurrection begin.
We
We know the world is going to deteriorate. This is the decree of
a lot. We know it's going to deteriorate. But how are you and I
in relation to its deterioration? That is really the question. There
are also subversive influences arising from the lower infernal
regions, the Koran states concerning Satan in his host, he
sees you he in his tribe, for wins, you see them not. We made
the devil's allies, for those who do not believe shaitaan sees us
but we do not see him. And then Allah also says, Shall I tell you
on whom the devils come down, they come down on every sinful,
slender, and Allah says the devil is inspire their allies to dispute
with you. It is also written in the Koran, those who have said God
is our Lord, then they were, then we're steadfast upon them, the
angels this insane fear not neither sorrow and rejoice in that
garden that you were promised. We are your allies in this world, and
the next. So what he's trying to get at here is that these worlds
we do not see. But there's a reality to them, and there was a
lot taking place there in we are told about them what we need to
know, to protect ourselves from them, and to that, do whatever it
is that we can do to benefit from them. And so even though that we
don't see that what is taking place there is that we've been
given through the prophetic guidance, a way of being in a
number of things to do to maximize our benefit, and maximize the
warding off of the harm of that the these various realms. And this
is a great blessing of Allah subhanho wa taala. And so
understanding is so so important, and that the Prophetic teachings
Subhanallah that the more and more that you come to realize how great
they are in what it is that our prophesy centum really, that
conveyed to us, the more you realize that the blessing of Islam
is indeed the various, the greatest blessing of all, my love
to Anna, make this blessing firm in our hearts and to bless us
despite the time which we live to be from people that are
successful, and live in a way that is pleasing to Allah to Allah, our
Prophet encouraged us to be like to be
he encouraged us to be like to be that in a hadith, that he said,
Indeed, the likeness of a believer is like a bee.
And what is the bee do? As our Prophet said eka law even for
wallet by Eva, the prophesy centum said that be eight from that which
was pure and wholesome, and then eliminated that which is pure and
wholesome. And then even went on to say Walcot falam tech sit with
them to sit the when the be lands, bees don't destroy or ruin the
flowers and the buds and foliage that they extract pollen from, is
that they didn't break the pedals, nor did they spoil or ruin the
plants. On the quite the contrary, they do the opposite. They are
that essential to the that ecosystem that we live in. And
that this is the way that a believer that should be in any
time, but especially in the end of time, because another raishin
generation of this hadith that mentioned a number of the signs of
the end of time first, and then mentions that about the believer.
So this is the way that believers should be we should always strive
despite one's time despite the difficulties despite the evil
despite all the challenges to that have a perspective of focusing on
what's good in trying to remain positive and optimistic so that
inshallah Tada we can then gather in ourselves that which is good
and then as a result is that not be problems in further the
province. We want to be help people heal, and we want to be a
part of the solution actively words work towards it, because we
know it has honey, that it has emanated from the bee and we know
that honey is a she fat. And so we need to be a source of healing for
all of those around us. But we can't be a source of healing for
others if we're not healthy. If we're not if we don't have a
conception of what health is, and we aren't healthy in our own
cells, it makes it more difficult to help other people maintain
their health as well. We should be this should be at the forefront of
our mind may Allah Allah give us Tofik open up the doors of all
good to us and bless us in all of our different affairs. Bless our
families and our children, our communities and expose us to the
greatest manifestation of His mercy in this world and the next
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