Lessons from the People of the Atlas Mountains

Angelin cathedra one is what Takala holla at the cell gonna be what are hum in Allah and Allah kumara Teva. Yeah yo Alladhina I'm gonna talk Allah wa Kulu cola and salida used to Allah kumara Manoj Kumar Allah come Donna welcome. When are you to Allah wa rasuluh *a defesa frozen Lima La Moneda de la Nasaan Karim Allah into Baraka Allah. Wa chiral heavy heavy Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam

was shot on a mobile data to her Wakulla Matata than Vida Wakulla with Allah Allah wa Coolock a lot in finance and Mama Bella about Allah, my dear brothers and sisters Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says Milosz Quran NAS lash gorilla. If you don't show gratitude to the people, you will never be grateful to Allah subhanaw taala with this I would like to see does that come along? Hara May Allah subhanho wa Taala reward you for the support that you've shown your brothers and sisters in Morocco during the time of their difficulty after the earthquake. I just came back last night from there spending few days in these mountains, shoot see get forward with my own eyes, the kind of

destruction and the situation there on the ground. And subhanAllah I brought you from their lessons and Salaam.

As for the salaam, every time they knew that their brothers and sisters from across the globe from America, they're coming here to check on them and say salaam to them making dua for them and show them support. They were very grateful.

They're very grateful. They're very happy. They've never probably ever in their life. They've never seen a Muslim came from America. They live in remote villages in mountains that you can't really get there unless you have a purpose to go to that place. And they were so grateful. And every time we go there, they know that we're coming from America, their brothers or sisters remember them they're very grateful. And they will say that Kamala Karen for your support. And I bought two lessons. Lessons from being there and learning from the people. I want to share with you some of these lessons inshallah botica with Allah. Number one. The first thing I've noticed is that I've seen

there is how magnificent the creation of Allah subhanho wa Taala is, you know, we drive for about an hour and a half on a complete flat gland completely flat. Then once you're done, you start going up the mountains. And suddenly when you're up the mountains, the road keeps zigzagging right and left And subhanAllah for another hour and a half, very narrow passages. And you look down at the valley you see nothing but Allah's beautiful creation. Scary, though.

But it was so magnificent Subhanallah beautiful sight. The landscape, even though it's desert and mountains, but still, it's an unbelievable sight to see. You can nothing you cannot say But alhamdulillah and sigla Allah Allah subhana wa Bhima adamak, you praise you, Lord subhanho wa Taala the greatest, and it is indeed such a magnificent sight to see the creation of Allah subhanho wa Taala as his best.

Another thing that we learned, as we were going into the mountains, I want to I don't know how many of you have been into that region. But the Atlas Mountains are divided into three major mountain range. There's the major and the middle one and the minor one. But you're talking about the major, one the highest in Africa, probably in that area, and you keep driving all the way up into the mountains. Villages are scattered all over the place. People they wonder why the you know, Morocco did not ask for help from outside. Well, because the actually the earthquake did not really happen in the city. So the structure in the cities was very limited. It happened in the mountains, want to

say the mountains, most of the destruction happened in the mountains. And any village that was on that fault line was probably destroyed or maybe got affected. And these villages are all over the place. Small towns, you're talking about 150 people in one constellation, maybe 200 less than 100 Sometimes a small town, small village and then you drive another maybe 1520 minutes before we get somewhere else. And so on. But all of that was so beautiful. And I remember one of our colleagues, Dr. Halifax who was with us Hannah law she said what a beautiful life this is.

And for me I was reflecting what she was talking about. Because you're talking about Adobe's homes built of mud, not even rocks, mud.

The roofs and the ceilings. Men have just word and mud as well to everything is so simple, so humble. And she goes What a beautiful life this is. I said that to have. This is so beautiful not for for them.

It's for you and I because because we come from a very complex, luxurious lives that we wish we have so simple life like they have.

Everything is organic. Everything is natural. You wake up in the morning, you know naturally before even a sunrises you go to sleep right after sunset Subhanallah extremely natural life. Of course it's beautiful.

Of course it's beautiful, nothing artificial is there. It's the natural connection and communication with Allah subhanho wa taala. And with the creation of Allah azza wa jal. That's why it is so beautiful. And we who live here, we sometimes taking a break from our busy schedule to go and live there in the mountains for a few days for recreation.

Cool, just want to relax. Imagine if that relaxation is the type of life that you have. It is indeed a beautiful thing. Subhanallah but it's very humble, very, very humble life and very natural. What we learn from being there is that Subhanallah these villages, these brothers and sisters, they have a very beautiful conservative lives. They still believe in Allah azza wa jal with the hardship they go through with the simple humbler that they go through. They still believe in Allah Subhana Allah Almighty, and grateful to Allah azza wa jal, every time we visited the village, and they come to us, and they see us coming from America. And when they hear that we are Imams group of Imams going

there, they will just marvel at the idea of Imams coming from America.

And the amount of respect they show you is just unparalleled. And they immediately they start saying, we have an imam in our village as well too. And they go on they call their Imam and we meet the Imam and we speak with them and they lead us in Salah and make dua together Subhanallah just a word a beautiful life and beautiful respect to the deen of Allah azza wa jal

very humble life still so connected with ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada perhaps because every day and night with their own eyes, they see the magnificent creation of Allah subhanho wa Taala they see the beauty of the sunrise and the sunset, they see the stars in the sky, they see they hear the wind that is blows and how they change of weather all of that is indicated for them that there is a Creator subhanho wa Taala living in an urban city. We lost the connection with the creation of Allah azza wa jal we will have a connection with nature. And that's why every time we go out there to outdoors it just a beautiful life for us. Beautiful break. But that's the lifestyle over there

Subhanallah

as a result of their their interest in their faith and their Eman and their Deen every village you go to, you might find maybe 50 houses sometimes 2530 houses constellation of small houses here and there. And all of them made of mud. But then there is one particular building the only colorful building in the entire village and made of concrete and rocks and stones and bricks from the inside is very well decorated and kept well well kept Subhanallah and has a very long Menara that's the masjid

every village is so proud of his masjid.

And we ask them why is the masjid is the only building that has colored and the only bird that's well kept. They said because we want the message it the house of Allah to be the best house in the entire village.

Like no one wanted to make their house to look better and more beautiful than the house of Allah subhanaw taala

and that's why they keep the house is so simple. But as of ALLAH SubhanA wa Taala they invest in it. And look at that just like wow, what our understanding they have, what a beautiful thing they have.

And you know what, we're committed to martial law. hamdullah we're doing it we're trying our best, but sometimes we compete with our massages

in terms of the size and the beauty and this and that Subhanallah but for them no, no, no, no, we can't make our houses look better than the masjid the house of ALLAH SubhanA wa Darna What a beautiful concept and understanding of their deen and the house of Allah azza wa jal, brothers and sisters even when their house are destroyed, because we visited some villages, the entire village has gone the entire village, more than 150 people lived in that in the 179th To be specific, the entire village has gone Subhanallah and everybody had to evacuate, and they move them out of the area because there is a risk that the rocks might fall again, from the top of the mountain. So they

moved completely from that region. And they camped they build them tents and camps in the middle of on the top of another hill that is kind of a little bit flat a little bit. And now they're exposed to the winds panela but still, during around close to Maghrib time, as we were doing some distribution of some essentials like mattresses and blankets to get ready for the for the cold weather and, And subhanAllah as we were doing that, I could hear a sound. I'm just like, Is that another one? And where is this coming from?

With everybody just kind of standing in lines and getting ready to receive their thing. And then you hear this voice and I look around I see on the top of a small hill to the left. There was another man, an older man, and he's standing there holding in his hand. A big water bottle he cut from the bottom using it as a megaphone. I'm calling mother and mother in the entire mountain range.

Is who that is just like Subhanallah Wow

What a beautiful thing.

They don't have a masjid anymore. They don't have a village. They don't have houses nothing but they still have their Deen.

They're faithful to their Iman and to their salah. And as you walked a little bit, you know away from that place down that hill from the other side, they made a masjid

interesting, the charter underground lines of rocks to indicate the boundaries of the masjid

and they have suggested therefore the Imam and when the salah time comes they go on to pray together.

They have nothing there other than the tents and the basic essentials for life, but they still wanted to make sure the measure is still there. The connection with Allah subhanho wa Taala is still there. Look for us in a situation like that we are just in a survival mode who thinks about making a mess either masala and worrying about time of Salah if it's coming and or what. It's a survival mode. But for them their main survival mode is with Allah subhanho wa Taala which brings us to the next point. As we were driving through the mountains almost every way we go during the time of Salah you see people individually just praying by themselves in different places.

A shepherd with his herd on the side and his making his sujood another man was by himself in the middle of the sort of the road to making his Rikku and his Salah. So their their care about their DeAndre Eman amount and moment of crisis is just unbelievable.

For us probably here in Alaska, protect yourself ballade. I mean, if if the wind starts blowing

if the wind just start blowing over here and you hit a tornado sirens, God knows what we're gonna do.

But these people just think about Allah subhanho wa Taala in that moment,

it's Pamela talking to these people about what they have gone through and and the situation they're in at the moment gives you a whole different perspective on life or life. Completely different perspective on life. Like one brother in particular. His answer was just like phenomenon Radio Live. I mean, he lost his house so he lives in a tent right now. And we tell him how you guys manage and how you're doing so hamdulillah because of hamdulillah because Allah subhanahu wata took our house away, but it gave us patience.

I'm like La Ilaha illa Allah, Allah, we need need need yours. We need yours in America to teach people this perception.

The perspective of life is Allah took our house, he took it away Hamdulillah we can build it again he says, but Allah gave us patience. And that's a great gift. And he is right.

He is absolutely right because the prophets Allah says that the Hadith carbomer ot hadn't Hatha and unfollow Allah. Oh, Samana, Saba, no one has ever been given. No one has ever been given a gift that is better for them than being patient.

And in a situation like that, they come and they still smile and they still shake hands with you and talk to you. And a very, very martial accept of the color of Allah subhanho wa Taala which gives us that perception on life that they're always optimistic

with all what they go through the so we will build it again inshallah. So we're going to do it again shall and they're very confident that's going to happen. They're not waiting for you and I

they're not waiting for us to assist and help because we will take care of it inshallah Donna, but definitely a help from outside is an extra for them. That's a gift of Allah subhanho wa Taala for them, Madhu brothers and sisters, Allah we've seen in small and small classrooms, some of the schools were destroyed. So what happened they bring all the students in one I'm going to say a school I'm talking about maybe two or three rooms. That's it. We're not talking about massive mashallah campus, like the one we have here. We're talking about two, three classrooms, two of them are destroyed. So they bring all students in the same classroom. And now they're all crammed in the

same place, and the teacher is still there. And guess what all the students are there as well, too.

They want to learn.

We attended one of those classrooms. And we said we're watching the kids from hazard we're reading from the tape from, you know, from their books. Also, from the wall. It was just an interesting experiences. In this case, no matter what they've gone through, they still come to school, and they still would like to learn that life for them is again is essential for them. One thing we noticed as well, there wasn't a village that we went to, but we seen someone who's half of mashallah the men in her fun.

They care about the Quran, from a very young age. And you go there, I mean for us, you might not see any future unless they go out of that village to go to a bigger town or small town or even actually to go out of the country. But for them the Quran is important. And there wasn't a village that it didn't have a half of the Quran or or two or even actually more Subhanallah because they care about the Quran. There

Very generous, very hospitable. Everywhere we go, they insist even if their house is actually broken, they insist to feed you or give you tea. They insist because you can't leave. This is this embarrassing process. You came all the way up the mountain just to be here with us. You have to drink at least the very hospitable very humble, very generous, and I'm sure every Muslim country has that concept, active hospitality and generosity, brothers and sisters.

Even though their condition was very harsh to us who live over here, very harsh conditions in the mountains. But the biggest lesson we learn no matter where they are, no matter where they live, Allah subhanaw taala has his ways to provide for them.

Allah has his ways to provide for them even us they were going the wrong turn to end up in a different village from assigned to go to so you can actually give these people there is that Allah has written for them

and we have seen them as we prayed there's a lot to do here and answer them as it was a little bit new some repairs. They we ask them how much do you think this this is gonna cost? So they gave us the cost which was nothing for us at handler moment. We said Here we go. This Melissa Xochimilco, we're worried about this, how are we going to make sure the measure stays at hamdulillah open and there came from ALLAH SubhanA that risk to the people who went and the assistant they help. There are many, many lessons we learned from simple people of the mountains and simple and humble lifestyle Gemma and I really recommend and highly recommend for you to volunteer. You go out there

and see for yourself and you will go there with the intention to change their lives and I guarantee you Wallahi they will change yours. Hakuna Cody ha That was tough for a lot. I think money will come with a certain segment of stuff through in the Horn of Africa right.

Al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen wa sallahu wa sallam Baraka Nabina Muhammad wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa sallam, the Sleeman Kathira My bad. One of the last lessons I learned from the group that we went with complete perfect strangers, people we meet them for the first time, we talked about the team on the ground from different NGOs, like the Red Crescent, and other actually local organizations that operates there in Morocco. Subhanallah we've never met them before, was the first time and we spent just a few hours with them throughout the day. By the end of the day, you are like brothers like family, the kind of bond that gets established and those few hours Subhanallah because you are all

working for the same cause for the sake of Allah subhanho wa Taala an unbelievable experience of brotherhood will Allah is so proud for so beautiful, that I remember in the last day as we were when we were leaving the the governor in that area actually insist that we have to go and have a meal in one of the local restaurants. And we go there and the owner of the restaurants refuses to receive no money for the for the meal, and you have to eat there is demand we have to go no you have to eat there. And we sat there together all of us Subhanallah around the same table eating and talking and I was looking around and it was so mesmerized. Some people came from Germany, some people came from

the US so people came from Tunisia, they came from Spain, they give different places and we all sitting around there Subhan Allah for the same reason for the same cause and we just like brothers just whereas if we'd been together forever that is a reminder that Allah Subhana Allah says in the Quran in normal mode MeLuna eco believers but a brothers and sisters and that's the meaning of the Prophet Sessoms wars of Pharaoh three of you material no Tiana there's always will be higher in my ummah. There is higher in the teachings of Rasulullah sallallahu Sallam and the home of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam until the day of judgment. If there is anything we learn from this, even

when sometimes sometimes organized. Let's say governments maybe fail to operate in certain areas. But alhamdulillah the ethics of Muslims, if they work on their Islam and their Deen are enough to keep the community strong and always be strong. Allahumma Luna and fauna were found to be my alumna in Akintola lemon Hakeem Allah ma to the full Senate Aqua was actually antihero mazurka until you hum Allah but Allah and Allah Malika to saloon RNAV yatta yatta Dena mo Salah Allah He was a limitless Lima la masa li wa salim America and a beginner Muhammad wa ala alihi wa sahbihi Jemaine what are the Allahu manakala Ross you're gonna be working llamada was mana Molly Bansal Sahabas

Marine One time and be yourself