Sheikh Yaser Birjas talks about Supreme Love at The Believer’s Arsenal session at YC2K18.
Yaser Birjas – Supreme Love
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AI: Transcript ©
Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.
hunkeler Bella alameen wa sallahu wa barakaatuh Vina Muhammad wa ala alihi wa salatu salam, ala Sleeman. kathira. The mama but what is the first thing many young men and women or let's say, young boy, young girls, the moment they hit puberty? What is it that they try to look for? Because of an idea, I want to hear answers.
What they're looking for exactly when they become 1314. One particular desire one particular quality they're trying to acquire in that time, what is it a jamaa?
attention? I heard attention. Someone said love.
Yes, sir. Again, identity
shopping, they were here.
Well, one of the main I one of the main thing they're looking for really is looking for safety.
Certainly, now they're on their own. When they were 10, nine, eight, younger, a little bit older, their parents took care of everything for them. They think of their homework, they took care of the laundry, their food, the sustenance and everything. Even when they cry, their parents were there for them. They discipline them, they created structure for them, the moment they hit 1314. Now it's the time to start launching themselves independently. And in a world that had a lot of confusion, they don't know who to trust, then even their parents become now completely strangers for them. As a matter of fact, so many young men and women today look at their parents as being you know, obstacles
on the way of becoming who they want it to be. They're looking for safety. They don't want to see the path that is easy for them to follow.
One of the main aspects of safety people look for, which is one of the great human needs is love. Why is that? Because when someone loves you, you know that it will sacrifice everything for you. When you know that you love somebody, that means you feel safe for them, you can be whoever you are, and they won't judge you. Whatever happens in their life, they're looking for love. That's why at 1415, they start looking so having this first crush.
And now they want to fill that void.
And this is a human level, on a human level, there is okay, we almost fall into these things. Somehow, if you look at those who are married today, if I ask them, you know to raise their hands properly, maybe one or two people will raise their hands if I asked if you ever if you married your first love.
Why? Because our first love used to be maybe, you know, the the girl, the girl, the boy next door, maybe on the other classroom, on a Sunday school or Islamic school, wherever there is. probably remember that was the first love the first crush. But most people right now they're married, and they have kids and they love each other even though they were not the first love they ever had in their lives. What's the secret behind that? That means that love is a mystery, really, and worked in an amazing way. In a human level. If there is anything in this world that causes nonsense to make all sense. It's actually it's love. Because when we're in love, we willing to accept whatever even
if it doesn't make any sense.
Now when it comes to the Supreme love, that the love for Allah subhanho wa Taala and Allah love for us.
Many people again, when they hit 1514 1516 with the confusion in this world, they're still looking for love. What kind of love is this right now? The love that transcends above any human desire. You want to feel and know that allows loves you no matter what.
Allow me to worship him, but I'm falling short. Allow me to do this, but I'm not you know, feeling the courage to do it. Allah subhanho wa Taala wants this for me but why is keeping challenging with these things? I'm trying to worship and I have all these trials. I thought it was Ramadan. Why is the lust is testing me with all these things? Now we start wondering what kind of love is that? Even though Allah subhana wa Taala says in the Quran, about the believers you have bumo you have boonah he loves them and they love him. So if I love Allah azza wa jal Why am I getting that love from Allah subhana wa COVID under same equal way. I put my life my sacrifice there. What am I not getting
that what I'm asking from Allah subhanho wa Taala the answer to this actually is in details later come inshallah, but in short, just like in the human love, ask those who are other love those who love right now. They will tell you, Hey, there is no such thing as romance without finance.
What does that mean? You want to love me prove it shows
To me, basically there is an evidence for this there is a lot of work that needs to be done in order to gain that love. The same thing when it comes to the Supreme love from Allah subhanho wa Taala then you're going to have to prove it a lot. So that says in the Quran, in quantum to have been Allah to be only a book qumola will
say Allah subhanho wa Taala send to the Prophet Mohammed Salah la Sol and say to them yeah Mohammed couldn't come to heaven Allah, if you truly love Allah azza wa jal then for Toby Rooney, then prove it, follow me. follow the example of the Prophet sallallahu Sallam you have kumala Allah in return will love you and your loved one will forgive you. That means if you love Allah subhanho wa Taala then you're gonna have to prove it, you're gonna have to walk the talk. Supreme love of Allah azza wa jal is not going to be easy. You're gonna have to prove it. And I'm gonna share with you a shout out a few things in regard to the meaning of this absolute and ultimate love of Allah subhanho wa
Taala.
Now, what do people look for in having a loving relationship? Again, whether it's a human level, or otherwise, they're looking for a trusting relationship, because when you love somebody, that you trust them in everything. And that's what people need, when they love God looking for trust, they want to put their trust in Allah subhanho wa Taala. But then that trust is being challenged challenge with what would now what the what we see around us, because we thought that, you know, we love each other, you know, when people they go in a loving relationship and they start having some issues, and they complain about the all the thing that happened to be correct, that is happening,
that this appointment will get information that when we don't, you know, prove that love to be worthy of this and that and so on. What do people say? So I thought you love me.
Okay, but doesn't mean that you cannot, you know, you cannot have some friction, you cannot have some challenges. And many, many people that think that love is going to produce your happiness instantly. Especially in our time when we live in the age of instant gratification when everybody wants to feel happy now, right now, people that get married that the next thing that you see that they're actually Filing for Divorce Law mastan. I've seen a lot of cases where people they get married, and few weeks later, not even months. Few weeks later, they're back filing for divorce. I'm like, What happened? We stopped loving each other Really?
That's what happened to that love was dropped like this, you know, on the way Why are we trying to enjoy life? So what does it mean exactly. And I keep telling people when it comes to happiness is not a goal that you achieve. Don't set happiness in your relationship as a goal, you will always be disappointed because happiness is nothing but a reward. a reward for achieving something that's contentment. So when it comes to the loving of the husband and wife people they asked me so whenever I know that, you know lived happily ever after I said that will be in Charlotte 3540 years later.
Like what do you mean by 3540 years later? That means 40 years later in the relationship. When you look back at all the ups and downs, you will realize you say Wow, what a journey.
We've gone through such a magnificent journey even now that the painful memories, they become joyful memories after four years. You look back and say remember, we fought over this issue, you know, because there was no enough salt or no spices, no enough spice in the food. And you have all these things. But in that moment in time was a big challenge. And now somehow it proved that this was actually improving the quality of the relationship.
One thing one people they don't understand very well is that the relationship between loving Allah azza wa jal, and one of the greatest aspects of our faith, which is very mysterious, that aspect of our fight that is very mysterious, is as mysterious as love itself. Do you guys can you guess what that is? in our face? That is the most mysterious thing in our faith. What is it?
Hmm?
The most mysterious things about you know believing in Islam and Allah azza wa jal, think of the six articles of faith what is which one of them is the most mysterious
Okada?
predestination elkader of Allah azza wa jal people see things they wonder why are these things happening? But I thought I've done good. why this happened for these innocent peoples of panela around us, I mean, the wars and the atrocities and so on. So you start having this now challenge in our minds in our hearts, how could you love Allah subhanho wa Taala that supreme love and ultimate love without having these doubts in your mind in your heart? How can you accept this accept the love of Allah Xhosa? No matter what it sounds like the love of your parents of hon Allah, you know, teenagers, they have a lot of issues with their parents. Why? Like I said, because now they want to
become independent. And then now they feeling insecure. They're looking for some safety and security here and there. And that challenge with all these venues. When it comes to parents love to their children. It's unconditional and parents No matter how much they try to express that to their children. The kids cannot comprehend this very well which shows which is
Okay. And that also applies to the cutter with a license origin as a as a as an environment as a family Council and youth council, they come to me talking about things and parents, they bring their children 1615 year old, 14 year old boys or girls. And one of the common themes that I always discuss with them and I bring it to the tissue the parents is the youth tells me, you know, when we talk, what's the problem, they say, I don't think my parents love me anymore.
They say I don't think they love me anymore. And when you tell that to the parents, you know, your child has said that you guys you know, you don't love them anymore. Of course, you've taken permission from the child to discuss that with the parents. But then the parents will be shocked and surprised that really souhan Allah, all what we've done for them and all what we are doing for them. So we tried to bring our hard work as the evidence for love. Our kids are not buying this.
Why? Because they still don't get the point that love does not have to always be cozy and romantic. can be tough love.
That can be tough love, and with come to the pleasure of Allah azza wa jal, we've come to the corner of Allah subhanho wa Taala part of the Supreme love, we don't get it until we live it and later on we figured it out. I want to explain to you the relationship between that supreme love of Allah azza wa jal in understanding al Qaeda of Allah subhanho wa Taala hopefully will give us better understanding to accept and love Allah azza wa jal, no matter what, no matter what I just a simple example of an Kareem Rahim Allah tala talked about so many examples, that how No matter how much you know, parents and children, they have issues with each other kids, they still come back to their
parents. And it brings this as an example when Eliza gel tests people and they run away from Allah azza wa jal Why would they run back to Allah zosen fulfill rule Illallah run away back to Allah. You only say for Pharaoh and the other bit like we say men or ILA, say, you run away, you run away. But he says for federal ILA run back to so if you would like to run away from Allah subhanho wa Taala, run back to him subhana wa Tada. And he give the example of a mother, who she was actually chasing her young child away from Dallas, because maybe the child upsets her for some reason. And he says he was walking in the middle in the main street, or the alley, basically in that small town or village,
whatever. And then that child dash out of the door, running away and his mom is chasing, yelling at him and cursing at him, probably not even throwing shoes at him.
Then he said that was very interesting sight. The mother she currents into the house and she closed the door like she lived in that shot the child out in the street. Now the alum he had that actually curiosity to see how this is going to unfold. So it kept while waiting and watching and looking at the kid. And the kid was walking and crying and walking around and feeling agitated and just sitting down somewhere away from home, and just you know, keep looking at the people and then after some time, that child he realized there is no escape but to come back home.
So he came back home, the door was closed. He didn't dare to knock on the door. He felt so scared. Maybe he felt so guilty. Like many people have us when we do something like this with the last soldier we feel guilty to knock on his door. So what he did, he just kind of like went and he slept on the on the stairs in front of the house of this his house. And as he was waiting, probably maybe crying he cried himself out all the way until he fell asleep. later on. The mother. Obviously when she cooled down, she felt guilty as well.
And she went straight to the door to open to look for her son. The moment she opened the door, what did she find her son
slipping down there. And she looked at him. Suddenly, all that anger just disappeared.
And she melted. She melted completely with love and compassion. And she bent down grab that baby and she just hugged them and she squeezed him probably been crying. Maybe she was saying just don't do this to me again.
But she was doing this out of love. What Allah subhanho wa Taala Allah, Allah tala belongs the best example. Not that we make in any resemblance between Allah Subhana Allah and His creation. But can you imagine even that tough love we still return back to Allah subhana wa that Allah will take us back. No matter what. Allah will still will take us back as long as we return back to him subhanho wa Taala people they wonder why would Allah love the people and then test them? Well, sometimes you don't have to be tested in order for you to upgrade your level. Upgrade your level of love so that 40 years later realize that hamdulillah Mashallah, you're doing great. So Pamela, one of the best
examples, another greatest example to show that the relationship between the color of Allah subhanho wa Taala and love of Allah azza wa jal was mentioned in Surah ensuited alkaff. So, rotocast
has one of the most mysterious stories that many people in Memphis City they try to explain and other people still cannot comprehend that very well. Do you know what story I'm talking about?
What story we're talking about.
So the, the story about hidden. Musa alayhis, salam, and elkader when musasa was in front of Venezuela in one day and he was the man Allah subhana wa tada spoke to directly and he asked, he was asked in front of the crowd, yeah, Musa, who is more more who has more knowledge than you is it anyone on Earth has more knowledge than you? Moosa? He thought that because he has direct connection with Alaska, nobody will be more knowledgeable than him. He goes, No, I don't think so. And a lot of masa Who told you that?
You go to such and such place, you will find someone there, and you go with him and learn from him.
Moose undertook a journey with his disciples, his disciple was student, you shall be known Joshua. And on the way there, they met a hurdle. And that was an exciting story. But the point of the story is that when Musa alayhis salam told her, I would love to learn what Allah has taught you.
Well, herder told him, You can't handle it.
Musa nanodiamond He says, I'm telling you, you are not going to be able to handle what I know.
Sometimes it's better for us not to know something Why? Because if we know it will be disasters. So part of the love of Allah azza wa jal concealing reasons from us why because we can't handle it.
And what to take what appears to be tough on you, it's actually as good for you. As the law says, WA Santa crochet and word Allah v hiren. cathedra. You might dislike something and Allah subhana wa Taala will put so much higher for you in there.
So Moosa insisted, and he said, Oh, no, no, no. I'll go with you and you'll find me to be patient with you. He says, I'm telling you from now, you're not gonna be patient with me. However, whatever I do, don't ask me. Don't ask me why. Like, you're not gonna understand the reason so just keep going with me and keep quiet. So Moosa, he gave him his words, so You have my word, I'm not gonna say anything.
Now we'll call her as he walked in with that special knowledge that Allah has given her that Moosa didn't have something that is very unique. They went into the bank of the river and there as they were about to cross the river, they found some to give him a ride for free so they found the villagers some villages fishermen, fishermen, they had a boat and this only the boat that they have for themselves. They asked him if they could give them a ride, you know, to the other side, said, Sure, come on and happen. So the three of them hopped in other masana disciple, they got into that boat, obviously for free, right? What I give hamdulillah on the way, a bird came virgin on the on
the tip of that boat and start taking some water from the river. I'll further points to Moosa. Did you see what the bird took from the river? He goes, Yeah, he goes, how much is that from the river? It was nothing. Like what count how much water is taken out of the river in his beak. He goes nothing. He says my Elmo, Elmo cafe La, la, la, la cama.
de la, miss my knowledge and your knowledge both combined, just like this much the bird has taken from the river, come to Allah subhanho wa Taala his knowledge, like all what I'm going to show you, it's still insignificant, nothing compared to what Allah knows about everything. subhana wa tada the deep know the profound divine knowledge of Allah that transcends beyond our understanding of things. Then the story continues, as the river as the boat was was going on on the surface of the water, also that he looks around the people not watching what did he do? He grabbed a piece from that word, and he broke it. He created a hole into the into that boat that is supposed to be taken him to say
to the other side, for these people who did in my favor, to take them for free. Now Moosa, he saw that he was like, What do you do?
What do you think you're doing? You're doing this after they just for free? Also, the reminder moves right away. He goes, I told you.
I told you can be patient with me. So mostly he remembers he goes, Oh, my mistake. I'm sorry. You know what? You have my word. That's it. I'm not gonna say anything, sir. Okay. Let's keep going. Now for musawah that was evil. Wow. People giving you something for free and you just do this to them. That's the reward. But then, they kept going on. And then suddenly they so group of kids probably met a boy and photographed that boy and innocent boy, and he killed him.
Now, even if Moosa was aware that he's not supposed to say anything, that was a crime.
and foremost is just like, what did you say do? This is no crime. Like that smoker, you killed an innocent child for no reason. And that's when he looked at mazagon. He says, didn't I tell you that you're not going to handle it?
Now regardless how much you think of this, and that's where many people in the story they have so much trouble trying to cool the
reconcile with that story like the parents, they didn't even know who killed their child. They didn't even know why the child was killed. They have no clue that this child was just part of a test that Allah subhanaw taala has a plan for, they don't even know that. All what they know is that they lost a child and error still live their lives in agony is painful, you know, experience and memories. So Moosa was very disturbed by that side. And the hollow told him listen, I told you, you cannot handle the knowledge that I have. But then Moses said, that's it. You got my word. If you do it again. That's it, you set yourself free from me. And then they went on together, they visited a
village, they asked for hospitality. They couldn't give them anything. And they said, No, we're not going to give you anything. So I moved out, and the restaurant next to a wall that was about to fall. So that was mostly let's fix this wall. And Moosa, obviously, he's just like, like, in his mind, really,
for these people, why they didn't give us anything, and we fix the wall for them. But still, reluctantly, and quietly, Mussa work without further fixing that wall.
When they were over, when they were done, it seems that most alehissalaam couldn't handle it. So he told us, he said, If I were you, I would ask for something in return.
I'll huddle toward more. So that's it.
Now I'll tell you what happened. And he gave him the answer to these three incidents, which signifies the kind of color that we all live in our life, that shows us that supreme love doesn't necessarily mean always good times. But even if I don't understand it for your own good, that means that what you see to be as an evil thing that is happening in your life, it's only a relative issue. There is no such thing as an absolute evil, no such thing because even what you considered evil could have some goodness in it for your own good. And here's what masala Hassan explained, I will have to accept that masala Salam has asked for these fishermen. And they're both You know, there was
a king, the tyrant, that tyrant was actually was going was going all the way to on the other side, and he will be taking that boat from them. So I wanted to make a hole on that boat so that when the king sees that he wouldn't take it, leaving it for them so they can survive.
And now suddenly, what Moses saw to be evil that was good for these fishermen, when the fishermen so the whole party, they were very upset. But then when the boat when the boat passed by, and it wasn't taken from they would say, hold hamdulillah thank Allah for this man who broke that boat for us. How many times you miss something you were dying to attend? And you say like a candlelight dinner and go.
Why? Because I don't know what happened. But I just didn't go and I'm lucky I didn't. How many times you were eager to attend something and then somebody tells you you don't have to go It was waste of our time. You said hamdulillah Lisa had something beneficial for myself. So you realize that some of the other that happens, which might might be negative in your mind. But still you will see the reason for it later, you will recognize the meaning of it later. The second form of elkader some other happens to you that you will never understand why? Like these parents who lost their child,
they probably will never understand Bahadur Moosa, if this child will grow up will be evil, and he will drive his parents crazy. So I wanted to last a last part, I wanted to replace him with a better chance to send them another child. So that's why I took the life of this child,
obviously for us is just like but who gave him the authority? Well, that's the thing that has a supreme knowledge that was given to him from Allah subhanho wa Taala enabled him to make that choice.
But again, we have no choice over these issues. That's the test from Allah subhana wa Taala. What I need to do is submission and accept, that's coming from Allah azza wa jal, because part of the Supreme love is that you submit, and among the human beings when they love each other, so much, so sometimes, no matter how brutal That is, they will still submit because I love you. And I know that you're doing it for us, for good reason. And the third category is the example of the older they fixed. They fixed it.
They fixed it, and there was absolutely no benefit for musala salaam elkader. To fix that wall, and the child, the children that he told him that this wall had treasure underneath, and if it fell, will be buried forever. And it belonged to some orphan kids, when they grow up. Allah wants them subhana wa Taala to pick up that and get it out and live off of that. So he said I wanted to fix it for them. These kids will never know that these that I was working on. Some of the other happens around us we have no explanation for
but we know it's happening for a good reason. No matter what the supreme love of Allah subhanho wa Taala is for us to understand.
The love of Allah azza wa jal does not always mean that you will always have good times, sometimes hard times and difficult times as part of that love, the tough love, the tough love that you need in order for you to expand and it's also to grow Subhana Allah the story of that the tourists who was actually walking hiking in a forest and he so a butterfly that is struggling to come out of this cocoon. What did he do? He broke the shell, helping that, that basically fly that butterfly to grow to come out faster. When he did that, that butterfly was unable to fly around was crippled. Why so because some of the struggle that that butterfly was going through as it was breaking the shell. It
was helping her push all the fluid through these tiny veins to spread the wings so she can fly. Another man he came to help that butterfly What'd he do? He crippled
that fluid was never able to go through the winds to spread them out. So sometimes that struggle that we go through that Allah subhanaw taala through the test is for our own good. That's a supreme love, no matter what are still gonna return back to Allah azza wa jal and no matter what Allah subhana wa is testing us as means have experienced that and testing that love. May Allah subhanho wa Taala make your experience with Allah as a beautiful experience or Balaam in the last thing, I want to rephrase the word and mentioned again experience because love is indeed an experience Allah subhanho wa Taala says, selasa mankind Murphy was the beating the * out of him and three things.
If you have if you possess if you possess them, you will savor the sweetness of faith. Isn't that so ironic that faith has saved as taste? Has sweet so how is that? This is what it means to have that sense of peace and love of Allah azza wa jal no matter what just like when you go to Hajj, that's what they call super rational. You might not really understand why. But you can tell them you can feel it. Like when you go to Hajj people to come back from Hinduism, how was it? This was amazing. Tell me most I cannot say it by words you have to be there to deliver it yourself. Same thing when it comes to love, tell me how it is. I cannot tell you have to be loved to experience the same thing
when it comes to faith. Tell me how it looks like to be a believer that now it looks like the love of Allah azza wa jal, I cannot tell you, you have to experience it. And how I do that. You're going to have to make sure to understand that supreme love. It transcends any human understanding of things. There's deeper knowledge in the divine panel with Allah, that we need to go back to Allah azza wa jal, there is so much in the Quran. Allah speaks about love. He says it's upon Allah have mercy mean he loves those are mursaleen perfectly good deeds, those who follow the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam and those who are truthful, go ahead and go to the Quran. And look for
the third the title love and see who are these people Allah Subhana love experienced that and he will see what salaam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato