Yaser Birjas – Until They Change Their Own State
AI: Summary ©
The speaker discusses the fundamental principles and laws of Islam, including the importance of change and individual behavior. They emphasize the need for individual change and values and beliefs, discipline, and being a part of the whole community. The speaker believes in the deen of Allah and believes in bringing mercy to the world, and gives guidance on achieving the deen.
AI: Summary ©
One of
the fundamental principles and law that Allah SWT
established in this life, in this world is
change.
Change always happens.
One of those paradoxical statements and when we
say that change is the most constant thing
that you have in your life.
Allah SWT has shown us the example of
this in the alteration of the day and
the night.
In the alteration of the seasons, when it's
cold and hot and raining and sunny.
All of this is part of the change.
We see that change in ourselves.
We see it physically as we grow older
and we start becoming weaker after becoming stronger.
And an alternate between strength and weakness and
health and change is happening.
And it happens also in societies.
Happens also in societies, in communities, in families,
in personal life, everywhere.
But there is a rule for that.
Allah SWT made it very clear, especially when
it comes to the community rules.
Allah SWT mentions surah al-ra'd, qal inna
allaha laa yugayyuru maa biqawmin hatta yugayyuru maa
bi anfusihim.
That Allah SWT will not change the state
of a people until they themselves change their
own state.
What does that mean is that Allah SWT
put these rules for us.
The change is going to always happen.
You can direct that change in the positive
direction or it will take you somewhere else.
You be the master of that change.
You be intentional in that change.
Otherwise, change will overpower and will take over.
And if you're not in control of it,
it could be going in the wrong direction.
Brothers and sisters, change is happening around us,
whether we like it or not.
Change is going to happen in January, you
know that, right?
When the new department comes in, a new
president, and God knows what direction this is
going to be.
If we participate in the right direction, I
hope we're heading in the right direction as
well too.
Otherwise, if we did not do our part,
there is no one to blame but ourselves
if change becomes negative in our lives.
We're seeing change happening in the Muslim world.
Some of it is positive, some of it
is negative.
Seeing change in different countries.
Look what happens in Bilad al-Haramayn, what's
happening in the Middle East, what's happening in
Syria today, everywhere.
And I believe that at some point, inshallah,
the change will come back again to the
people of Gaza and people of Palestine in
the right direction, bi'nillahi tubarak wa ta
'ala.
Allahumma ameen.
Brothers and sisters, change is happening, whether we
like it or not.
That's one of the sunnah of Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala.
And Allah azza wa jal, we know that
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is adl.
He is justice.
Which means that change will always be just
and fair.
It's always going to be that way.
Even if you don't see it the way
we want it to be, Allah has wisdom.
If you understand that Allah subhanahu wa ta
'ala is al-alim, al-hakim, he's the
all-wise, all-knowledgeable.
He's capable of doing all things, subhanahu wa
ta'ala.
You know that he is wise.
And as a result, of course, we understand
whatever happens, it's fair and just.
And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, inna
allaha la yadlamu an-nasa shay'an, walakin
an-nasa anfusum yadlimoon.
Allah is not going to wrong anybody.
Not even the least.
But people wrong themselves in the way they
live their lives and the way they behave.
Brothers and sisters, to prepare for that change,
we have to understand also it starts from
within.
As Allah says, yughayyiru ma bi anfusihim.
Collectively, we need to change as a community.
But that collective change starts with individuals.
Starts with you and I, with people like
yourself, you and I.
That's how it all starts.
Look at the time of the Prophet ﷺ,
how the society was moving in one direction.
Worshipping idols and killing each other and no
morality and no code of conduct, none of
that stuff.
And then one man came.
One man came with a powerful message from
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
That first person who changed himself based on
that message, he started replicating that with people
around him.
Starting with Khadijah radiyallahu ta'ala anha, Abu
Bakr as-Siddiq, Ali ibn Abi Talib, and
then Uthman, and then Abdullah ibn Mas'ud,
Abdur Rahman ibn Awf, and slowly and gradually
expanding it, one individual at a time.
Those individuals at some point, they became that
first cell of that community, the virtuous community.
And then they moved to Medina.
And we know what happens after that.
Today, 1400 years later, we are the result
of this change.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, Allah azza wa
jalla made that possible.
And we can make it possible as well
too.
Regardless how weak we see ourselves, how weak
the ummah is today, we can still develop
that change.
But it has to start from one individual
at a time.
And if you don't believe it individually, if
you don't believe that I am capable of
changing, and I'm capable of bringing that change
in my community, then nothing is going to
happen.
You have to believe it first.
And if you believe Allah subhanahu wa ta
'ala's words in that matter, then you believe
that I can make that change, I can
be the champion of that change.
We do this, first of all, of course,
we have to change, the important thing that
has to change the ummah is what we
believe in.
What does that mean?
The intellectual aspect of it.
The cognitive, you know, aspect of that belief
system as well too.
Like, if you always believe that I'm only
one person, I can never do anything, I
can not bring any difference in the community,
I mean, how can we make that?
If you always beat yourself down and speak
to yourself about your weaknesses and your faults
and your errors and your flaws, then of
course you're not going to make any positive
change.
But if you always think about yourself, that
I'm a believer, I'm a mu'min, I have
a message, I live a purposeful life, Allah
put me here for a reason, you always
talk about this to yourself, then you're going
to always look for these opportunities to fulfill
that mission.
And if you believe that your mission here
is to propagate the deen of Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala, bring justice to the world,
and being as the Prophet was, rahmat al
alameen, bring mercy to the world, then you
will make it happen.
You will take every single step that will
bring you to that path and will put
you on that path to bring mercy to
the world.
But you have to believe in it first.
You have to change here first, what you
believe in, and then hopefully that changes what
you have in your heart.
When you believe in something and it becomes
a conviction in the heart, then it will
show in your behavior and will come into
results.
One individual at a time.
Brothers and sisters, our deen is full of
that, but remember, if you don't take that
change in the positive direction in your hands,
change will force itself on you, in the
other direction probably.
And subhanallah, our deen is full of these
principles for us, like discipline is required in
order for this change to happen.
For me, for me to start changing my
life at home, at work, in my school,
in the streets, with my neighbors, with my
family, it requires a lot of discipline.
And our deen taught us that in almost
every aspect of our ibadah.
Look at us sitting over here in the
majlis jamaat, next to each other.
Discipline.
When you stand up for salah, everybody becomes
responsible to stand in a straight line.
Imagine if everybody wants to do it their
way.
How will salah look like to us in
jamaat?
But we all understand that I'm responsible for
the whole line.
I'm responsible for the whole jamaat.
I'm responsible for the whole masjid, for the
whole community.
If you believe in that, then you will
eventually bring that positive change.
But one person at a time, collectively can
make a big change in the society, in
the community.
Brothers and sisters, our society, our community is
nothing but a reflection of who we are
as individuals.
Who we are as individuals.
If you look at one community and you
see them, you know, completely disinterested in making
any effort, besides just coming to the masjid,
pray, and leave.
If that's your understanding of a community, you're
probably going to not make much change really.
But if you believe that you're part of
a community because I'm a part of a
mission, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala brought me
here for a reason.
I would love to be part of this.
I want to bring khair to the world.
I need to be the positive change.
I see the world changing around me and
I want to make sure that I am
against any negative change.
And I'll be always in the positive direction
inshallah wa ta'ala.
And that's what we would like to see
from our brothers and sisters inshallah wa ta
'ala, you know, coming up.
God knows what's going to happen again in
the future.
We know that when change comes, you need
to be prepared for it.
How are we prepared for this change?
On an individual level, I hope that we
have a good relationship with Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala.
You have a good relationship with Allah azza
wa jal.
You begin by, first of all, doing tawbah,
reflect, see yourself.
You know what?
Don't go too long.
From the past Ramadan.
How did you do since past Ramadan until
today?
Ramadan is coming in less than three months
inshallah wa ta'ala.
May Allah give us the ability to live
until Ramadan, ya rabbal alameen.
And go through it and grow through it,
ya rabbal alameen.
So it's coming very soon.
But since last Ramadan, how did I do?
Maybe I need to start right now, reflect
on this.
I have less than 90 days until Ramadan
begins.
Let me start the journey to make the
upcoming Ramadan better than the one that was
before.
Start the change tonight.
Today.
Before you leave this masjid, make commitment that
you seek your tawbah first of all, meaning
you need to clean your heart.
And then you start making sure that inshallah
from that moment onward, I do that which
is best.
And that requires to me what?
To have more knowledge.
To have good companionship.
Make sure I have some people to help
me with that.
And I need this.
Where would you find that?
Unless you come to the masjid more frequently.
Meet with new people.
Attend more programs, activities.
And teach your family and bring your family
to be a part of this hamdulillah movement.
You can't just do it on your own
and leave your family behind.
Again, we're an ummah of a purpose, a
jama'ah.
And without that, we can never bring that
change to the world.
We see things happening around us and if
we don't participate to bring positive change in
that society, we'll end up unfortunately contributing to
the negative side.
I say this and ask Allah's forgiveness for
you and for the rest of the Muslims,
and ask His forgiveness.
Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet
Muhammad and upon his family and companions.
Many peace and blessings.
Then after.
My dear brothers and sisters, we know again
that change is part of this life.
And as Muslims, we believe that what comes
to success is never accidental.
Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, taught us everything
to do it with ihsan.
You need to do everything with ihsan.
Indeed, Allah has written ihsan in the Qur
'an.
As the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, says,
Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, has written ihsan,
which means excellence in everything that we do.
So I want you to think about what
you do, jama'at, whether you're going to
be seeking knowledge or doing tawbah or praying
or having a relationship with your spouse, your
families, or even going out there to propagate
the da'wah of Allah, subhanahu wa ta
'ala.
Think of ihsan.
You don't take shortcuts when it comes to
fulfilling your obligations to Allah, subhanahu wa ta
'ala, and to the people around you.
Think of ihsan.
Ihsan is the key to success in this
world and in the hereafter.