Dealing With Anxiety in Light of The Sirah

hamdu Lillahi wa wa Salatu was Salam ala Mala Nebia badda.

It gives me great pleasure. And I'm truly honored and humbled to be speaking to you all here in this beautiful city of Doha, in the magnificent land of Qatar. And it has been many, many years since I have last been here and addressed all of you. And today's topic is one that is near and dear to me. And it is a topic that deals with one of the most amazing sources of our religion. It is the CRO of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Some of you may know that I have done the Sierra in the linear chronological manner in 105 lessons online, you'll find them on YouTube. And then Hamdulillah. I'm very, very humbled at that contribution. But the Sierra is a never ending source of

knowledge. And I am now going over the syrup all over again, but from a different angle, a different lens, and that is going through the syrup, looking at the syrup from different motifs, different angles. So for example, today is one example of the project I'm doing looking at the syrup in light of stress and anxiety, how can we solve the problems of our daily life, the anxieties, the stress, the nervousness we feel through the light of the Sierra, another example would be leadership to the Sierra management skills through the syrup. So we're looking at the Sierra, I'm looking at the Sierra through the different motifs of aspects that affect our daily life. Now, today's topic is

extremely relevant to every single one amongst us. And insha. Allah, Allah Allah, I'm going to jump straight in because time is extremely limited, I have her on an hour or so to talk. Actually, I've taught this seminar quite literally in a day long seminar. So this is going to be a condensed version of something I do much longer than this. And because time is limited, we're going to jump straight in. And I'm going to tell you, there are five primary points that I'm going to be mentioning about this topic five points. So if you're able to memorize them, or quickly take notes, inshallah Allah it will be of benefit. The first point, the first point,

anxiety, stress, grief, pain, suffering, this is a fact of life for the profits, and everybody beneath the profits, no one is safe from anxiety and stress. In fact, our Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, A should do nasib, Tina and MBR from an unfaithful MPhil, the strongest people who are going to be tested, the strongest tests given the most difficult tests are going to be to the prophets, and then those that follow them, and then those that follow them. So we believe as Muslims, that if you are righteous and pious, if you are good, and insha, Allah, Allah wants good for you. You're going to live a life that has stress in it. This is in contrast to some versions of

other faith traditions. You know, I'm from Texas, I'm born and raised and live in Texas, their version of Christianity, which is not mainstream, but their version of Christianity, their version of Christianity actually has something that they call the the good news gospel, that if you are a righteous person, then you're going to live a comfortable life, a wealthy life, if you don't have wealth, and you don't have trials and tribulations, according to them. Sorry, if you don't have wealth, and you don't have luxury, you are not beloved to God. And of course, there's a reference to this in the Quran as well. Well, according to the WHO THE ONE the surah

Allah who are Heba who will you follow him are you

we don't believe that if you are righteous, you shall be given this world. This is not the world that is the abode of the righteous. On the contrary, if you are truly righteous, if Allah wants good for you, if Allah wants to raise your ranks, well, that's going to be demonstrated by passing one trial after another. And in fact, the more tests and trials come down, potentially, the more beloved, you are potentially we're going to come back to this point, potentially, the more beloved you are to Allah subhanho wa taala. In fact, the notion of pain and suffering the reality of what we call evil in the world today, this is a very, very deep topic, and I don't have time in this seminar

to go into it. But you should all be aware that the reconciling of evil of pain of anxiety with the existence of a loving merciful God, it is a classical problem of philosophy. It goes back to the pre Socratic philosophers, every philosopher, every theologian of every religion has attempted to reconcile, if God is so loving, if God is so merciful, if God is so powerful, well then you

Why am I in pain? Why did my cousin's child die of cancer? Why did that tsunami wave come and kill those innocent people? And of course, this is if you know your philosophy. This is the branch known as theodicy. An entire branch of philosophy deals with this one topic of anxiety and stress versus a loving God how and why would a loving God inflict pain and anxiety amongst the people some of whom from ours are very innocent Why would God do this again, much can be said time is very limited, but we must as point number one before we move on to point number two, we must contextualize Why are the prophets tested when they are the chosen of God? Why are those right after them tested the most? A

shadow Nassif MBR. In Allah Tala either a humpback almani Batala, who had eaten Behati when Allah loves a calmer person or a group of people, he shall test to them when Allah loves you, you shall be tested. But why? If Allah is Allah, Felicia and Kadir which indeed he is, and Allah is Rahman and Rahim which indeed he is, he is under hamara him in He is the Most Merciful of all who show mercy. So if Allah is the most merciful, and Allah is the most powerful, then why pain? Why suffering? Why is there so much anxiety and grief? We have to answer this question before we move on to point number two. And of course, this is a topic that no exaggeration, you could do a PhD in the topic of

the Odyssey. People have done PhDs in this, but could also tell or a summary of this understanding a summary of this reality is that the question of trying to understand pain and suffering of evil the question of trying to understand why is there so much evil? This question, listen to this carefully, was verbalized even before evil actually existed, even before we were created. The question was asked, this is a question that troubled the minds of a species better than us, more noble than us, holier than us, more pious than us. When Allah announced to the angels this is in the Quran, the first story, the very first story, when Allah announced to the angels in Niger, I don't fill out the

Khalifa, I'm going to create this new creation. These are the characteristics of this creation. This is what's going to happen to this creation. What did the angels ask? The angels didn't ask, Oh Allah, how fast will this creation run? shall they fly? How big are they? They don't care about these things. What did the angels ask? They asked this exact question that we're dealing with right now in this lecture. Why would you do this? Oh, Allah.

Allah attention, man, you've seen up here where your speaker Dima, you're going to create a creation there's going to be evil pain, warfare, bloodshed. And here we are pure and holy. We don't have civil war up in the heavens. There is no blood being shed in the heavens. There is no pain in the heavens, there is no suffering up here. Why would you create this creation and there's going to be evil in it all to attach a man you've stood up here we are speak with Dima when I know you Serbia who behind DECA want to cut this ruler. Here we are pure holy new Sabir no cut this. Allah subhana wa Taala replied to them. And he said, What did Allah say?

Louder?

In the eye lemmo Ma, turn them on.

I know what you do not know. Now, the response of the Divine to the angels. This is really powerful for us as believers, Allah subhanho wa Taala did not answer them in a manner that we would call philosophical. He didn't deconstruct the question. He didn't legitimize why there's pain, why there's evil, why they're suffering. On the contrary, he responded in a way that we would call faith based.

You're gonna have to trust me on this one.

You're gonna have to trust me, you won't understand. It's beyond your paygrade. To understand this, you will never fully rationalize. And this is where we as Muslims begin the answer. By the way, there are some answers. The answer is not only Allah who are them, but we begin the answer by saying Allahu Alem we begin the answer by saying, we must first and foremost approach this question with humility. We must approach this question understanding what Allahu

Allah knows and you do not know we approach this question with the humility

of the believer. Now you

were home use alone. No one has the right to ask Allah why he did something. We, on the contrary shall be asked by Allah. Why did you do something? No one has the right to judge Allah. No one has the right to question what Allah does. And Allah will question us, why did you do what you did? So we begin this question, why is there pain? Why is there anxiety? Why is there suffering with first and foremost saying, we have to come humbly as believers and acknowledge that Allah might do that which we don't understand. And Allah's wisdom is far more infinite than ours, the hood hikma toolbar, he has the infinite wisdom and knowledge. And we do not have that knowledge. Does this

mean? Does this mean? That there's absolutely no wisdom for pain and suffering? Does this mean that the Quran has no guidance for us? Why are we anxious? Why are we living sometimes with difficulty? No. The Quran is full of reasons the Sunnah, the Sierra is full of reasons. But we begin those answers by first and foremost humbling ourselves. And I say this because again, this is a bit of a side point here one of my infamous tangents if you know my lectures, but a bit of a side point here, but I'm coming from America, right? In the Western world, I hope Inshallah, it's not happening over here in the Western world,

the denial of God has now become common. Atheism, agnosticism, is now the fastest growing religion in all of the West. 30% of millennials say they don't believe in organized religion and God this is an America 30% A third with with Lucas here 1/3 of the next generation saying we don't believe in God. In America, it's 30 in Norway, 75% of the next generation, never in human history. Has this phenomenon of rejecting God been so common, so prevalent in any land much less, you know, in some lands more than half two thirds of the people. Why? Why are they rejecting God? Many, many reasons, but of the top three, and this is well known read any book read, you know, the books of Richard

Dawkins, you know, Sam Harris and or Christopher Hitchens. You know, Bill Maher, listen to him of the top three reasons that you ask anybody? Why don't you believe in God? Oh, why would a God allow pain and suffering? Why would this God allow this evil, this anxiety distress, according to them in their version? According to them, if there is a God, there should be no evil, because there's evil, they say there's no God. Of course, by the way, this is extremely shallow. Why? Because again, this is a bit of a tangent, but it is necessary to say this because this is a global phenomenon. And we as Muslims have to counter it intellectually, because not understanding the wisdom of Allah's

actions, is independent of proving Allah's existence. Allah's existence is an independent, completely separate field of understanding his actions. The two are not causally linked. The max they should say if they were true to their principles of philosophy is we don't understand why God would do this, but to link God's actions with his existence. God's existence is self evident. You know, Descartes famously remarked, Kognito ergo sum, I think, therefore I am, right. This is what made Descartes famous, his level of skepticism reached so much that he even doubted his own existence. So when he discovered his existence, he became globally famous. And apparently Western

philosophy was launched because he figured out he existed. We don't believe in Cartesian philosophy, de cartes philosophy for us, it's not Kognito Ergo zoom. For us. It is, I think, therefore, he is the fact that I think, is enough of a proof that Allah exists. The fact that I exist, and I have the capacity to think, is enough of a proof that ALLAH SubhanA wa Taala exists, we don't need any other proof for the existence of Allah other than our own existence. Where did we all come from? For her stubbornness? That hasn't been asked When Joker Sudha did man think that we'll be left without any commandments? How did Allah create us? I'm holding a woman Heidi che in a moment. Where did we come

from? So the purpose of getting to this point is, of course, they are flawed in their rejection of God because of this. And also, they are arrogant, wise, and how so? By rejecting God because there's pain and suffering

It is as if they are saying, we deserve ultimate peace and ultimate luxury and ultimate comfort by virtue of our existence, oh God, because you created us, You must give us everything we desire.

And I say and I've said multiple times, a rejection of God is not based upon philosophical objections. It is based upon arrogance and to Kabul. That is where a rejection of God comes from.

Now we say to such people,

this world that you desire, that is free of stress and anxiety, this world that you desire that has no pain, no evil, no suffering, we to desire it. In fact, we go more than you, we actually believe it exists. In fact, we aim to enter that world.

The only difference is we believe that world shall be gifted by Allah, when we show him we want it. You, on the other hand, demand it Haftar having done nothing, and when you don't get it, you throw the biggest intellectual tantrum imaginable. And you say, because this world is not here. I don't want to believe in God. And this is essentially satanic. Right? Because what did he bliss do? What was bliss? His comfort, the comfort of a bliss was Takbir call the other high ramen hudec Tell him and nod and Dr. Holman clean IBLEES wanted things in a certain way. When that didn't happen. It believes that I'm not going to worship you Oh, God. And by the way, no doubt a bliss is very foolish

and arrogant. But the arrogance of those who reject God is worse than that, if he believes because it believes did not reject the existence of God. IBLEES rejected the worship of God, which is bad, but it's not as bad as those who reject God. The point being, we also want a world that is stress free, but here's the point. Where is that world?

It's the next world. And it is called the stress free world. It is literally called the world of no pain, no stress, no anxiety. Allah calls it in the Quran will law who your true ILA is Salaam. Allah calls you to the abode of peace. What is Darussalam Doris Salam is the abode where there is no pain, there is no suffering, there is no anguish, there is no anxiety. It exists, but it shall be given to those who desire it, those who strive for it, those who put in the effort and show their Creator they wanted. So when they put in the effort, then Allah subhana wa Taala will bless them and give them that abode of anxiety. So therefore, why is there anxiety in this world? Why is there stress in

this world, multiple things, we'll quickly go over some of them before move to point two. Although this is still point one, don't worry, I know where I'm going, Inshallah, we're still on time. And we're gonna go over all five points, of the wisdoms of why there is anguish and pain and suffering is because Allah subhana wa Taala wants to test those amongst us who truly want the abode of no pain and suffering versus those who don't care about it. Allah says in the Quran, Allah the hierarchal moto will

come at you.

He created a death and life to test you. If tila. This world is doubtful if Tila doubt on empty bow, doubt will empty hand and the next is doubt will hisab this world is the abode of test. If we understand this concept, then all of a sudden, we begin to contextualize Why is there difficulty in this world.

Brothers and sisters

understand, no human being on Earth lives a stress free life.

You need to understand this point. You know, sometimes people see on Instagram a distant friend or have and they think, Oh, what an amazing life they're living. It's all fake. Facebook is fake. Instagram is fake. No one is living a stress free life. Every human being without exception is battling inner and outer demons. Every human being has issues and SubhanAllah. The very same issue for some people having it bring stress for others not having it bring stress, such as the way of life. We are never ever eternally happy in this world. For some people, their wealth is a source of stress, the stock market going up and down their investments. They have plenty, but it's causing so

much stress for them. For others not having wealth is a source of stress. For some people, children and the stress that comes with children is their major

source of stress and for others being childless is a source of stress for some people, their relationships, their marriages causes issues for others being single is a source of stress, this is the reality of life. And in fact, another interesting point

marks this in his book adapt, what if no claim says and before he had been Tamia has similar statement, if no cut him says, There is not a single object of this world that gives you happiness and comfort, except that it shall also cause pain and suffering proportional to the amount of comfort you get from it. Think about this, there is not a single object of this world that brings you happiness, except that it shall also cause you grief and pain and anguish. Is this not true? There is only one thing that is nothing but good. And that is your relationship with Allah subhana wa Tada your iman in a law, you are a bada, your attachment to Allah, your spirituality, that is the

one thing that is 100% Positive shall not have any negatives. So we have to understand pain and suffering is a part and parcel of our existence. And the wisdom of it being here is very clear. Lee Amis hola hola be him and I'll tell you, I'm happy to and to

be louder. I was sobbing in. I said one inside one youth rocker Sudha. And if Lam Meem, a Hasselblad nurse who are new to Roku and your Amanda hula, you've turned on, multiple verses are telling us? Do you really think you're not going to be tested? Do you think this life is going to be a piece of cake. We tested the people before you, we're going to test you as well. And the purpose of the test is to see who amongst us does the best deeds who amongst us passes one test after another. And that's why going through tests with full conviction, going through tests with faith is of the highest ways to enter the highest levels of paradise. passing these tests is the way we attain a

stress free life in the hereafter. We have to understand this point. The purpose or one of the purposes of these tests, is so that Allah azza wa jal can see amongst us who truly has faith, who truly has to work cool, who truly puts trust in Allah has patience for the sake of Allah and who doesn't. And in proportionality to our tests shall be our places in heaven, where they call Linda Raja to mimma amidu Depending on your iman, shall be your dollar jet in heaven. Heaven is not one level. Heaven is not one MACOM one degree, Heaven has more degrees than we can imagine. And who shall get the highest levels? Who shall get the very highest of the high? Allah tells us in the

Quran, Allah tells us in the Quran, that when the people entered the highest levels, there is a level of gender called the whole of the VIP suites, right? It's in the Quran. There's Hora VIP suites. Allah tells us in the Quran, when the people enter those VIP suites, they will be told why they entered it. Well, Mala Iike to yet Hold on. Are they him in Cooley BB Salam Alikum BMO Sadara, Tom, funnier America, the angels will say peace be unto you.

Because you were patient. So in responding to trials, and in being patient, one trial after another, we earn our reward with Allah subhanho wa taala. Now, does this mean? Does this mean that we should ask for more trials? Does this mean that we should want to be tested even more? Here's a really interesting point. It's a little bit a little bit you know, you have to pay attention. So I asked you to to pay attention to the next few minutes especially, or else you will be confused. While it is true, that the more tests that come and the more we pass those tests, the higher we rise, we actually as Muslims, ask Allah to not test us. Why? Because we're worried we might fail the tests.

We are worried we might fail the tests. So we ask Allah to avert any difficulty from us. We ask Allah as the Prophet was advised his uncle Abbas, Salah Hill, Afia Allahumma, Indiana's fear for dealing with dunya of Allah We ask that you don't test us in this world or in our religion. We ask Allah for no tests. So then, what do we do when a test comes when a

The test comes, we need to understand that Allah has chosen us, and given us the opportunity that other people are not being given. The hadith and Buhari or prophecy said, latter terminal.

Don't desire to meet the enemy. Don't desire to be put in a test. But if you find yourself on the battlefield, then be firm, and be patient and fight the way Allah wants you to. Don't desire to be put in that situation. But if you find yourself there, well then stand up and do what Allah wants you to do. That's our attitude. It's literally this attitude. If Allah has chosen to send a test upon us, that other people are not tested with, if we have calamity, and will sleep and anxiety or stress that is far above what anybody else has, well then realize, Allah has given you the opportunity to rise up far above anybody else. And this leads me again to another point again, we're

still at point number one here, don't worry guys still falling and track your time. Still in point number one.

This notion that if I'm being tested, God doesn't love me. Allah is angry with me if I'm being tested.

This notion, we need to remove it from our minds.

We need to get rid of it. It is not a part of our Islamic theology, to think bad thoughts of our Creator. We have good thoughts of Allah who snuck one in Allah subhana wa taala. You know, in the beginning of the dishonor Muhammad in the beginning of the syrup, our Prophet sallallahu wasallam had similar thoughts, perhaps Allah is angry with me. And Allah revealed, ma dakara Bukola malerkotla One, two highroller caminar Allah, your Lord has neither abandoned you, nor is he angry with you. And indeed the future shall be brighter for you then yesterday was the future shall be brighter. We always think optimistically of Allah.

Somebody will say but the Quran clearly says that, when a calamity comes is because of my sins.

Almost Saarbrucken people see but then phobia Mikasa but a deacons not Quran, and then we'll see becomes this because of what you've done. I respond, finished the verse. Don't just give me half the verse finished the verse. Well, yeah, for and Kathy's because of this calamity, much of your sins shall be forgiven. So here's our mindset brothers and sisters. The purpose of anxiety, stress, grief, suffering.

The Profit System said, ma Saba Abdullah caught the Harmon wala hazard on no pain, no anxiety, no stress, no grief, afflict some men, and they are patient, except that ALLAH will forgive their sins and raise their ranks, even a Thorin pricks them that shall give them reward.

We don't want to be tested. But when the test comes, understand, Allah has given you have the opportunity to rise above others. And if he's given you that opportunity,

he knows you shall pass the test if you want to do so. Allah never sets you up for failure. Now you can live for long enough son in law, WUSA, you know, a lot of times when the test comes with, like, I can't do this, I can't pass this. This is too much for me. And I say no, never think this never think that the test is too much for you. On the contrary, you have to have certainty that you're going to pass the test. How can you doubt yourself when Allah has not doubted you? Allah has not doubted you, Allah has tested you, because he knows you can pass the test. It's in the Quran, you're not going to be tested with more than what you can bear. So if you find yourself in a difficult

test, guess what Allah trusts you. And Allah knows you can pass the test. You have within you the Eman, the fortitude, the taqwa that you have in you all of the tools that you need to pass that test. But you have to turn to Allah and discover those tools. Don't give up and say, Why am I being tested? How was this happening to me? No. So if Allah loves someone, he shall test them. And the more he loves them, the more they shall be tested. We don't want tests and trials, nobody wants it. But when it comes unto us, then know Allah azza wa jal has chosen. It's literally like, you know, imagine in a battle that General is talking to his army and he says, I'm going to choose one warrior

to go and you know, do the battle and started what not

Nobody wants to be that warrior. But imagine when the name is called and the warrior stands up. There is an element of pride there is an element of honor being given. When the Lahaina method Allah to Allah belongs the most perfect example. If Allah has called you and chosen you and asked you to stand up for a higher test, well then guess what? That means he wants you to go much higher. How about the issue of because of my sins that the Quran says the response? Why are you looking at it as a binary either or, yes, every calamity is because of something we've done. But rather than looking at it as a punishment, look at it as an explanation of Farah, Allah wants to get rid of your sins

now, so that you're scot free in the next life. Allah wants to cleanse you here and now so that the cupboard is shining bright, so that the hereafter is for those that are there, so that you can go the agenda behind your hisab. And in order to do that, you have to go through some trials in this world. So don't look at it as a binary, I'm being punished because I'm evil. Rather, this is a test, I know I've done something and this is going to cleanse my sins, but I'm going to come out a stronger a better person, I'm going to come out in sha Allah to Allah passing this test. So this is point number one, all of this is point number one, and that is

tests and trials anxiety and stress, grief and pain, suffering. Not only is it a part and parcel of existence, it is actually actually from for us as Muslims, a potential sign that Allah loves you more than he loves other people. So we need to have that in our minds, a positive attitude towards Allah, the technical term has not been Billa a positive attitude towards Allah, you are not being punished because you're evil, you are being given the chance to redeem yourselves to rise to new heights that you would otherwise never have gotten to. Allah knows you deserve higher than what you have right now. Allah knows you have the potential to shine, but for whatever reason, you're not

shining. So Allah in His wisdom decided to inflict upon you something pain, suffering, something was blocking your potential. So if Allah removed it, in order for you to rise to your potential, that is not a punishment, that is a blessing in disguise. I say to you bluntly, brothers and sisters, I say to you bluntly, anything that brings you closer to Allah, it is a blessing. Anything that causes you to increase your spirituality and attachment, to recognize your own mortality, to make you more conscious of your finite life on this earth, so that you can prepare for the infinite life in the next life. This is a blessing unto you.

There is no evil. If you come out of evil, a better person, a stronger person, that was a gift Allah gave to you. Point number two, now we're moving on, don't worry, we're going to do five points. Point number two.

We learned from this era

that

tests and trials stress and anxiety

are going to impact you. You're going to feel stressed out. You're going to feel anxiety, you're going to feel sadness. Now this might seem a very obvious point to some of you. Good for you.

Unfortunately, some people have misunderstood the religion. And some people will tell you, when a tragedy happens when you're feeling down and depressed when you're sad. Some people will tell you

if you have eemaan You won't feel sad.

If you have eemaan You won't be depressed.

Why are you sad? Brother? Why are you depressed sister this means you don't have Iran? Why are you feeling anxiety? This means your faith must be weak. And rather than help you they make you feel even more guilty. You're already suffering. Now you're being told you're suffering because you don't have faith in God. Right. That's why my point number two, which might seem self evident, but it needs to be said

no matter how strong your Eman is, no matter how strong your faith in your Creator is.

It's normal and Okay. It is prophetic, to feel anxiety and grief and stress. Our audit right now

that recited the verses beautiful verses. They're actually one of my favorite verses in the Quran certain conclusion. Allah subhanho wa Taala says, Well, according

Do you consult the Rokeby Maya Kowloon?

We know ya rasool Allah, your heart is in anguish and stress because of the lies that they say. Your heart is feeling the pain because of the

rumors, slanders innuendos is anybody is thoughtful Allah gonna save Wiki manleigh Hola. Hola Bella.

Allah says in the Quran surah taka, la Luca Barker enough circa Allah, meaning your stress might physically harm you Yasuda Allah in your desire that they accept Islam.

We know from the Syrah multiple incidents where the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was anxious was sad was even even he was crying sal Allahu Allah he was sending in the famous incident of the bottle of water. When Zaid ibn Haritha was killed and Abdullah bin Java and Jaffa Ibn Abu Talib and Abdullah Abdullah how would they were all massacred in the bottle of water.

very tragic story, go read this year or listen to the zero. And of course Zaid, by the way who is eight and what will make you understand who Zaid is. Zaid is the one Sahabi. Allah mentioned by name in the Quran. Even Abu Bakr is the Rhodiola one is not mentioned by name he is mentioned by a proper pronoun if you go to the Sahibi.

As for Zaid, Fela Mercado. Ze don't mean how Ouattara say this the only Sahabi mentioned by name in the Quran de sade, who will make you understand who is aid the day our prophecies and passed away our mother, our mother Aisha remarked, and I She is the daughter of Abu Bakr our mother, as you have remarked, if Sade, were alive today, no one would have chosen my father over him. This is interesting. If they were alive today, he would have been the choice over my father, but Subhanallah most of us have no clue whose eighth is Zaid is the quote unquote adopted son before Islam of the Prophet SAW Selim, he adopted him that Allah abolished this notion of adoption. By the way, adoption

here means the bunny you call a child your son asked for adoption of taking a child and raising that's fully Islamic, but to claim the child is yours. No, that's not Islamic. So Allah abolish we shouldn't say adoption, Allah abolished Debney which is to claim this child as your own. Allah did not abolish the western concept of adoption, which we say it's not haram to take a child and raise the child. It's haram to say the child does yours Zaid was considered for a period of time to be the child or prophets has it been Omar said if an ibis said we never knew that Zaid was not the son of the Prophet system until Allah revealed so that Eliza for 10 years he thought, the biological son of

the process and then Allah reveals her the lives up

to him they also trained Allah called them by their fathers, then they used to be called databind. Mohammed by the way, he used to be called Zaid ibn Muhammad, then he was called Zaidan Hadith now.

They should understand how beloved he was I'm trying to explain he was loved like a son raised like a son. That bond was there even though it wasn't biological. And I should have the Allahu Anhu says, I was looking at the Prophet system in the masjid, as he was describing the Battle of MATA pas here. What do I mean by this? Allah blessed the Prophet system with the miracle of Marchesa, he was giving a play by play of the Bible of mortar live, the Battle of mortars taking place above to book 950, you know, kilometres above Medina, and the Prophet system is in Medina. And as the battle is taking place, the Sahaba are listening play by play exactly what's happening and the process of going over

scene by scene, and he's seeing it Djibouti. You know, Allah allowed him to see that battle, and then Aisha says, When Zaid was killed he seeing it when Zaid was killed, Aisha said,

the life went from his face, we could see the loosen in his face, his face became pale, stop talking. And he sat down from the grief.

This is what we call an English shock.

He's just seen and heard the news that is going to bring this to he can't speak.

Color leaves his face, and he's so overcome with emotion. He has to physically sit down. He will miss all along it was seldom Can anybody say that if you have him on, you're not going to feel sad. Can anybody say that strong faith means you're never going to be anxious and never going to feel grief will love you. I don't know what sera they're reading. What books even Tafseer they're reading the Sierra the Quran is full of the reality of the humanity of feeling pain and suffering regardless of who you are. I say bluntly, Eman has nothing to do with feeling sad and grief. Yes, it has to do with how you cope with it. But how you feel it no understand this point. Point number two, because

point number three. We're going to come there. Point number two. Eman has nothing to do with feelings. You can feel sad

You can be a grief struck. I will prophesy some cried multiple times, multiple times. Is anybody going to say this is a lack of Eman? His son Ibrahim, the daughter, the son of Mario completely his son, Ibrahim. He had a breathing issue asthma, he was gasping for breath. And in his hands two and a half years old, that beautiful, sweet, tender age, right? And Ibrahim dies in his hand. And our Prophet system begins to cry.

And the Sahaba some of them haven't seen him cry that often. By the way. He did cry a few times. I've looked over the theater. There's multiple times he cried, but it's not that often less than two fingers on one hand, so the Sahaba didn't see him that often cry. So a Sahabi became perplexed. And he said Hadith isn't Behati our tip Chiara suit Allah. Like he's never seen him the Sahaba you also cry out rasool Allah he's never seen him. You also cry rasool Allah, listen to this. URL Buka Rama tune Giada Hello, hello, Bill Momineen This is a Hadith. Crying is a mercy Rama that Allah has placed in the hearts of his believers. Is anybody going to say that feeling sad means you don't have

Mr. Wallahi. Again, I don't know which books they're reading which seat or they're reading it you don't see this at all. His son has passed away. What else is he going to do? He's crying. And he says to Allah, we are sad or Ibrahim that you have left us but we say what will please Allah in that Allah He was in la hora, Jeroen in Nevada Federal Credit Union. But we only say my god Allah azza wa jal in that Allahu La Rajang point is that he is crying. So point number two, let no buddy guilt trip you. Let nobody tell you that if you had the man, you wouldn't feel sad. If you had the man you wouldn't feel anxiety. If you had the man you wouldn't be stressed out. It is normal to feel

stressed out and grief and anxious for worldly problems and for religious problems. I actually got the Allahu Anhu says that Canon abuse Allah Allahu Allah, he was selling them either fuzzier who am wrong, when something perturbed him, if something made him anxious, right, he would rush to pray, he would stand up to pray Salah if something troubled him, he would stand up to pray some things are troubling him. So point number two,

Eman and feeling anxiety when you hear a news when something happens to you. They are not mutually exclusive. There is no causal relationship or I should say inverse relationship. It doesn't mean the stronger Eman the less anxiety will come to you know, when a loved one dies when a calamity happens when you are over struck with grief. It is normal 100% normal to feel. In fact, again, I'm summarizing a lot because much can be said one more incident and we weren't we're number three one more incident. Beautiful incident that shows us the reality of shock. The incident of the incident of life. Our mother I showed her the Allahu Anhu she didn't know the MK consider because meaning she

didn't watch it live. She didn't you know she wasn't watching my concealer. She was too young. So she knows the Madani serum. She's lived through the modernist era, and she has seen the battle of words, and she knows the pain and the anguish that happened in the Battle of multiple wounds bleeding for two weeks, right? Three times assassination attempts in the battle of words, three separate attempts to assassinate the process and in the Battle of word lost his uncle lost 70 of the sahaba. So she says Oh messenger of Allah. Was there any day more painful to you than the Battle of any day more painful than

the Prophet system said immediately? Yes. The day of thought if was more difficult than

the day of thought if was more difficult that word when the chieftains of Makkah, rejected me now he didn't go into detail, but we know from this era, the public mockery of the Prophet system was unparalleled on that day, the entire city, saying vulgar things, nasty things, laughing about him. And subhanAllah This is a pain that was worse than offered. You know, when we're children, we were taught that nursery rhyme. Sticks and stones may break my bones but

but

words don't hurt you or to hurt don't hurt me. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sometimes words hurt more than a physical pain,

sometimes slander. Sometimes a loved one statement pierces your heart like a bullet

and our prophecies of being the dignified Kadeem noble man that he was to be mocked.

In that manner hurt him more than the physical pains have offered. You understand this point. So he said, I left the city.

And I did not know where I was, until I got to Cardinal mercy.

Now, this is just it's glossed over in this era, but I looked at so where's this current? Where's this? Where's this place underneath it? Where is it, and I found out this is a place that is two thirds of the way between If and MCCA, closer to Makkah. And it takes around four to five hours to walk from ball to current authority.

This phrase is powerful.

I had no idea of time space, until the next thing I know. I'm there. And this is what we call shock. no recollection of what's going on. Until finally I find myself over here. Again, brothers and sisters. Don't let anybody guilt trip you that because you're in shock because you're in pain, because your heart is in anguish, that this means you don't have Iman, this is point number two. It is normal. It is human. It is prophetic, to grieve, to cry, to feel the pain, along empathize. And by the way, this is another point here. Part of the therapy. When somebody's in pain, you validate their pain, you don't dismiss it. When you dismiss somebody else's pain, you exacerbate it, you make

it worse. You empathize. Why is Allah saying we know it hurts yada so Allah? Why is Allah saying, Be patient? Yeah rasool Allah first time

you can turn away from these people. We know what's going through.

Allah azza wa jal is validating the pain and anguish of our Prophet salallahu Salam, this is therapy. This is therapeutic next time your friend, your cousin and your mother your sibling is in pain. Hug them say, I know it must be difficult. Allah make it easy for you don't say oh, you're in pain because you're a bad Muslim Subhana Allah, what psychology is this? What therapy is this? You're making things worse by saying this. So point number two, totally normal you get the point. Okay, point number three. Now here I'm going to be blunt I'm shall always being blunt. But I said point number two, your Eman and feeling anguish when you hear the news. There is no relationship

between them. You can have strong emotion and still cry still sit down. But point number three.

From the Sierra we learn

that as soon as you hear of a tragedy, as soon as the news of something NGS anxious or problem reaches you, you must turn to Allah spiritually emotionally and verbally. You must establish an immediate connection with Allah. And if you delay in establishing this connection, now I will be blunt here and tell you this is a weakness of iman

to feel anxious, no problem to delay in connecting to Allah. Yes, the problem. Two different things. The lag that you have between hearing the news and between contextualizing why this is happening. Understanding Allah has chosen you understanding this is a test and trial and inshallah I'm gonna pass it Allah will help me to pass it. Because there is a lag there's always a lag, right?

The Mortman minimize this dislike, in fact, we can flip the script.

The lag indicates your strength of iman, the longer the timeframe, the weaker your iman and the shorter the timeframe, the stronger your iman

our Prophet system has Ibrahim in his hands and Subhanallah as soon as the row leaves as soon as the robot leaves. He says in the law, he was in LA he wrote your own zero timelag instantaneous. This is Iman. Now we turn to Allah spiritually. We say Allah Dina either Asaba Tomasi, but it's in the Quran. This is Quranic and prophetic Alladhina either Saba Tomasi button, Lu in Allah when they wrote your own, we say this phrase we turn to Allah, we go back to point number one so that we understand why is this happening? What is the purpose of tests and trials? What is anxiety and again, why is Allah testing me? In Allah, Everything here belongs to Allah, whatever Allah took away

a loved one, wealth, health status, whatever was taken away. It wasn't yours to begin with in the first place. It's not yours. If you don't have something, it's not yours in the first place, everything we have belongs to him. So if Allah chose to take it back, well, then he's the medical monk, who am I to say anything? And we're in daily how Nigerian is a constellation? How is it a constellation,

whatever was taken away. If it's an actual person, you shall be reunited with this person. When you go back to Allah, it's temporary. And if it is something else, health, or wealth or status or something, well, if you're patient, what you will get with Allah is better than what you lost. So we're in the Lord your own is a time constellation. No tragedy of this world is permanent, find comfort in this, no pain in this world is permanent. Nothing in this dunya is permanent.

So if we are patient and turn to Allah, whatever tragedy we have, when we are reunited with Allah, if it's a loved one, we're gonna be with that person, inshallah. And if it's other than this, well, then whatever we don't have whatever was taken away, we will get something better with ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada. So point number three,

when tragedy strikes, when calamity befalls us, when the source of anxiety is brought up in front of us, we shall turn to Allah spiritually, emotionally and verbally. And the reason we do so this is theological therapy, we have to understand why pain is happening, we have to contextualize who we are, who is Allah, and that Allah has the right to test us and that this test is temporary, and that we shall pass this test and when we pass it, everything will be fine in the IRA. So

and I said, Oh, by the way, the lag here, this is beautifully shown in a hadith which we need to mention.

A prophet, the prophet system was walking in the streets of Medina, in the Sierra lessons, we have this also as a body. And he saw a woman sitting in front of a grave crying, her husband had died or somebody had died. So the Prophet system said to her, yeah, I'm at Allah, Oh, female servant of Allah, let us spit, let us be be patient, and expect Allah to reward you for your loss, be patient, and inshallah things will get better. And Allah will reward you for your loss.

She did not recognize the voice, she didn't turn around, and she did not recognize the voice. And she said, Elaine, I need

literally get away from me. For you do not understand the calamity of what has happened.

Before I move on,

hurt people, hurt people.

Let that sink in.

Hurt people, hurt people.

A lot of times when somebody is rude or nasty with you,

Billahi you need to empathize and understand maybe something's happening with them. That I don't know. And they're lashing out at me not because of me. But because of them.

And at that point in time, you have to be the better person. Our Prophet says and being who he was dignified, silent, walk away. No need to respond. She's not in a state of mind to respond right now. This is how you respond. In fact, bility as an as a year. Now, of course the process and walked away. What do you think the companions are going to do? They went up to her. Have you gotten mad? Do you not know who he was? That was the Prophet sallallahu. Either he was setting them all of a sudden, palpitating hyperventilating, rushed to the masjid, he had us will Allah please forgive me? I didn't recognize you. And our Prophet system in order to teach her and all of us, factually, he

wasn't really, factually because we need to learn our lesson. Most of you know this hadith, this would this is the context of the edit in nama sobro. In the submitted ruler, he told her and through her all of us,

patience is demonstrated at the first stroke of the calamity. The way you acted was not befitting and it wasn't patient. Even if it wasn't the Profit System. She was rude. Even if it was an average, she was downright rude. There was no need to do what she did. And our profit system factually said

you want to demonstrate you're sober. And you know this is the beauty Subhan Allah will lie Allah created us in such a beautiful manner. What are the Holocron Sanofi I certainly took with him

Everybody copes with tragedy after a period of time, everybody, even the kafir whatever happens, give him a few days or weeks or whatever, you know, cancer comes out for a while, he'll become stoic, okay, and he'll deal with it

eemaan comes in to minimize that lag. That's what it is right Imaan comes in to bring about a little bit of comfort as soon as possible. And that's point number three. When the calamity happens when you're dealing with anxiety and stress, you must spiritually and verbally turn to Allah subhana wa Tada. And that will help you again, go back to the Hadith I said a few minutes ago, whenever something troubled the Prophet sysm he would rush to stand up and Salah connecting with the Divine is the beginning of theological therapy. Without that therapy, getting rid of the anxiety and stress is almost impossible, very difficult. So this is point number three, point number four and time is

coming up. So I have to hurry up a little bit, but we'll go over all five as I said, Inshallah, point number four.

Point number four. From the seerah we learn

from the CRO we learn that we don't allow anxiety and stress and grief to overpower and incapacitate us. No.

We stand up, we collect our wits, we tighten our belts, and we march forward, we move on. And we try to combat that anxiety and stress in a worldly and spiritual manner. If it is something we can change, if we don't have a job, financial crisis health issue, well, then we go knock on doors, send our resumes out, go to the hospital, go to the doctor, you don't just sit and expect a miracle to happen while you do nothing. And if it is something we cannot change the death of a loved one, you can bring the loved one back. Even then we collect our wits and we move on with life. Point number four, we do not allow a tragedy to shape us and incapacitate us. We don't allow anxiety and stress

to overpower us. That's not a part of this hero. That's not a part of the Sunnah. That's not a part of the prophetic methodology. No matter how great the tragedy, you must stand up and move on. Even if it's catastrophic, subhanAllah one, you know, sometimes I wonder how our mother and father Adam and Hawa, how they would have lived their first few days on this earth. After being ingen.

I want you to imagine that I don't have time to go into detail. I just want you to imagine being in Jannah. And they simply desire and it's given to them. And all of a sudden they find themselves alone. No civilization. They don't know how to cultivate yet they don't know how to hunt yet. They haven't discovered the Bronze Age. They don't have tools yet. They have to imagine Wallahi any problem we have it is trivial compared to that they had to move on. They lost Jana, but they still have to move on. That's life. You don't allow a past tragedy to make you morbid and go down the route. So I can't do anything. I can't live anywhere. No, you're going to move on. You're gonna have

to collect your wits and go forward.

Even if it's painful.

We learn from Ibn Hisham tells us in the Sierra

after the death of Khadija for the Allahu Taala Anna the Prophet system was not seen smiling for a full year.

That's painful. The death of hottie just shook him to the core.

He didn't find happiness in anything for a year. And yet, in Shama, I have told me the we learned from an assembly Malik and Ernest didn't see him and McKenna saw him in Medina, and sad, Malik said,

I never saw anybody a kotoba Suman. Minetta beastial Allahu alayhi wa sallam, I never saw anybody smile more than the Prophet sallallahu sallam.

This is the reality took a while to it's not you know, sometimes it's gonna take and if it's Khadija to the process of a year, but eventually he becomes the most smiling the most. This is the reality of life. You have to move on. You have to do things you can't just sit back and do nothing. You have to combat the source of that anxiety and stress. The entire Sierra, one tactic after another. The Prophet SACEM didn't just sit at home waiting for miracles. The Christ did what they did, he had to even flee to muck Medina, the bottle of butter, the bottle of water, Dawa tactics, writing letters to the rulers, all of it is combating so

To get results done.

The same goes for anything in our life that is causing a stress and grief. You have to minimize work towards it. And that's why simple reality of being sick. The Profit System was asked you Rasulillah when we're sick, should we take medicine, go to the doctor get treatments, Nami, ibid Allah Tada, whoa, yes, go and seek treatment, go and do the ASVAB Yes, Allah is the One who is most of the bonus, but we all know but Allah created channels, Allah created routes and passages to get to the end result. If you want to get to the end result you have to walk on those passages. If you sit at home, it will never happen.

And you must force yourself to move on. Beautiful Hadith

from the Omaha minion, our mothers that

our mother Sophia, you know Sophia was from the Jewish tribe she converted and so she didn't have any family. In Medina, she had no family she's you know, not from the tribes of Medina, right. And she had one brother, who would live in Medina for a while and come and go after the Prophet system passed away one brother that she had, and this brother passed away as well. So she has lost the process of them. She lost her brother as well. She had no one left and she really really felt down.

We learned Hadith isn't Behati that on the third day she told her servant to bring my clothes from that box and bring my perfume and comb my hair. She put on the clothes she put on the perfume she combed her hair. And then she said to her servant, and because of this has preserved in our tradition, she said Well, like I have no desire to do this.

But I heard the Prophet salallahu it he was seldom say it is not allowed to grieve for another person for more than three days. And today is the third day.

This is Islam. You can't just live in the past. You can't just be overpowered and that's it. No, you have to force yourself to move on. No matter how painful it is. You cannot be incapacitated because of something because of a tragedy because of an issue know Allah azza wa jal will give you the strength.

We learned this as well, small things Subhanallah we talked about the bottle of water we talked about, you know, Zaid being killed well, Jaffa was also killed, and Jaffa was the the brother cousin of the Prophet system. Jaffa was the older brother of Ali, right? And he grew up in that household of Ali of Bhutan. So he's grown up in Abu Talib household, and Jaffa is his age. Unlike Ali who is much younger than him. Java is like his brother is almost as a brother, cousin, right? Java died in the battle of Moto and when Java died,

the prophet system visited his cousin brother, this is the closest he has to a brother. Now these children are orphans. And Abdullah had been Java was seven, eight years old. And he had a bunch of brothers and sisters. He narrates the story as a child. He says, When my father died, Shaheed the prophecies and came to visit us, right. He told Asha and others to send food to their house and he said, they are too busy to cook themselves. Notice the small things right. Notice this micromanaging This is empathy. This is taking care no matter how angry or hurt they are, no matter how sad they are, they have to eat food right? They might not realize it will take care of it here have support

the Profit System himself micromanage, giving food to the family. Then he goes and visits them. And three days had gone by in these three days. The kids had no shower, dirty clothes, disheveled hair, because the mother is in grief. You know, the profitsystem came and hugged us look the physical empathy. This is the see was teaching us you give your empathy to other people you make them feel better. And he told us that my father now has two wings in Jannah what does this mean? So Jaffa died a tragic death his hands were cut off. And the spread to the people his hands had been cut off. The Prophet systems cheering them up. He doesn't have two hands anymore. He has two wings. He's flying

in Jannah Allah gave him again cheering up. And then at will like this blew my mind what I I'm going through the Sierra like explained to looking for these types of see this little phrase that I had said in my seat, I looked over it. All of a sudden it just it made it just literally like unbelievable. The level of empathy. The psychology of the Prophet SAW sent him. The hadith tells us he saw our condition. And he called for a barber and got us haircuts and he brought new clothes for us. They've just become an orphan. They've lost their father. But this is not how you live your life to go back to the past and just Mullen your tragic

The Life has to go on. And no matter what's happened, the seven year old kid getting a new throw getting a new haircut, what's going to happen? Isn't he going to feel happy? Isn't he going to say, hey, look, Mama, look at my new throw beer. Look at this. This is what you call the Sierra, giving positive energy making people feel happy getting them back to their lives, you cannot allow a past tragedy to shape the rest of your entire life. That's not what our religion teaches us, no matter how painful it is. Tighten up your belt and get to work. Move on with life until you have no life to move on. And other people's life will move on. You know, you're sad, if somebody has passed away,

you feel guilty, feeling being happy when they after they passed away. When you pass on? Do you want your children to live in grief for the rest of your life? That's not what our religion teaches us, death is inevitable tragedy is going to happen. So point number four.

We don't combat anxiety by exacerbating it.

We challenge it dunya and Dean, we try our best to minimize it. We actively engage in overcoming these issues, even if it's the small issues of how we dress and how we eat and what not. Because these are normal things of life. And that's why by the way, the beauty again, the beauty of our Sharia for three days, we're allowed a bit of laxity, right? So for three days, if you are overcome and whatnot, okay, no big deal three days, but after the third day of the death of somebody, you have to get back to work. The Sharia allows you for three days you take a bit of a vacation from life Subhanallah How beautiful is our Sharia for three days, you know, you're not taking care of

yourself fully course you still have to pray you still have to do the follow up. But other than that, you know, like no phone calls, no texts, no messages. I just don't want to go to work that okay. Allah has allowed you grieve, overcome. But on the third day, get your act together and get back to your life as much as you can. This is what the Sierra teaches us. Last and final point. And again, this is a very deep point. And yet it's a very simple and we all understand it.

Dealing with anxiety and stress.

We learned from this era,

that of the most powerful ways to deal with anxiety and stress

is through the medium of worshiping Allah subhanho wa taala.

worshipping Allah is therapeutic for our souls. Forget to throw up for now. It's going to help us overcome stress.

Connecting with Allah is the most powerful antidote to anxiety.

And especially out of all of the rituals that have dua

that of invoking Allah subhanaw taala, for our needs, that of asking Allah for our once, because dua is the weapon of the believer drop is a private conversation with Allah dua is opening up your heart to Allah subhanho wa Taala and expressing the realities of how you feel. So that Allah azza wa jal, who is Samir who is precede who is a dude who is Al Karim, he can then heal within you.

And especially dua that is done in the last third of the night, especially that dua because our prophets Islam said that is when Allah Himself comes down and says, Who is asking me I shall give him what he wants. So praying tahajjud which was the sunnah of our Prophet system, and making dua within tahajjud and making dua in the last third of the night. And a lot of people they misunderstand to up one of the most common questions that any chef gets asked including me one of the most common questions somebody comes to me or to any chef and says chef I'm suffering from and he gives a detailed description this this this what do ah should I make?

As if we have a big masterful book of designer office right secret book of doors, it only shifts so we go to our office, pull it out, flip the pages, that was your, your page number, you know, volume number two, the best dua you can make is the dua that comes from your heart.

Unscripted,

raise your hands to Allah and pour out your heart to Allah subhanho wa Taala

This is the reality. Again, Cyril is chock full of this the Battle of better the prophecies some spent the entire night into the whole night from Asia to Fajr so much.

Allah enough, Allah has heard your DUA he's gonna answer you the whole night into our to Allah. O Allah if you don't help us turn up today. You shall not be worshipped on Earth after today.

The whole night he's praying to Allah subhana wa Tada. What do I does

is opening up a private conversation, direct office hours with the divine, nobody else except you and Allah subhanho wa Taala and you open up your heart complaining to Allah Now listen to me carefully, and this is Chela my final point. So everybody's looking at me here looking at the time I know inshallah we're done. We're done all five points, right.

complaining to Allah is the essence of iman.

Complaining about Allah is super simple. complaining to Allah in NEMA Ushiku Bothy were his knee Illa complaining to Allah what does it mean complaining to Allah?

Ya Allah, you see my state? Yeah, Allah. You see how difficult this is? Yeah, Allah I am in need of your mercy. And if you don't help me, no one will help me. This is complaining to Allah. Complaining about Allah. Why is this happening? This is not fair or with a biller, we don't go there or with a biller, that is blasphemy. What do you mean? Why is this happening? What are you? What do you mean this is not fair? Do you understand the implications? When you say this is not fair? Do you understand whom you're accusing of being unfair? That is complaining about a law and that is over we don't go there. By the way, this is very common in the West. You know, why does bad things happen to

good people wide? No, we don't speak like this.

We complain to Allah, not about Allah. And this is in the Quran, a huge Allah His Salam.

Or be in Nima Sunil dororo. Were under hemraj him in Europe. You see, I'm in difficulty. This is complaining to Allah. I'm in pain, Oh Allah, I'm in pain. And you are our humble Rahim in first digibind Allah Who that one dua solved 10 years of misery. And we gave him all of his family and we doubled all of his wealth for him. One dua Yara, I'm in pain helped me. This is complaining to Allah. Nothing is more therapeutic. Then dua which is a part of it is complaining to Allah subhana wa Tada. And this is we learned from this hero. So these are our five points that we learned from the CRO of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. And again, this was a summarized class of a much

larger one that I have been given. But I want to conclude by simply stating that

the Sierra is an eternal source of knowledge for all of us about all aspects of our life. You can continue to turn to this era and benefit from it in every facet of your existence. Look are the candela come FIRA Sula, who swore to and Hasina you have the perfect role model in the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa Salam wa Arsa Naka Illa Allah mean he tells us and teaches us what it means to manifest the Rama of Allah on this earth. So we ask Allah Jalla Jalla who who to allow us to benefit from the Sunnah and the seer of the prophets of Allah? Who are they he was setting him We ask Allah subhana wa Tada to allow us to walk in the footsteps that the prophets have charted out for us. We

ask Allah subhana wa Taala to allow us to absorb the life lessons, the law, the morality, the teachings, the law, the ethics of a prophet Sallallahu either he was setting we ask Allah subhana wa Tada to allow the Kalama to be the last phrase that we say before we leave this Earth Shadow Allah ilaha illallah wa shadow under Muhammad Rasool Allah, we ask Allah subhana wa Tada to allow us to live as Muslims to die as Mormons and to be resurrected with the righteous and the MBR. We ask Allah subhana wa Tada to be in the company of the Prophet sallallahu ala he was setting them in the days of judgment and on the Day of Judgment to drink from his fountain, we ask Allah subhana wa Tada to

be of those whom the profitsystem intercedes for we ask Allah subhana wa taala, to be in Janata for those who either along with the MBR and the solder hint and the shahada, or husband or like raffia call or Salah law, who has settled them about a collective Hamedan. While early he will be a Jew Marine.

You guys, good. All right. Thank you.

Thank you very much. That was a beautiful, a beautiful lecture. And I think that we all benefited from it. And I think that we would benefit from having you here to give the full full day presentation. But unfortunately, at this time, we can't do that. So many people ask questions, and you can still send questions. And so what I'm going to do here is I'm going to I've gone through many of the questions and I'm going to ask some of the one

ones that first came up most frequently. And the one that came up most frequently thus far has been, how do we distinguish between a trial and a punishment?

This is a really profound question.

How does one distinguish between a trial under punishment because sometimes sometimes, what happens to us in this dunya what happens to people in this dunya is a punishment. Sometimes what happens to us is not meant to raise the ranks of those upon whom it happens, but rather to give them punishment in this world and in the hereafter.

We as Muslims should never, ever presume and think that Allah is punishing us for the sake of punishment. This is not in our theology, we have good thoughts of Allah, Allah punishes some people for the sake of punishment, and their punishment in the next life will be worse. We should always assume that's not us. We should always assume we are not in that category.

Now, does this mean, as I explained that there is no such thing as a punishment in our in our trials, as I explained, it's not a binary that a punishment and a trial, at some level, it is both simultaneously, at some level, every pain and anxiety that happens to us. It is a mini punishment, if you like, but it's meant as a Farah, it's meant to cleanse it's meant to raise, it's not meant to be retribution. It's not meant to be vindictive. That's the point here. We don't believe this. As believers in Allah, we don't approach it with that attitude. It does happen to other people. It happens to those whom Allah gives ested Raj to this in the Quran, the concept of is that Raj right,

is that we're going to increase them even more in their, in their good in this world that they think is good. And it is, in fact, evil, we're going to increase them of the negatives of this world for us. If we come out of a calamity,

if we exit out of a trial, having come closer to Allah subhanho wa taala. Then this is the clearest sign that Insha Allah, this trial was not a punishment, it was a blessing to us. It was a gift to us. As I said, anything that brings us closer to Allah is a gift Allah gives us there is no punishment, then Allah azza wa jal knew were weak. Something is blocking our journey to Allah, Allah tests us lifts the veil. And in fact, you can answer this question yourself to get a sense of where this was going. If I were to ask you,

other than hedging ombre, other than hedging ombre, if I were to ask you, at what point in your life did you feel the closest to Allah? At what point in your life were you spiritually at the highest point? Chances are nine out of 10 of you would think have a very difficult time in your lives.

Going through a divorce or the death of a loved one or a financial crises or some massive cause of anxiety. You were actually close to Allah. Well, guess what? That's the whole point. Allah wanted you to taste that sweetness, Allah wanted you to raise to be raised up. So by testing you, not a punishment in this sense, even though it acts as a cofounder of your sins. By testing you in this manner. Allah subhanho wa Taala raised up your ranks. So bottom line,

any calamity

that causes you to increase your spiritual awareness? It is actually Allah's gift to you.

It's not even a punishment in that sense. It is a gift to you. Now, a calamity that doesn't cause you to come closer to Allah. That should be very scary.

It should be frightening. For Lola is a joven Batswana Tadahiro. Well, I can assert guru boom, why didn't they reach out to us when the punishment came down, but their hearts became hard? Why didn't they reach out to us? Why didn't they connect with us when the punishment came? But because they didn't, their hearts became hard. Allah says in the Quran, ma ye federal law will be either become in Shackleton wireman to, what will Allah gain by punishing you? We don't believe in a sadistic god oh the biller we don't believe in a God that loves punishment and evil wala Yagoda anybody who from Allah who love you, hipbone facade what will Allah gain by punishing you if you have faith and show

thanks meaning, if you don't have faith

If and you don't show thanks, a little bit of punishment might cause you to wake up. A little bit of crinkling of pain and suffering might cause you to avoid a bigger pain and suffering. So even this is Allah's Rama disguise for us as pain, but it is Rama. Allah says in the Quran, what to do the under whom metal

doodle either been a very long journey, we're gonna cause the Quraysh here, we're going to cause the Quraysh to taste a little bit of punishment, not the big punishment, meaning the akhirah so that insha Allah so that they can come back to me, Lila homeotic June, Allah shows us the wisdom of pain, Allah shows us the wisdom of sending calamities, and when COVID struck two and a half, three years ago, I gave a whole book that at the time went viral, I shouldn't say viral but COVID That's not intended, but at the time it was widely seen the wisdoms of COVID the wisdoms of why this is happening and point number one to bring humility to an arrogant mankind to humble ourselves to the

power of God. We thought we had conquered the world we can go to the moon and back break the supersonic barrier go with faster than we thought we had everything. And Allah showed us been here 10 Mobile haha, between a day and a night Allah showed us how impotent, powerless infinitesimally miniscule we are compared to the holder of Allah subhanho wa taala. This is of the wisdoms of having a global calamity and crisis to bring about a sense of spiritual humility.

And it terrifies me that mankind doesn't seem to have learned from that. And we exit this crisis many of us, may Allah protect us without having learned those lessons. So anyway, this answers your question at Shell. So this is you've talked about the manner in which when one has anxiety, one can and one just found this follows up on that question. So how you distinguish whether it's a trial or punishment? But what about people who go through such a calamity? It's so deep, it's so painful, that they lose a loved one. I mean, we all know what is the old the beloved, what is the greatest pain in life is losing a child. And sometimes when that happens, or something like that happens, a

person is to the point where three days isn't going to do it. Getting back together, you can try but still waking up in the morning 200 or they're not gonna be able to wake up for 200 and there are so many things so just even getting to that point of being able to get up and pray of even being able to think St in some situations and to really turn to Allah subhanaw taala with a sound heart and a sound mind. What then would you say for people in that type of situation. So again, from the Sierra, we learn, we have a role model and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam you said, the most difficult tragedy that a human faces is generally speaking the loss of a child. This is very true.

Our Prophet system didn't lose 12345 He lost six of his seven children in his lifetime. Six of his children at all stages of life. Newborns, toddlers, infants, married without children married with children. He buried in his lifetime six of his own children, be homeschooled Allah while you sell them.

Look at the Kerala computer Sula, who sweat on Hassan.

If Allah tested him with such great tests and trials, who are we to say we're not going to be tested with anything? There is nothing to say to such a person except

the constellation of a prophet system that if Allah tests a parent with the loss of a child, that child and his patient, that child will be a means of intercession for him on the day of judgment. In fact, that half of them in hedger, he lost two of his children in a plague. And he wrote a book actually wrote a book about plagues that's also been printed, but he wrote a book about the console meant to bereaved parents at the loss of their children. And it's like a 4050 page booklet that's available in print, I forgot the name. It's random it rhyming Arabic title, that is a collection of a hadith and a collection of wisdoms of the sayings of the past. And the whole notion being that

such a child, the other Hadith comes inside Buhari, that the parent who loses a child and his patient and says that hamdulillah Allah will build for him a palace that is called the palace of praise. Because this parent was patient. There is no way to cope with such a loss, except through connecting with Allah I called the

theological therapy. And honestly, I feel genuinely sorry for those who don't believe in God, how do they live life will lie. I don't know how they would live life. The fact that we believe in God, we believe in other we believe in our head, we believe in heaven, we believe in an afterlife. It helps us cope with any tragedy that happens to us. When you take that away from people. It's panela, I don't know what you're going to substitute with below. So then so vulnerable that this was a question that a few people had, what do you do for a person who's in such a state of clinical depression? That, that they can't do that? What for that individual? What would you say? And a few

people asked, what, how do we help a person who is in such a state of clinical depression, that they find it difficult to even engage in those in those acts. So firstly, let me say that clinical depression is a reality.

And it is possible for that reality to exist independent of faith.

Some people say, and I used to be amongst them 25 years ago, that if you have Iman, then you're not going to be clinically depressed.

I said this because I was taught it as an undergraduate, and my teachers would say this.

I was wrong, they were wrong.

There is something called clinical depression, we're not talking about sadness we're talking about, you have an issue for years for and treatment is required. And that treatment could be therapy. It could be trained counselors, or it could even be medication,

to battle, anxiety to battle depression, there are three F's that help but not necessarily solve faith, family and friends. These three F's faith, family, and friends in that order, will always help you. And generally speaking, generally speaking, for 90% of people, Inshallah, it's enough. But there are people who, whose faith could be strong, and they have good family, and they have good friends, but they're still battling clinical depression, there could be an actual clinical problem, or there could be mental trauma from childhood or something of this nature. And we have to overcome the stigma of pretending that depression doesn't exist, of getting help, meaning something is wrong

with you. It's only recently that medical practitioners are understanding that depression is an actual reality. That could be because of a hormonal imbalance, or could it be because of something in your life that happened and you don't haven't dealt with it properly? This is only recent. Unfortunately, because it's recent, most of our Muslim societies, they dismiss the reality of depression, of potential suicidal thoughts. And they say faith alone is good enough. And I say, faith, family and friends is generally good enough, but not always. And if we find that it's not helping, then we should encourage therapy, we should encourage getting analyzed by somebody who's a

trained medical practitioner. And, again, because I'm also a resident scholar, and I'm in a, you know, I'm in dealing with my community. I know many people that have come to me and told me point blank that all the Quran, they read all the Salah, they did, it didn't help them, when they started taking this drug, whatever. It wasn't the meaning that, you know, the prescription, whatever, solved everything, they had a hormonal imbalance. They had an issue literally, that's a medical issue, right? And taking whatever issue was prescribed to them by the doctor changed everything in their normal. Now, I had another case again, because I'm dealing with this. I'm humbling myself that you

know what, I don't know everything these people know, their speciality is better than us. There was a case I dealt with. Again, I don't want to go into details. But Jani? How was to say this lady had trauma inflicted on her as a child, I hope you understand without being explicit here. And she wasn't able to function as a wife normally going through depression and whatnot. husband had no clue. Why is this happening? I'm being nice and good to her why is happening? Turns out she had trauma that she needed to deal with. And guess what? Going to a trained therapist who knows how to unpack that childhood trauma, right, actually solved the problem. And now the marriage is normal

function. They have kids, they actually were not able to have kids for the beginning year or two. And this person came to me whatnot, and I found out was going on and I said go to see a trained therapist and Subhanallah it actually helped. So I'm seeing in my own life, with the people around me that you know what, there is something called actual clinical depression. And we need to remove the stigma that we have unfortunately given to this regard, that sometimes listening to the Quran is not alone to overcome, you know, anxiety. So obviously because time was