Yasir Qadhi – Seven Reflections From Visiting the Earthquake Sites in Turkey

			In Al Hamdulillah no matter who wants to, you know who want to sell fiddle 102 Billa, Himanshu Rudy
and fusina woman say to Lena Mejia de Hiller HuFa la medulla, what are you doing who Fela ha de
Allah? Wa shadow Allah ala l Hola. Hola. Hola. Hola. Shadi Kayla, what a shadow Anna Mohamed and
Abby, who are a pseudo you hola Xena I'm an otaku allah how to call Allah temotu illa Anta Muslim on
a my bed, brothers and sisters last night late last night I came back from a four day trip to Turkey
a turkey to see firsthand what is going on there and to help inshallah to Allah deliver some of the
aid that we raised here in this very Masjid. I was there for a short trip four days only. But the
		

			sights that I saw the people that I met were so overwhelming. On the plane right back, I began to
jot down some points of benefit for myself. And I thought that inshallah this actually might be a
benefit to give a whole talk about. So today's brief hold by and reminder first and foremost, to
myself and then to my brothers and sisters, seven lessons that I personally felt after witnessing
the tragedy that took place in that land. Point number one. As I traveled through some of the
epicenters, I went to Mirage, which is one of the epicenters of where the earthquake took place and
Turo to find others, seeing hundreds of buildings still collapsed, driving through the cities and
		

			seeing 10s upon 10s of people wherever they could find the place public parks converted into tents,
I realized the fragility of what we consider to be taken for granted how quickly our civil society
how quickly our infrastructure, how quickly what we take for granted can simply be taken away from
us, the entire city was destroyed hundreds, if not 1000s of buildings in Robles. And as you look
into the buildings, you can see the clothes you can see the children's toys, you can see the
mattresses and the furniture still there. And there was a sense coming from those buildings and the
people next to me said this is the bodies that have not yet been recovered. I recognize the scent
		

			from other sites, how quickly brothers and sisters that which we take for granted can be taken away
from us, the people who are living comfortable lives. These are established cities, this is a
civilization. These are middle class, upper middle class people, they didn't expect anything to
happen to them. And instantaneously in less than a minute or two when the earthquake hit the taxi
driver that took me from Istanbul, Istanbul airport to pray an ayah Sophia, I told him I'm here on
behalf of the community helping whatnot. He began to cry. He said in sign language because I
couldn't speak Turkish he said for relatives of his were sleeping and the building fell down on
		

			them. And he's crying that they passed away. And we don't know their bodies yet for relatives of his
living in Gaziantep. The reality of what we take for granted simply being taken away from us how
quickly life as we know it can turn around and Subhanallah brothers and sisters, we think this is
far away over there. Have we forgotten here in our own cities? Have we forgotten Katrina that took
place? How have we forgotten these natural calamities, they don't differentiate between first world
and third world they don't differentiate between your citizenship and your nation state. These are
calamities that strike globally, and when they befall then Subhanallah everything as you know it
		

			comes to an end. And that's why of the things that we benefit from, to appreciate that which we take
for granted. COVID already gave us a sense of that. But we are now returning to our complacency. We
are now returning to our sense of entitlement. And that is a very dangerous sense. We should forever
be humble for the blessings that Allah has given us. Our Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam taught
us that when we see somebody in pain, somebody in tragedy, we should also benefit from that. How so
he said when you see somebody in tragedy, you should say see or to yourself Alhamdulillah Allah, the
foreigner member of tilaka be here with a burden I look at him and Calacatta Allah say thanks to
		

			Allah Alhamdulillah I have not been tested, Allah is testing you. Alhamdulillah I have not been
tested. And Allah has protected me and Allah has preferred me and chosen me over many, many many of
mankind. We are taught to learn a spiritual blessing to extract a moral benefit you yourself should
feel humbled you yourself should feel a sense of all up
		

			vitiation When you see others that are in pain and hurt, don't look to them with the eyes of
entitlement, no rather have a sense of humility, say Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah. Allah has
protected me Alhamdulillah Allah has given me what he has not given many of mankind. This is the
sentiment that came to me as I'm looking upon this reality of this disaster, an earthquake and
tragedy, point number two brothers and sisters of the things that are realized and appreciated
looking at this communal tragedy, all of a sudden, it dawned upon me the big difference between a
personal tragedy and a communal tragedy, you know, almost all of my tragedies, up until now have
		

			been personal, something happens to me. But society as a whole is still going on. And Hamdulillah I
have not wished witness civil war, I have not witnessed entire cities collapsing. But when an entire
city collapses, the level of tragedy is compounded beyond what we can imagine. And in this, I
actually found solace and comfort that you know what, any personal tragedy that happens to me, and
Hamdulillah, the infrastructure is still there, even if I am sick, something happens to me, I'll let
protect all of us, my wife, my children, my society is up and running, to see disaster strike an
entire city. And you know, those of us in Dallas, we got a little bit of taste of that two years
		

			ago, when the coal freeze happened right? When all civil services came to a shut, we couldn't call
911. When some of us needed severe help, and nothing, we got a little sense of that. Imagine an
entire city. Imagine a country overwhelmed with a natural calamity, the entire resources of that
country, despite the fact it is a developed country, it's difficult to maintain hundreds of 1000s of
homeless people, how are you going to feed instantaneously hundreds of 1000s of homeless so this
made me appreciate that any tragedy that happens in our personal lives, it is infinitesimally small,
compared to a tragedy that happens at a community level. And this also made me appreciate a dua that
		

			the Prophet system would say when he recited a verse of the Quran, I thought of this drop, I thought
of this ayah when I was looking at this tragedy, Allah says in the in the Quran in surah, Tottenham,
who will call you to Allah and yeah, Bertha i They come from Infocomm I will tell you they come out
you will be so calm she I and for you to cover how to converse about our profit system when he heard
this idea being recited by one of the companions. The verse translates, by the way, remind them
Allah is capable of sending you a punishment from the heavens. When the process I'm heard this, he
said, I seek refuge in Allah, I seek refuge in your face, Oh Allah, we don't want this. Then the
		

			idea goes on, or from under the earth, meaning an earthquake, the process, some said I seek refuge
in You, oh Allah from this ever happening, the ayah goes on, or we can cause you to fight one
another. And the prophets have said that is much easier to deal with. In other words, he did not say
I seek refuge in Allah the way that he did for the first two calamities, looking at the tragedy that
I saw this idea and the prophetic response gained a whole new meaning for me. Why did the prophets
have some say personal tragedies? valleca. One, it's easier to deal with because a personal tragedy
a calamity between two people, even between two groups of people. It is much much more manageable.
		

			You can handle it compared to a tragedy that comes globally or a tragedy that comes upon your entire
community. And this is the reality as well of what Allah references in sort of courage as well, that
Allah azza wa jal says Lila if you're courageous the Quran should thank Allah for the blessings He
has given them of those blessings are Tama humanure and Amina human health of the greatest
blessings, you have enough food and you're not worried about your safety, communal safety, that
safety that we take for granted. It is of the biggest blessings that Allah subhanho wa Taala has
given us so what I appreciated from this My second point is that no matter how big of a tragedy
		

			happens to us at an individual level Subhanallah we thank Allah that the tragedy is not taking up
the entire society, the entire family Wallahi brothers and sisters seeing hundreds of families
seeing fathers unable to take care of their children properly. Can you imagine that feeling? Can you
imagine how a man would feel when his wife when his children he cannot provide for them there's
nothing he can do. So looking at this made me appreciate any calamity that happens to me and you at
an individual level. May Allah protect us from any calamity at the communal level. The third point
that I it resonated with me and this is a bit personal. And I'm not trying to stop for a lot say
		

			anything other than don't read into what I'm trying to say. But I'll be honest with you. I felt a
sense of shame in my
		

			Self, I felt a sense of embarrassment and myself hamdulillah Allah has blessed me to be studying
this religion for 30 years full time and hamdulillah I'm aware of so many sciences and I've studied
so many. But you know, meeting these people who know nothing of what I know, they haven't studied
fake, Tafseer Hadith, I swear to you, and I'm being honest here. I felt a sense of shame in their
presence. Their Iman, was way beyond anything that I think I could ever aspire to.
		

			And it may be appreciate the difference between raw knowledge and between pure Iman and the two are
not the same. Innocent people,
		

			farmers, peasants, whatever they might be, and the level of Yaqeen the level of Tawakkol they had. I
felt as if I'm standing in front of giants in Iman, even though they had never studied the religion
as I had studied it. Brother Mustafa from Idlib I remember I have a picture of him I posted online,
all of this with permission. They gave me permission to tell their stories and post their pictures.
When I when we gave him some of the aid from our Masjid. So happy smiling, beaming I talked to him.
Where are you from? Oh, I'm from the city of Idlib. Oh, Syria. Mashallah. What are you doing here? I
fled the Civil War. 10 years ago, 10 years ago, you flood with your family. He said, I began a new
		

			life started from scratch. We had a start apartment. I was working manual labor here and there. And
now Subhanallah, we are back to zero. And as he is telling me this, he is smiling as if he's giving
me good news. We are back to zero again. And I was in shock. Like, can you imagine somebody
traveling or fleeing Civil War, fleeing with their wife and children, and then starting from
scratch, only to have everything that he's built start from scratch again, he told me when the
earthquakes hit, I took my wife and kids ran outside. We thought we'll be back in 2030 minutes. It's
been 10 days, I've been sleeping in the park, what's left? Nothing. I just took my wife and kids and
		

			Alhamdulillah I have my family. That's all I needed. hamdulillah the amount of you're keen to work
cool. Happiness. I met Sister Nora, from also from Heather from Syria. And she was a widow with two
young daughters. And I spoke to her about her family hurt situation. She also had fled the Civil
War. Her husband had been tortured in that region in Syria, then they had come and he passed away
I'm assuming because of the torture, she didn't get into detail. He passed away soon after they
came. So she was making ends meet you know, cleaning houses whatever. And same thing holds us back
to zero. And I asked her yeah, my aunt Yama, Yanni, what is going to be the future now where you're
		

			gonna go from here. And she just looked at me with a calmness. And she said, Allah will take care of
me.
		

			And when she said that, I just felt
		

			a sense of
		

			awe. Where does this Eman come from? And I wondered, honestly, when I have that level of conviction,
when I have that level of optimism and trust, Allah will take care of me that level of simple raw
Eman. I swear to you and I'm not stuck for Allah trying to burn it put me to shame. And I wondered,
of what uses mere studying of what uses quoting quotations. When these people have a level of Eman I
can only just imagine I cannot even fathom how they get it from. And so this taught me a lesson in
humility. It taught me that there are so many people out there Subhan Allah they might not have
studied the books they might not have trained, but Allah has blessed them with the level of Tawakkol
		

			Eclass, your clean Eman saubere that we should be in awe of and perhaps that is why Allah is testing
them to raise their ranks even higher. The fourth benefit and again all of this is from myself and
whoever wishes to benefit from this. It reminded me of a Hadith of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam going to these areas seeing the people around.
		

			You don't come back the same person really you don't. When you see such tragedy, such pain. It has
an impact on you that is difficult to put into words. The video footage doesn't do the same job as
you being there seeing the realities, and it reminded me of a hadith of a Bedouin who came to the
prophesy centum complaining Yes Will Allah my heart is hard. What should I do? My heart is blessed
with a call and the prophets of salaam said if you wish to soften your heart.
		

			If you wish to lino call back, you wish your heart to become soft. Go find an orphan and hug him
		

			and go find a hungry person and give him food to eat. to physically interact with people outside of
your socio economic bubble
		

			To get out of your comfort zone, and to be involved with segments of humanity that you typically do
not interact with, it changes your perspective of life. Subhanallah one of the things that we did
from an hamdullah the funds we raised here is that we made sure we're gonna get toys for the
children, you know, these children, some of them are orphans now there, we give them toys. And we
gave this little girl, you know, adult sets, you know, to play with that nothing else to do. She was
so happy after all the toys were distributed, she came up to me, and she hugged me. She said, Yeah,
I'm desert Calaca for making me so happy to do this, my eat today, a toy set that would cost $5 $10.
		

			And she's beaming with pleasure. And she's so happy that she got something like this, it made me
almost break down into tears in front of her something we take for granted. But Subhanallah when
you're there yourself, you see the situation. And that is why my advice to all of you, myself and
all of you. You know, unfortunately, we live in a land where many of us are disconnected from
poverty. Many of us we don't see people living difficult lives. Even though by the way, there are
people with difficult lives even in this city and everywhere, but we live disconnected from them. We
go to fancy fundraisers with mashallah chandeliers, we write our checks to, you know, the
		

			multimillion dollar organizations, which is fine. Of course, they need you know, these types of
things. But my advice to myself and all of you make an effort to go to people physically, and help
them out one on one, make an effort to see the reality of how other segments of mankind live, make
an effort, if you cannot do so here, then if you go back home or something, find families, you can
help one on one. And what that does is not just the check, check writing and sending it over. It
gives you a component of humanity of being somebody who's helping others, it gives you a sense that
you will never be able to get by simply writing a check and giving again, please don't misunderstand
		

			me, please continue to write checks, we need that. But some of your charity, some of it should be
personal. Some of it you go find an actual family that is in need. Go find an orphan, go find a
refugee family here in the city, and see how you can help them out one on one, follow the advice of
the Prophet sallallahu. I said him in this regard, it's not just this hadith of Buddha fit said, I
came to the Prophet salallahu Alaihe Salam and asked him for advice. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam advise me, love the Messiah keen, and sit with them, what journalists whom love the poor
people, and sit with them. And always look to those who are less fortunate than you. And don't look
		

			to those who have more than you. This is a Hadith of the process of job with that every Friday, when
he came for advice, what was the advice, love the Messiah keen, having your heart to love for poor
people, and don't just love them? What journalists home, think about the psychology of why the
Prophet system is telling a Buddha if it go sit with poor people, when you sit with people of a
different socio economic background, you can no longer take what you have for granted, you come back
a different person, you come back with a sense of humility, a sense of entitlement, a sense of
nobility to do something, I can't just live like this, I must help other people out. That sense will
		

			not come unless you interact with the poor. And therefore my fourth piece of advice, go out of your
comfort zone and get involved with people whom you can actually benefit with your smile benefit with
your hug as their profit system said, Go find an orphan and hug him to literally go and have a hug
from an orphan and feel their love for you feel the comfort, you give them Subhanallah it changes
everything. And that is more priceless than any check, you can write to any organization. The fifth
benefit, the fifth benefit, and this is a sad reality, tragedies, they bring out the best and the
worst of mankind. You know, I could tell you all the beautiful stories and all of that. And that's
		

			plenty of you know, plenty of the stories of heroism, the story of the guy who ran into the building
to save complete strangers, people sacrificing their wealth and with whatever little they have. And
that's all valid and true. But there's also the other side, and I'm saying this because there's
lessons for us. During these times of calamities, the worst aspects of humanity also come out. And
we hear stories of plundering of robbery taking place. When people don't have food to eat. They act
in very, very inhumane manners. I'm not blaming anybody, but we need to appreciate and be cognizant,
in times of tragedy. In times of stress. We see the realities of people. We see how they really are
		

			going to act. So the good people become the best of the best, and the bad people become the worst of
the worst. In some areas. We were told to not go back
		

			because there are now bandits that are robbing aid that is getting there. I don't blame them,
they're hungry, they're starving. They're literally robbing aid workers to feed other people,
they're going to take it. Unfortunately, this is a reality of what happens when you're having these
types of tragedies. The Jahai Lee comes out again of racism my nation state versus your nation state
and you're aware of there are multiple ethnicities living there, what's going to happen when one
group is getting another group feels this and that Subhanallah I learned as well that perhaps
perhaps, of the wisdoms of these calamities coming down, as Allah says in the Quran, Li Amis Allahu
		

			Allah be coming up for you. So Allah can separate the filthy from the pure, because those people
whose hearts are evil and bad, they show mankind how evil they are, and in that, they will get what
Allah azza wa jal will give unto them. And those people that are good Subhanallah they rise in their
ranks and they become the best of the best almost angels walking on Earth. And perhaps because of
that, Allah will give them what Allah will give them. So of the wisdoms tragedies calamities, they
bring out the best in the best, but they also bring out the worst in the worst. Point number six
brothers and sisters point number six.
		

			One of the things that I benefited from in this as well, is that we thank Allah subhanho wa Taala
that He created us such that we feel ennobled, being noble unto others, we feel a sense of doing
something useful. We feel motivation when we are helping other people. You know, I don't want to
mention too many persons but it was a very tiring trip very tiring from Fudger all the way we got
back to the hotel, you know, after midnight some nights. The point is, I got energy. I felt the
sense of we're doing something noble, I don't know from where but when helping other people you
sense Allah azza wa jal in sha Allah is rewarding you for what you're doing. The feeling of
		

			happiness in serving others, the feeling of nobility, in giving hikma to other human beings to my
Muslim brothers and sisters, that feeling I thanked Allah subhanaw taala for and this reminded me of
the Hadith of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, well Allah who founded Abdi Madame Allah,
		

			Allah will continue to help his servant as long as the servant is helping other people. Allah will
make you feel helped and bless it. Allah will make you feel useful when you make your life useful to
other people. When you make your life as service to other people, rather than just enough, see
enough See, rather than myself and my bank account know when you help others, you feel a sense of
nobility, you feel a sense of Allah's baraka and blessings is upon you. And that's something that we
thank Allah for. We thank Allah for because Allah didn't have to give us that. But he made us feel
good when we help other people. And that's exactly what our Prophet salallahu Alaihe Salam told us,
		

			the best of all mankind, He said, are those who are the most beneficial to mankind have eaten up
Buddhahood the best act of worship you can do is to make your brother or sister happy to increase
his happiness is the best act of worship you can do so I advise all of you to find nobility in
service unto other people. And my final point brothers and sisters, the final benefit is that
Wallahi will law he the blessings of being a Muslim, of having a man of understanding of being a
person who knows the Quran and knows Islamic theology Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah I don't understand
how people of no faith can cope with tragedy because the only thing that allows us to cope with
		

			tragedy is faith, faith Eman. It gives us hope when the situation is hopeless. It gives us courage
when you would think why should we be courageous? It gives us optimism in the darkest of times. It
allows us to understand to contextualize it allows us to think good thoughts of Allah subhanho wa
Taala to hope for a better tomorrow. Even though today is very bleak. eemaan faith Islam it gives us
that optimism when the world is dark your iman will give you light when the world is cloudy when the
world gives you nothing but disaster your iman will give you consolation and comfort and grief. Eman
is like a rock Eman is like an anchor. No matter what tidal wave comes no matter what tragedy comes
		

			your Eman will make you firm and your Eman will give you stability and courage Alhamdulillah we
thank Allah subhanho wa Taala with this Eman we can battle any tragedy that comes to us. We can look
forward to a better tomorrow. Even if not in this world. At least in the next world. How long will
tragedies last? How long will calamities maintain after while we're all going to go back when we
have Eman? We understand Allah has created life and death. Allah has created good and evil for us so
that he can test us who does the best of all deeds. So Iman gives us
		

			Something to look forward to. It gives us courage. It gives us optimism. It helps us deal with the
stress of life. If we did not have Eman, then honestly I don't understand how people can cope with
such tragedy but we thank Allah subhanho wa Taala Alhamdulillah Hilda de cada Annalisa warm Hakuna
Lola and her Daniela Baraka loi confocal. Anna all them wonderful anyway yeah, the Murphy Himalaya
ticker Hakeem automata smartphone was thought for Allah or the Emily welcome. Well, he started with
simulium Aquila them and festival guru in the hula food or Rahim.
		

			Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah Hill wa had that I had a summit Allah de la mia Redwater Mueller
Wollombi Akula who often had to do Muslims were close to Ramadan and the hope was of Ramadan are
going to be starting and we're going to be reminded of the realities of this blessed month. Perhaps
there are people here who might not live to see this Ramadan perhaps there are people here who might
not finish this Ramadan. Perhaps there are people here for whose Ramadan this is their last
stronghold on only Allah subhanho wa Taala knows, but now is the time. Still a month left now is the
time to prepare spiritually and logistically. Now is the time to start thinking and reflecting what
		

			will I accomplish this Ramadan? What are my goals and aims? What do I hope to achieve? What am I
going to do? Now is the time as well to logistically the one of the advices I give myself and
everybody start thinking of logistically Do you have some holidays off you can take for the last 10
You know is there something you can do to change your schedule to so that you can worship Allah
subhanho wa Taala better? Is there any read shopping you want to do do it now don't do another last
10 nights of Ramadan. These are small logistical things to make life easier for you so that you can
maximise on this benefit brothers and sisters Ramadan is the most blessed time of the year we all
		

			know it is a time when sins are forgiven ranks are raised Jana is established for some people are
saved from Jahannam it is a time of repentance and turning over it is a time when the evil become
righteous and the righteous become even more righteous. So let us utilize this month of Ramadan let
us prepare ourselves spiritually emotionally physically logistically let us think things through
within a month Ramadan is starting barely one month is left and Ramadan is starting. What can I do
to make this Ramadan the best from Oban that I've ever had? And I keep on reminding myself and all
of you every single Ramadan we strive to go higher and higher. Every Ramadan we built on the last
		

			Ramadan so that insha Allah hooter Allah Our best Ramadan that we've ever lived is going to be our
last Ramadan that's the goal. Every Ramadan will be better than the previous one. We have to keep on
raising the bar because there will be one Ramadan that will be my last and your last inevitable your
clean 100% There is no doubt about this. There will be a Ramadan that's going to be my last term Oh
Vaughn and your last travel bond. If it is to be this Ramadan, well then let's make it the best
Ramadan we've ever had so that we can meet Allah subhanho wa Taala with the maximum number of deeds
in order to make it the best Ramadan. We need to prepare from now so think plan be prepared and make
		

			this from Oban the best Ramadan ever Allah and NIDA and for amino, Allah has nothing to do with him
but he loves a photo while the Harmon Illa for Raja Wallah Dana Illa. Kavita, what am I read on
Elijah feta while I see Ron Elijah Sarita. Allama fildena wali is one in a Latina Saba corner Bill
Eman what a treasure I feel Cubanelles elderly lady Anna Amanu Robina in Nicaragua for Rahim, Allah
Houma, Arisa Islam our Muslim in Allahumma is an Islam and Muslim in Allahumma and Aradhana our Aden
Islam old Mr. Mehta be so in fact you don't have enough say, which outed me don't fit as BT he Yeah,
I'll call you. Yeah. RZ is about Allah and Allah to Allah Amara Combi Amarin better behavior NFC
		

			within NaVi melodica Do you see what's the letter become a ul nuneham engineer Hey, we're insane for
call as I'm gonna call it an anima in Hola Hola. Hola, como yo Soluna Allah Nabi you Hello Adina.
Amanu Sallu alayhi wa sallam with us Lima Allahumma salli wa salim robotic. Well, I'm allowed to
close with a kombucha Mohammed while the early he was a big Marine. Who by the law in the law Tata
motor we lightly went sideways orba 100 fascia it will Monica your belly, your ego Camilla, I'll
come to the karoun Oh, the Corolla had all the mayor the Kudo Commercial Crew Yes, they did a
commodity Colheita Allah Akbar world famous salah.
		

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