Yasmin Mogahed – Serenity – The Best Gift You Have Ever Received

Yasmin Mogahed
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The speakers discuss the importance of gratitude and humility in relationships with one, as it is crucial to stay committed to one's life. They also talk about the importance of knowing oneself and finding one's best gift. The speakers stress the need for patient mental health and not rushing to achieve success in life. They also mention a radio station called "come to our" and encourage listeners to support it. The segment ends with a reminder to support the radio station and encourage listeners to participate in a postiva event.

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			Assalamu alaikum This is yes mean which I hit and you're listening to serenity streaming live on one
legacy radio. Well, earlier today I asked a question to all of you and that question was, what is
the greatest gift you've ever been given? And I asked people to message us at Serenity at one legacy
radio.com I also got responses on Facebook, on my page, and somehow law reading through the
responses that you all shared, actually, you know, really, really made me happy and panela put put a
smile on my face and I hope inshallah, as I, as I share these stories, that it will do the same for
you. A lot of these stories are very inspiring, and you know, inshallah, I will, I look forward to
		
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			sharing them, I want to begin, you know, kind of by talking about what what inspired this idea, and
it has to do with actually one of the attributes of Allah subhanaw taala. And that is, Allah hebbe
Allah subhanaw taala. One of the ways he describes himself one of his 99 attributes is and Wahab and
Ella have means the one who loves to give gifts. Hubba is a gift, Allah subhanaw taala is the one
who loves to give gifts and Allah subhanaw taala is the one who gives and gives and gives gifts. Now
when you reflect on the nature of a gift, you'll find that a gift is not something that we buy,
right? A gift is something that we're given, and we never really paid the price for it, it isn't
		
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			something we can say we deserve. Rather, a gift is something that's just given to us. And we never
really paid for, and we never deserved, necessarily, but we're still given this this thing. And so
we when we look at what Allah subhanaw taala and reflect on what he's given us, we find that every
single thing that Allah has given us, is a gift. In fact, Allah Subhana Allah is Allah HEB and Allah
loves to give gifts. This means that you know, the things that I have, the blessings that I have,
are not things that I have paid for are not things that I deserved to have. Now, it goes along with
this, that when something is given to me, I'm grateful for it. However, when something that does not
		
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			belong to me or something that I didn't, you know, work for I didn't deserve necessarily what
happens then when it's taken away. And this is really where we get into the concept of in alila he
were in LA he Roger on that, indeed, we belong to a law and to Him we return everything that we have
from Allah subhanaw taala everything we quote unquote own actually belongs to Allah. And it's given
to us as a gift. But it is something still that Allah subhanaw taala has given analyst panatela can
take, and when we have the right
		
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			perspective, and we have the right understanding about everything we have in this life, and that it
all is a gift, then we have the proper response, when something is taken, or if if that gift, you
know is given to someone else and not given to me, we realize that Allah subhanaw taala gives to
whom he pleases, and Allah subhanaw taala withholds from whom he pleases. But even when Allah
subhanaw taala does withhold from us, he is still giving. This is part of really being able to see
the unseen and be able to being able to understand a lot of us, we think that we, you know, we we
look at the world through our eyes, right? We think that, that it's through our eyes, that we really
		
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			see things, and it's through our mind that we really understand things. But truly, it's actually
Allah subhanaw taala tells us in the end, that it's the heart that really sees, and it's the heart
that really understands things. If the heart is clean, then it will see things as they really are.
And if the heart is clean, then it will understand things as it really is. And so our hearts are
able to see that even when Allah subhanaw taala I mean, I may see with my eyes that Allah has
withheld from me, and yet with my heart, I understand that Allah is actually giving me and there are
actually some examples. So panela one beautiful example that I received
		
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			To this effect, when, when I asked the question, what was the greatest gift that you were ever given
one of the responses reads, the best gift I ever got was being rejected from medical school the
first time. It forced me to put my life in perspective. Before I had put the ambition of becoming a
doctor second to nothing, and I lost myself in the dunya without realizing it was a wake up call.
And from then
		
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			I am more conscious of a law of His signs and most importantly of my heart, I'm still struggling but
now I know is in the way of Allah.
		
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			Any medical school has lost this glamour even though I haven't begun as it is now just a vehicle in
which in the future I can help people for the sake of Allah and inshallah my intentions will remain
clean and again and gain blessings for from Allah subhanho wa Taala great blessings have befallen me
the year after my rejection. By Allah, I have been able to live and volunteer in Japan for five
months, been able to see the solar eclipse, Jupiter crosses the face of the sun, see a double
rainbow, meet so many wonderful people from the other side of the world, the wonderful signs of his
greatness, and handling that now I understand the blessings hidden in patience and sincere Allah
		
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			Subhana Allah so you know, this, this is one of those stories that really inspired me because you
see how, in her case or in his case, you'll find that it is in that Allah subhanaw taala withholding
that that was actually the greatest gift that this person had, that by, by actually being rejected
from medical school, this person was given something so much more than you know that the Medical
School Admission itself. And this is how Allah subhanaw taala sometimes gives us by withholding
		
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			someone else rights.
		
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			As soon as Assalamualaikum sister your question is a very beautiful one, but a very difficult one.
The first thing that pops up in my, in your mind when you talk about gifts is what was my most
beautiful birthday present. But the thing is that I cannot remember a single material thing in my
life for which I was the most grateful. To be honest, the first things that popped up in my mind
was, I am grateful for the last days I could spend with my grandmother, who passed away 10 years ago
now a lot.
		
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			I learned a lot from that experience. And that period just marked everything I did after that, I
think a lot of very often for all the good things he gave me and for all the things he didn't give
me. Because I am convinced that in the ladder, there must be something good as well as salaamu
alaikum warahmatullah
		
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			you know, and, and SubhanAllah. You know, these these stories, really, they really inspire us and
you can see how people's experience that when Allah subhanaw taala gives them they are thankful. And
when Allah subhanaw taala withholds. They are patient and in that patience, they're actually given
and you see how, although this this person's grandmother was taken by Allah subhanaw taala, Allah
gave, and Allah gave that that time with with this person's grandmother before she passed away, and
then Allah subhanaw taala gave after that as well. Anytime Allah subhanaw taala takes he also gives
at any time Allah subhanaw taala gives, he also gives allies always giving us the problem is that we
		
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			sometimes don't see it, we sometimes don't understand it. And it goes back to the the state of the
heart because again, it is the heart that sees and it is the heart that understands Allah subhanaw
taala describes people who have hearts that they don't understand with lahoma kulula Kahuna behind
that here Allah is describing not that they have minds that they don't understand what but that they
have hearts that they don't understand with. And then Allah subhanaw taala says in another area that
it is not the eyes that go blind, but it is the heart inside the chest that goes blind. So we
understand from these is that it's our heart that understands our world and it's our heart that sees
		
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			our world. If that heart is is healthy, and it is Saleem and it is clean, then we will see things as
they really are. And even when something seems to the outside world as being a loss or being a so
called bad thing that has happened, that heart will be able to understand it as it really is in and
see the gift in it and see how Allah subhanaw taala is actually giving that person even when he
seems to be taking inshallah, we will take a short break now and
		
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			Go ahead and Sharla and add your stories to the chat box about this question of what was the
greatest gift you have ever been given.
		
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			settimane calm This is the SME Mojo head and you're listening to serenity streaming live on one
legacy radio. We are speaking today about gifts, we are covered in gifts every single day of our
lives by Allah subhana wa Tada. And what we're talking about today is what we consider to be the
greatest gifts that we've ever been given. And it's really interesting as I go through your
responses and Hamdulillah, we've gotten many, many responses. As I go through them, it's really,
really, it's fascinating to look at the types of responses that that we do have. And you'll find
that that that so many of them actually come in the form of hardship come in the form of things that
		
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			people would normally not consider to be a gift things that people would normally want to avoid. And
yet it these are actually the things that people are, are naming as their greatest gifts we had
someone mentioned that one of the greatest gifts was that she was actually rejected from medical
school and and all the gifts that that came as a result of that. Another one actually reads.
		
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			Hi, sister, yes, me and majah had the best gift I have ever been given is being hit with anxiety. I
have never known what it was until I was diagnosed with it. I had been feeling really down for the
past three years and did not know why. Everything in my life just kept going from bad to worse. And
I kept thinking it can it can get any I kept thinking it couldn't get any worse. And it always did.
Getting anxiety just pushed me to rock bottom, especially because at the time, I did not know what
it was. I explained my situation to a friend. And she said to me something that has changed. She
said pray that day I was at home and being a Muslim who had not prayed in years, I heard the event
		
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			and I thought I'm going to pray. And I did and it has changed my life completely. Since panela you
you see in this in this inspirational story as well, that it was it was the anxiety that brought her
to pray. It was it was the it was actually the anxiety. You know that someone who had not prayed in
years was was was driven to turn to Allah subhanaw taala and pray and it was because of the anxiety
against something that was that is a hardship something that people you know, don't normally think
would be considered a gift and yet, this is this became the greatest gift that she that she ever
had. Because it led her to Allah subhana wa tada and this is exactly you know, really the definition
		
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			of good of anything that's a good of anything that's that's a blessing for us, would be anything
that brings us to Allah subhanaw taala and indeed sometimes it does come in the form of a hardship
sometimes it does come in the form of what seems as though Allah subhanho wa Taala is withholding
you know, we have hamdulillah we have so many people sharing their stories. Another message says the
best gift I have ever been given was from my Creator sustainer master and protector Allah He allowed
me to visit his glorious house and palace during one of the most beloved times of the year. The last
10 days of Ramadan.
		
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			He allowed me to follow the Sunnah of the beloved messenger of Allah sallallahu send them and do
attic calf at mustard hot him.
		
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			For 10 days I ate drank, slept prayed and glorify my lord day and night and complete peace and
serenity. Really is a gifts upon Allah.
		
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			This is the best gift that any man or woman can ask for me unless pinata allow us all to visit his
beloved house and mean that while Subhanallah that that really is a gift and these are the things
that
		
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			are priceless. These are the things that we ask Allah subhanaw taala to gift us with as well. May
Allah bless you and you know make dua for us in sha Allah that we can do the same.
		
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			So another message reads
		
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			Santa Monica Mustafa, the best gift I've ever received from Allah was my husband. He is the best
friend that was hand selected for me when destinies were being written, although we argue from time
to time and don't always see eye to eye. In fact, the fact is that of handed in that he is my
soulmate. He is the rock I fall back on and the support that keeps me standing. He can take me from
the tears of sorrow to the tears of laughter within seconds and hamdulillah he is the greatest gift
I have ever received. And I pray that Allah always protects our marriage, and grants us an eternity
together of love, peace and happiness in this world.
		
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			In the next I mean, see what isn't inshallah Chawla the mean May Allah subhanaw taala protect your
marriage and protect this blessing of Allah subhanaw taala remember that Allah says that if you
thank him and if you are grateful to Allah subhanaw taala that he will increase you are in shocker
Toma as he then netcom Allah tells us if you are if you thank him if you are grateful, then I will
increase you. So we know that the more that we are thankful to Allah subhanaw taala the more that we
think a lot the more we are grateful to Allah subhanaw taala The more he increases us and we ask
Allah subhanaw taala to always make us thankful to always make us grateful and that Allah subhanaw
		
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			taala never withholds his his blessings from us.
		
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			Another message read send em sister.
		
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			My name is Raja and I used to work at a hospital with post neurosurgery patients. I used to spend
time with them and help them with basic tasks such as walking and eating. There was a patient about
90 year old woman diagnosed with late stage brain tumor. She used to love seeing me every day, when
I was leaving the job, she gave me a surprise gift. She had asked her granddaughter to bring a
French scarf that her father in law had presented to her as a gift. When she got married to her
husband. She gave it to me because I wore the hijab, and she felt that the hijab would be something
that I would always keep close to me and remember her. It was a very important gift to me because it
		
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			made me realize and reflect upon my intention of wearing my hijab. I never realized that another non
Muslim would be able to see my love for my hijab that I unconsciously had. After receiving her
gifts, I realized that my hijab brings so much positivity around me, which I never consciously felt
like it existed. That was the best gift I've ever received. And it is a very special gift to me.
Does. echolocating does echolalia to all of you for these really beautiful stories. Finally, when I
thought to you know about this question, I I'm pleasantly surprised by the answers and hamdulillah
these are really beautiful stories and ask Allah Spano Tata to bless you all.
		
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			This one reads, I cried to Allah when I call him or look his creation, it wonders me how Allah has
made such perfection in his creation, when you look at them, including myself, and you know, somehow
this is the thing about reflecting on the creation of a law the more that you, you, you really look
at and reflect on the creation of Allah subhanaw taala including our own selves, the more you you,
you realize a less panatela is His Majesty in his glory. Because Allah subhanaw taala the creation
that he made, you know, Allah says For example, in sort of that mold when you look at the sky, you
can't find any fault in it, you can't find you know, like, like a little crack in it. And Allah
		
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			says, you know, look back to jail Buster halterman photo, when you look at you know, you look at it
once you look at the creation of Allah, you look at the sky, or you look at the moon, and it's like
overwhelming, unless that is saying look back and do you find you do you find any fault in it and
Allah tells us that when you look, even just looking at the creation of Allied it, it overwhelms you
it overwhelms the eyes and, and the heart
		
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			and Allah subhanaw taala gives us that as a as an A as a sign. Another message reads
		
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			a cemani comb.
		
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			My name is autopot Hussein and I'm from Bangladesh. The best gift I got from Almighty Allah is my
health. There's a proverb that health is better than wealth. Every time I see any human being
physically challenged. I always try to thank my Creator a law that I have no physical damage.
Secondly, my favorite sport is football and again hamdulillah for my better health, I can play my
sport very well. Thank you so much and I'm happy to share my feelings. May Allah Spano Tata bless
you with good health indeed health is one of the greatest gifts or less power that it gives us and
we we asked a less pinata to give us good health and to give health good health to all those who are
		
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			sick. Pluto me in
		
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			the next message says My name is Raul. We and this person actually shares in another message. A
separate message
		
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			says sell em sister yes mean my greatest gifts are the opportunity of knowing you and brother and
amen from Facebook and YouTube. I was in deep since before I did so many bad things over and over
again until I was depressed and suicidal until I listened to your lectures and brother Norman's
lecture. And hamdulillah after that I turned I turned back to a law. And that was really a turning
point when I wrote to you and you replied, I am now still struggling but I am stopping doing sins
and hamdulillah please continue
		
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			You to pray for me. We ask Allah subhanaw taala to make it easy for you and to continue to you know
to help you in that path that you've taken May Allah subhana wa tada bless you and keep you firm in
sha Allah.
		
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			The best gift I've ever another message reads the best gift I've ever given is in an actual physical
present through a person was off the top of my head, my grandmother's ring that she gave me before
she passed away. But in a deeper sense, the best gift that Allah subhanaw taala has given me out of
everything is my very understanding and kind parents including my stepfather who was so kind and has
helped raised me to be who I am and hamdulillah there are so many things that I randomly just
appreciate about them I feel so lucky. And you know Subhanallah It is one of the greatest gifts is
actually being able to recognize the greatest gifts that you have unless Connaughton is blessing you
		
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			because you're able to be grateful and be and be thankful for those things. And you know May Allah
Spano Tata continue to bless you and your family and you know your parents and your and your
stepfather as well.
		
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			Another message reads, the best gift I was given was this Ramadan, Allah opened up my heart to
really show me what Islam was all about. And one legacy radio contributed a lot as well. I think
Allah subhanaw taala for showing me the correct path. I used to think that praying five times a day
and reading the code and daily was hard to do, and that I don't have time, but thankfully Allah
subhanaw taala guided me that's the best gift ever. May Allah keep you firm and continue to bless
you. You went on with the remembrance of Allah subhanaw taala which is really truly the greatest the
trait the greatest blessing.
		
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			This message reads a cinnamal a consistory, I mean. I pray you are in the best of health and Amen.
inshallah. I will make this short and sweet as I know you will be receiving many other emails to the
best gift I have ever received is the gift of Amara paid for entirely by my grandmother, who my
husband and I also took with us the first and only time I had visited the most sacred place on
Earth, which was this year Alhamdulillah I will never forget it does echolocate sister, Laila
		
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			you know me Allah Spano Tata bless us all with with with visiting his house and those who have
visited May Allah subhanaw taala bless you with with returning there.
		
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			This this reads, best gift is Islam. Why so we can go to Jenna inshallah. Very short and sweet and
very true. It is true that of all the gifts we have and in him that Allah subhanaw taala and will
have has really blessed us with many, many gifts. But again, out of all of those gifts, the greatest
gifts is the gift of Islam. One of the dogs that were supposed to make regularly in the morning and
in the evening is literally to Billa he robbed them with Islam, Medina, Moby Mohammed and Salatu
Salam nebia, what a Sula and And what this means is I have I am contented with I have rather, I'm
contented with Allah as my Lord, Islam as my religion, and Mohammed Silva law to sell them as my
		
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			prophet and messenger. And really this is, you know, when it really when you really boil it down
those, having those three things is enough to keep a person content is enough is enough for a
person, and we haven't hamdulillah those things. And as believers, we have those things and much
more. But those really are the greatest gifts that we have. As cemani come, I would say the best
gift I've ever gotten would be the gift of enlightenment and knowledge of right from wrong. Knowing
the stems true purpose, and leading life in that manner would be the ultimate gift for anyone in my
opinion, does echolocate for rehab, and 111. And indeed that is true.
		
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			Allah subhanaw taala if he has given you the gift of guidance, he really has given you the greatest
gift and males pinata keep us all firm. In that, I mean,
		
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			this person writes, the best gift I have ever got is a true friend, they are hard to come by and
hamdulillah Indeed Allah subhanaw taala has, has blessed you if he has blessed you with a true
friend and they are indeed hard to come by. You know, especially when you have a friend, that you
know where your love for that friend is for the sake of a law and the love of, of new for that
friend and the love of that friend for you is for the sake of Allah subhanho data, there are many
very powerful a hadith about this, that even the prophets and the martyrs would would look at, you
know, the, the position that that such people would have, on the day of judgment, that the position
		
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			that they would have in the hereafter and and and and actually you know want that because of because
of the such you know the the high status and the high reward for those who loved each other for the
sake of Allah and so you know those types of friendships.
		
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			Those types of relationships are very, very priceless. And they are very hard to find. And
especially those friends that remind you of Allah Spano Tata, those friends that that you know
they're a mirror for you, in the sense that when you make a mistake, or you're hurting yourself
ultimately in your relationship with Allah Spano Tata, they're there to tell you, they're there to
be a reflection for you and remind you and and not in a way that's demeaning or or in a way of
putting you down but out of sincere love and care for you. Those really are the friends that that
are extremely hard to find and are very, very, you know, very strong blessing of Allah subhanaw
		
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			taala this person writes the best gifts I've ever given been ever gotten his life A big thank you to
my mother for giving me the gift of life. She has gone through so much pain to bring me up. Now at
20 years I finally realized Allah to Allah has given me life and my mother brought me into this
world 20 years ago. Love you mama you have given me the best gift ever. I may not be able to listen
to this. But anyways, please to quote me, and this person writes from from Singapore, Masha Allah,
we we know that, you know, Allah subhanaw taala tells us that you know this, again about the
sacrifices that our mothers have made for us and we ask Allah subhana wa tada to bless you and your
		
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			mother and to reward her and all the mothers for the sacrifices that we make every day as mothers
unless pinata, you know, reminds us of the treatment that that we owe to our mothers for the
sacrifices of the prophets I send them tells us that that Jenna that heaven is at the feet of your
mother. So indeed, showing gratitude to your parents. You know, it's part of the prescription that
Allah Subhana Allah has given us in the end, that you know, we are supposed to worship Allah
subhanaw taala and, you know, show show gratitude and sn the most beautiful of behavior and demeanor
to our parents and we ask Allah to make that easy for us. I mean,
		
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			the best gift this person writes, the best gift I have ever gotten has to be my mother, my father,
my siblings and my friends. And as corny as it sounds, the gift of life at hamdulillah it doesn't
sound corny at all. Most definitely is a gift that Allah Spano Tata has given us life. Because it is
due to that gift of life that we are able to know Him and we're able to to worship Him and we're
able to love him and eventually inshallah be with him. in Jannah, Allah has chosen us while he has
not chosen others, to take that path and we have we have most definitely to be grateful for that.
		
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			This message reads as cemani can being blessed with parents and a family is the best gift anyone can
ever receive. May Allah bless you and your family and keep all the families strong, you know,
subpanel lights. There are a lot of forces that can separate families and we ask Allah subhanaw
taala to bless our families and our communities inshallah.
		
00:28:16 --> 00:28:32
			someone writes said I'm wanting to come sister Yes, me and my name is Richard. The best gift I
received was that of life I was born premature at 25 weeks, weighing only one pound 13 ounces, not
breathing for about 10 minutes.
		
00:28:33 --> 00:28:44
			I was pronounced dead by doctors. When I suddenly gave a gasp and started breathing on my own. I
shouldn't have survived but by Allah's Will and Grace, that I am alive today and
		
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			the further gift was I reverted to Islam 13 years ago, I've had a hard life as a result of my birth.
I have cerebral palsy as well as a severe stutter. Despite my difficulties. Three years ago, I had
the urge to give back. I started on the path to become a formal Islamic scholar with my stutter.
It's been more difficult than most, but I'm determined to attain my goal inshallah. I hope my
knowledge will teach others and bring them closer to Allah, especially those who are disabled, to
give strength never to give up. May Allah keep us close to Allah no matter what happens to us in
this world. zakka Lochhead. Brother Richard, while Subhanallah that is a very powerful story, you
		
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			know, these are these are real stories, and May Allah subhanaw taala make, make your path easy and
grand to tell 50 grand to success in every endeavor that you make for his sake and May Allah
subhanaw taala you know, give you that, that that reward in this life in the next insha Allah, may
Allah bless you for for the the effort that you're making. inshallah, we will go ahead and take
another break now. And when we return, we'll continue reading learning
		
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			stories about the greatest gift that you've ever been given.
		
00:30:14 --> 00:30:56
			Assalamu Aleikum This is Jesse Mujahid and you're listening to serenity streaming live on one legacy
radio, we are speaking today about gifts, and about those gifts that we feel were the greatest gifts
ever given to us. Essentially, we're speaking today about gratitude and recognizing the gifts that
Allah Subhana Allah has given us throughout our lives. We've shared some very inspirational stories
from you the listener, and we continue to share those now. One person writes, the greatest gift I
received so far is awareness of STEM, I'm going through a broken marriage. And I was so addicted to
my husband to the level it caused me a lot of pain I was unable to function I found about your
		
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			lectures and indeed they made me stand again and hamdulillah
		
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			you know spatola the
		
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			panel, you know, the the awareness of our of our ultimate purpose is is really one of the greatest
gifts in it and it is that which which allows us to to really be able to handle anything that does
come our way it's only by the will of Allah Spano Tata and the grace of Allah that we are able to
handle those things and May Allah Spano Tata make your trial easy for you? And grant you nearness to
him inshallah I mean,
		
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			another person rights, how come I'm safe here and not in Syria, and all the other Muslims? How is it
that I'm not in Somalia, suffering hunger, I just hope all these gifts won't end up becoming a great
trial for my Amen. All I can say is that Hamdulillah, Allah made me Muslim.
		
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			May Allah bless you for realizing you know, the gifts that you have, and that others don't have a
lesser panatela, you know, tells us again, you know, we said that when Shackleton as he then nachum,
when you are thankful to Allah, He increases you. The The, the problem is that if we are not
thankful, that's when the the blessing itself can become a trial. And so we have to be thankful. And
also we have to be patient. One, one point that I want to remind you and myself is that when we are
given these blessings, we also need to be very patient. We need to we need to exert some power, when
we are blessed, as well as when we are tested. And what does that really mean. In fact, scholars say
		
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			that it requires more severe more patience, during times of ease than during times of hardship. And
a lot of people would ask, you know, how is that even the case, but if you if you really look at it,
you'll find that during times of ease, it's much easier to become heedless, it's much easier to
become distracted, it's much easier to forget, who was the source of your ease, who was the source
of your blessings. And it's much easier to attach your heart to other than Allah subhanho wa Taala.
And during the time of ease, and so it requires during the, you know, with, with having those gifts
with having, you know, the the blessing of your husband, or your fiance, or your money, or your
		
00:33:14 --> 00:33:58
			health, or any of these things that Allah has given you, that it's during those times that you
really have to really hold to that patience of, of remembering, first and foremost who it came from,
and being thankful to him, but also being careful not to let it distract you from the remembrance of
Allah, to be careful not to let it become something that you love more than Allah Subhana Allah and
His messenger and striving and his cause. And this is something that Allah warns us about, in the
end, that we should never allow any of these gifts that Allah has given us of our family, of our
jobs, of our commerce, any of these things are dwellings, or houses, that none of those things
		
00:33:58 --> 00:34:20
			should ever be more beloved to us than Allah and His messenger and striving in his cause. And so
that is part of the the need for for sobotta. That's the reason why we have to have patience in the
times of ease as well. And it's also why sometimes it's harder to have patience in the time times of
ease, because when something is
		
00:34:21 --> 00:35:00
			taken from you, or your Will you know something is withheld from you. Sometimes we really don't have
a choice but to be patient. It's sometimes when we're given that there's all these options and now
it becomes maybe more of a fitna more of a trial for us to stay focused to stay committed to Allah
subhanaw taala first and foremost and to remember always, who gave you that gift, and to remember
always that that gift can come and that gift can go and to never become ultimately attached to the
gift itself. But remembering that our ultimate attachment should be to the giver and not to the
gift. It's
		
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			We have a panel so many more inspiring stories.
		
00:35:07 --> 00:35:50
			This person writes, it is amazing how many of us found peace of mind again after reading your
articles and listening to your show, dear sister, may Allah subhanaw taala reward you and give you
many gifts in athleta for all the gifts you've given dunya home I mean, we ask Allah subhanaw taala
to accept and definitely, definitely any good that that came out of, of anything I've ever written
or said is only solely from Allah subhanaw taala and because of Allah Spano Tata and that in and of
itself is a gift, because I definitely never deserved it. I never did anything, you know, to, to pay
for it. And it isn't because you know if there's something that someone says that that's that's true
		
00:35:50 --> 00:36:31
			or beneficial to you, it is only from Allah Subhana Allah gives gifts to the most undeserving people
never think that it's because that person is better than you it's it's simply because Allah Spano
Tata has has in it because of lies and will have he loves to give gifts and gifts are given to those
who don't deserve them so it's all electronic data and and if there's anything that that I've said
that was wrong it's it's from my own self. someone writes said I'm on a consistory as mean probably
having found you in this Ramadan was my greatest gift in this year. May Allah Spano tala bless you
more and more in this life in hereafter inshallah Aloma I mean and and ham did a lot of Allah mean
		
00:36:31 --> 00:36:36
			again all good is from Allah subhanaw taala. And only the mistakes are my own.
		
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			Someone else? Let's see, we have spinal so many powerful stories this person writes, my best gift
was when my dream to travel to the US to work as a doctor faded away by my dad's illness, I then
stayed in Egypt, not aware that Allah is just planning for me to be a valuable person. For more than
a year I have been taking place in Egypt's revolution. And now preparing to head to Syria in sha
Allah with a medical convoy. Now I know why I was meant to be a surgeon, Allahu Akbar, Subhana.
Allah. This is this is one story among many, where you see that sometimes things don't work out the
way you plan them, or the way you want them. And you don't realize at all that Allah subhanaw taala
		
00:37:24 --> 00:38:05
			has something so much better planned for you. And this is a story that actually I've shared before
in one of my pieces of when, when my son was younger, and he was trying to, you know, be very
independent. And so he he wanted to kind of do you know, who's going through that stage, he was just
short of two years old. And he was going through that stage where he wanted to do everything on his
own and, and as he was trying to get out of the car, he he wanted to get out on his own. And so I
was kind of just observing and letting him do what he can. And then as soon as he got out of the
car, he wanted to shut the car door. But from where I was standing, I could see that if I let him
		
00:38:05 --> 00:38:48
			cut the shut the car door himself, the edge of the car door would actually hit him in the head and
hurt him. And so at that point, I intervened, right, I carried him and I shut the car door myself.
Well, at this he was just beside himself, he was very upset. And he just started crying hysterically
and was very upset that he didn't get to do it the way he wanted, and get to get to, you know, shut
the car door himself. And Subhanallah I was reflecting on the story and, and the fact that we we are
much like you know, this child ourselves in our lives, that we want to do things a certain way. We
want things to work out the way we want them to. And we don't see that sometimes things don't happen
		
00:38:48 --> 00:39:29
			the way we want them. But it's because Allah subhanaw taala is intervening. And he knows best and
sometimes Allah subhanaw taala is protecting us from harming ourselves. And it's a harm that we
don't see, you know, just like that he did didn't see that, you know, that, that if he did it, if I
let him do it the way he wanted to, he would hurt himself. He couldn't see that in in in the place
where he was and Subhanallah this is this is how we are. We don't see the the unseen. We don't see
the future we don't understand that we might really really want things to work out a certain way
really want to marry a certain person really want to get into a certain school, you know, really
		
00:39:29 --> 00:40:00
			want to have a particular degree or career or whatever it is, you know, from big to small. But we
don't realize that that Allah Subhana Allah knows best and you know, this is what Allah reminds us
in the hood an asset and Takahashi and Haydn lakum wasa and to hibou Shea and will overshadow nachum
It may be that you hate something and it is good for you. And it may be that you love something and
it is bad for you. And Allah knows and we do not know Allah sends the idea with this statement.
Allah is the one who knows
		
00:40:00 --> 00:40:43
			Best, Allah sees what we don't see. So we really need to have more trust in Allah subhanaw taala as
you see, in this story, this this is among many beautiful stories about how things didn't work out
the way he wanted. And to him, it seemed that, you know, the door had been closed. And he and he
wanted to close the door, but he realizes, you know, like in the story of the surgeon, that alas
pinata had something better planned for him, and Alo always has something better plan for us, but we
we need to have more trust than we do. Allah subhanaw taala knows and we don't know. So inshallah
continue to write your your stories. in the chat box. We have someone writes, my greatest gift has
		
00:40:43 --> 00:40:54
			been my divorce I have learned about myself, and what I am made of during this time and I'm grateful
to have a second chance at life love and happiness, and have the left for the grace of God and
providing me
		
00:41:02 --> 00:41:09
			and hamdulillah for the grace of God and providing me with everything I needed to exit my marriage
with a healthy mind
		
00:41:10 --> 00:41:52
			Subhana Allah and you know, this is this is a, again one of those those situations where we're
alumnos and we don't know sometimes people consider the end of something as being, you know, the end
of the world right and this is you know, sometimes how people how people treat it and yet Allah
knows best sometimes the end is really a beginning and Allah knows best what, you know, where where
our path leads. someone writes, I have been struggling with depression for the past two years, and
now I come to realize my real purpose and hamdulillah This is the greatest gift for me from Allah
does echolocate for your works. Sister gets me and you made a huge difference. The way I think now,
		
00:41:52 --> 00:42:33
			Allahu Akbar hamdulillah This is a blessing from Allah subhanaw taala the way that we see the world,
you know, it has everything to do with the way we respond. And one thing that you know, one thing
that that a person sees us as being bad, if you have a different lens, you see it as good, you know,
something is black, when you have a black lens, something is white, when you have a white lens, it
all depends on what's the lens that you're using. And as we know that lens is the lens of the heart,
the heart will see things as white if the heart is white, and will see things as black, if the heart
is black, we ask Allah subhanaw taala to keep our lens, the lens of our heart clean, so that he can
		
00:42:33 --> 00:42:35
			see things always as white inshallah.
		
00:42:38 --> 00:43:19
			Someone says Subhana Allah amazing similar, my dream was to become a doctor, I failed the exam, my
family was not supportive, and I was disappointed. But in the end, I realized these were signs of
Allah, I ended up in another academic field, and working on a doctorate at hamdulillah. This opened
my eyes, Allahu Akbar, again, you know, zpanel Allah is the best of planners and this person, you
know, started out somewhere ended up somewhere completely different. I see this this story a lot,
actually. One of the inspiring versions, you know, one of the inspiring examples of the story is
actually my, my sister, my older sister, you know, many of you may have heard of her dead damaged
		
00:43:19 --> 00:43:57
			heads. And you know, when you find out where she's at now, and then wish she started and it's like,
no one could apply that but Allah subhana wa Tada. And, like, for example, like right now, you know,
she was She's the director of the Gallup center for Muslim studies. And, you know, she had served as
an advisor on with for Obama for a year appointment. And when you when you look at, you know, where
her degree was, originally, she actually got a bachelor in chemical engineering. So Hannah law, and
you find that, you know, that whenever she took, you know, a path, you know, you when you take the
path in any kind of, you know, you take the path and you have the right intentions. Allah subhanaw
		
00:43:57 --> 00:44:35
			taala. steers you. And somehow, you know, it's interesting, because when she, she got her degree in
chemical engineering. And then she, you know, she started working and it wasn't in a field that she
was actually very passionate about. It wasn't it wasn't her passion. And so she actually took a year
maternity leave. And after she finished that year, she was supposed to be able to come back to work.
But, you know, they didn't really know because she had been gone for a year, they ended up what they
call packaging, her a packaging, her giving her a package, so that she could, you know, basically,
they it's kind of like a fancy way of laying you off because you were gone for maternity leave. As a
		
00:44:35 --> 00:44:59
			result of that. They gave her us, you know, like a scholarship to go back to school. And so she used
that to actually go back and get her MBA. And after getting her MBA, she was hired by Gallup and
Subhanallah when she was hired by Gallup, she started as a strength coach something completely
different than where she ended up. And you know, Allah subhanaw taala had planned it for her and she
ended up founding being the founder, you know, and director
		
00:45:00 --> 00:45:33
			one of the founders and directors of Muslim studies at Gallup it didn't exist before. Before that
and you see how the panel Allah led her there from a place you never would have imagined and it all
happened because of things that you know you might not have expected it to be a good thing you know
when she because it was because she was laid off of her job that she went back to school and then
eventually ended up where she's at now and Pamela this is this is the way Allah subhana wa tada you
know, works that that Allah has a plan for us that's far greater than any plans we could have for
ourselves.
		
00:45:36 --> 00:45:42
			Someone else has Pamela these stories, someone else writes cinema alikum sister, yes mean? Probably.
		
00:45:44 --> 00:45:53
			It Oh, it's amazing. How many of us found peace of mind of peace of mind. In in these writings?
Someone says How come?
		
00:45:57 --> 00:46:00
			Yes, again, the similar stories upon the law.
		
00:46:07 --> 00:46:51
			You know, one thing you'll realize when you when you reflect on these, these stories, is that again,
the the blessings of Allah subhanaw taala come in different forms. Whenever we we look at something
and we and we want to know, how should we respond and how should we interpret it? It's important
that we understand that again, things are not often how they seem. If we if we put our trust in
Allah subhana wa Tada. We'll see that Allah always makes a way out for us. One of my favorite is is
is the idea that I remind you and myself of, and that's the idea that says what Allah Spano Tata
says will mean your tequila, Allahu Maharaja, why it is a woman. hyphal is him. Whoever has taqwa of
		
00:46:51 --> 00:47:37
			Allah. And taqwa is this consciousness of Allah subhanaw taala. fear of Allah protecting oneself
from the displeasure of Allah Spano Tata, whoever has that quality, Allah always makes a way out for
them, and protect and provides for them from places that they never imagined. Allah is is the one
who always makes a way for you, no matter you know, no matter what the situation is, unless apana
with Allah is the one who makes a way out and it's from places you know, you know, the second part
of this, this passage in the next area of this is sort of the talaq Allah says and way as a woman
hyphal a hero was saying that he provides for him from places that he never imagined. You know,
		
00:47:37 --> 00:48:17
			sometimes we are looking in one direction, for the gift, we're looking in one direction for the
provision of Allah subhana wa Tada. And yet, the provision comes from a completely different
direction, one that we never expected. Sometimes this is, you know, this is kind of the theme of
many of the stories that you've shared is this, that we thought, you know, that our path was in, in
one place? Maybe we thought, you know, some of them. Some people had shared that with that they
thought their path was in medical school or in moving to the United States or, or in, you know,
sometimes marrying a certain person. And then you find that a lesson that I had something in store
		
00:48:17 --> 00:48:36
			for me for you from a completely different direction. That's how Allah provides for us from places
we never imagined. Someone asked which which sorta is that that's sort of the talaq and it's verses
two and three have sort of the talaq Romania, tequila de la Maharaja, why are so human hifu like
		
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			thank you very much for your for your very inspirational stories. We asked the last panel data to
continue to bless all of you, and all of us with His gifts. And, you know, tune in to serenity
regularly. We are now post Ramadan. Our schedule is Tuesdays and Thursdays and we and we are live at
this time every Tuesday and Thursday. That's one o'clock pm Pacific, eight o'clock, GMT and four
o'clock eastern standard time.
		
00:49:09 --> 00:49:53
			We you know, we ask you to support the radio station. We We are a nonprofit. And this radio station
is supported by listeners, please do support the radio station by clicking on become a member. What
this does is it gives you the opportunity to support us so that we can continue to have these types
of shows and we can continue to grow. If you can support and also please you know share it with your
friends and family. We want to keep shows like this on air. We want to have this this for all of us.
And you know, one of the things you'll find is we have an international community here. When you go
on the chat box. If I were to ask everyone to write what country they're listening from in the chat
		
00:49:53 --> 00:50:00
			box, you will find that Subhanallah we are international. We want to continue to have this this
place.
		
00:50:00 --> 00:50:44
			For us to come in and support one another, so please do become a member, support the radio station
and and share this, this effort with your friends. We ask Allah subhanaw taala to, to make it you
know to bless you all and continuously bless you with with the you know with these gifts and to
always allow us to see things as they really are even when Allah subhanaw taala withholds from us to
allow us to see how Allah subhanaw taala actually gives even when he withholds he gives someone you
know share just now in the chat box I honestly thought that accepting my first job, everything would
go smoothly, but that job didn't go well for me and I was offered a job that I rejected earlier at
		
00:50:44 --> 00:51:29
			hamdulillah Praise be to Allah I never thought things would sort out for me these in this way. In
supine Allah this so many stories like that a less pathetic takes care of it when you think that
things are not working out a little has a different plan. inshallah continue to support the station.
And you know, I'm going to take actually a moment right now and ask you to write in the chat box
where you are listening from What country are you in? We have so far we have Belgium, Nayla from
Belgium, Ollie writing from Pakistan. Guest 10 and 1001 does echolocating mean greetings from
Finland? As you can see we are Subhanallah You know, I'm here in Southern California. But we connect
		
00:51:29 --> 00:52:12
			with people all over the world. We have SPS from Houston Texas. And you know this is this is a you
know anytime we we ask people to to really join in the conversation realize that you are
communicating with with people from all over the world. We we have Canada Morocco now coming in on
the chat box. May Allah subhanaw taala continue Egypt London Subhana Allah May Allah continue to
make this a global effort and please please do support the radio station now we have Nina Nina
Salaam to everyone from Algeria, Alabama. So so far we have Algeria Alabama, London, Egypt, Houston,
Texas.
		
00:52:15 --> 00:52:25
			hungry, Michigan, Bangladesh, Morocco, Canada, Houston, Finland, Pakistan and Belgium. So Panama
		
00:52:26 --> 00:52:27
			and New Hampshire,
		
00:52:29 --> 00:52:31
			Canada, Kashmir, India
		
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			Mashallah, I didn't Yes, Panama.
		
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			Alabama, we have we have more international than I had expected. So Panama inshallah I ask everybody
to please keep keep this this oma in your eyes, all those suffering all over the world. And we ask
Allah subhanaw taala that we will always be grateful for the gifts that he's given us. And that we
will continue to be gifted by Allah subhana wa Tada. You know, and with with the greatest gifts of
Alice pannacotta which is near and dear to him, including Connie Heather was tough for a lot he will
echo in the hava formula him was Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.