Are you Ready to Meet Allah

Bismillah Alhamdulillah wa Salatu was Salam ala rasulillah

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh My dear sisters and brothers

in the lilla who were in the Illa Hara June, barely to Allah do we belong and barely unto him We shall return.

On Saturday night, Saturday

morning, I got an early morning I got a text message from a dear friend of mine, who told me that her sister had passed away.

An amazing young woman that I knew for more than 20 years now. She passed away on the evening of Friday, September the 13th on a jamaa

and I couldn't sleep. Once I read that text message. It was in the early morning hours, and I couldn't sleep. And I just kept trying to and I kept thinking and thinking and I decided that I would share her story with you guys in sha Allah and pray to Allah azza wa jal that her story makes a difference in your lives, and helps someone out there who may be struggling and trying to understand and her story was one that really, really touched my heart and I thought, Paula, I should share this inshallah.

So I'm going to start off with talking about her and her youth, you know,

when I knew her, she was tall, thin, beautiful, Mashallah so much that the girls were envious of her that at the age of 14 years old, she looked like she was 18th, Paula, and that what her proposals began, they began at that age upon a law by the age of 16. She was engaged and soon after high school, she was married. It looked like a life of a fairytale. What all the girls dream of finding prince charming and getting married early and then starting life inshallah. Well, she did do that she began her life that way. And after she got married, she went to start college. And soon while she was attending college, she got pregnant, she had her first child, an amazing, beautiful young

boy, Mashallah. And it wasn't soon after that, that she found out that she had cancer. It was a shock to all of us, because she was so young, and so beautiful and vibrant, that she had so many dreams and goals and ambitions

that no one could understand cancer, cancers for older people, or for later age people, not for young 20 year olds. This makes sense, right? Well, it does make sense it is what Allah had planned, and it is what took place.

So I got to

see her at her father's funeral. And that was when I had first actually, just shortly after I began wearing the hijab and changing my own life, for a better life for life of submitting to Allah subhanaw taala. And when I saw her, she was smiling. And she was doing okay. But she didn't want to talk about the deen. She didn't want to she thought she was young. And as most of our youth think it's not time for me yet. I still have time. This is when I get when we get older. And although she had cancer back then, she thought I preferred to keep her busy with thinking about the dunya and amusements of the dunya rather than turning to Allah azza wa jal.

And so after that, I moved, I was in another state, and she's in a different state. And we didn't really keep in touch. But I know her older sister and her and I kept in touch pretty well. And her sister would keep me updated. And through the years, her cancer got worse, even though she went to chemo treatment and therapies, her cancer got worse. And I kept trying to make my intention to go visit her but she was very far away. And so many things were happening in my life with children and homeschooling that it was difficult to add this trip to my schedule. Until this year, this year, March, I decided that inshallah I was going close enough there that I would take a few more days

off, and I my parents were with me and my children are with me, and I decided to visit her and schelotto law. And I really, really want to see her but before we go into the visit, I want to tell you what inspired me to visit her. And it was the Hadith of the Prophet sallallahu wasallam and authority bubblehead ada de la one who said that the Prophet salallahu alaihe salam said, Allah, the Almighty Sublime be him will say on the Day of Resurrection, Oh son of Adam, I fell ill and you visited me not and he will say

They, oh my lord, how should I visit you when you are the Lord of the worlds? And he will say, Did you not know that my servants so and so had fallen ill? And had you visited him? Then you would have found me with him? Oh, son of Adam, I asked you for food and you fed me not? And he will say, My Lord, how should I feed you? When you're the Lord of the worlds? He will say, Did you not know that my servants so and so asked you for food? And had you fed him, you would have surely found the reward for doing so with me? And oh, son of Adam, I asked you to give me to drink and you gave me not. And he will say, Oh, my Lord, how should I give you to drink when you're the Lord of the worlds

and he will say My servants so and so asked you to give him to drink. And you gave him not had you given him something to drink you to surely found with me that reward. And this is Hadeeth kotze number 18. It's also found in the book of Muslim. So it was this hadith that was reflecting in my mind, and I was thinking about it. And I knew I had to go visit her because I didn't know how long she had had to live. And I didn't know if I would have a chance to visit her again. And I knew

that I needed to see her one more time. And so upon a lot of lows, or john made it happen. And when I saw her, she looks beautiful, Mashallah and healthy. But as she told me, this was a good weekend cancer, you see with cancer one week could have a good week, for two weeks or so. And then the next week or two, you can be thin and exhausted and you could lose weight, and you could lose all your hair. That's upon a lot. I was blessed to be in a good week. And it was a good cycle. And

I didn't know if she was gonna let me come in. Because before this, I had texted her and called her, and she never returned my calls or my text messages. So I wasn't sure if she would let me in her life even coming there. So I took a risk going this to visit her. But Subhan Allah, Allah subhanaw taala had a plan that we'd be together. And,

you know,

I went over, I went over there. And it was really, really difficult. Because I saw her, and I saw her,

you know, trying her best to be positive and happy, and to be who she was in her youth. But I knew that the cancer had drained her. I knew that it was so much pain, and so much pain. And she didn't want to show it, because I was only there for a short time.

And so she kept on positive. And we were there. And she sat there and she was talking to me. And we talked about the hereafter. And I told her stories about the grave, and this life, and the importance of what we need to do to prepare for the next life.

And we both cried. And we had in we cried and we really connected and understanding. And she said she wished that I was closer because she needed to hear this. But in her life, what her life was about was wasn't this and that I would be going back and it would be just, you know, who was around her and her surroundings. Her friends didn't do this. They didn't practice the been, you know, she has a sister, Mashallah I was telling you, that's a great friend of mine. And her sister does it but she's also far away from her. But she knew she wanted to be in this path. She knew she wanted to get closer to a laser. She knew it was the right way. And she had even thought about wearing the job.

But because of her environment and her surrounding, and her friends and the lifestyle that she had, it was very difficult for her to do it because there wasn't enough support. And she felt she was too weak and alone to be able to do it alone.

And so upon Allah, we talked, we talked

and she just kept on trying to be positive. And

it was the last time I saw her.

I didn't know if it was going to be the last time I was going to see her. But it was the last time I saw her.

And

when I received the text message from her sister telling me that she had passed away.

My heart was truly, truly sad. I wanted to see her again. I thought with more time inshallah she can change just like anyone else with more time or the more time they will make the better decision with more time.

But her time is done.

Her time is done. And I want to share with you guys that while she was going through chemo and all that difficulty

she would shut her

stuff down, she would just close the doors. And because she would be in so much pain,

she would turn herself to what comforted her and lunia or comforted her. prior to getting sick and getting ill and feeling so much pain, she would turn to the television, to the music to the CDs, to her friends, who would come and dress her up. She would turn to that, when she was going through her most difficult tests.

My dear sisters and brothers, it's quite scary. For truly, for truly, if we're not turning to Allah azza wa jal in our time, of difficulty, that's upon Allah, we've truly, truly lost the essence of understanding this beautiful being. And it's not just in the time of difficulty that we should be turning to Eliza, it should be 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it should be in our time of ease that we're going to him. So when the time of difficulty arrives, we know that that's our only answer. But because in our time of ease, we turn to the television into the music and to the garbage. Then when our time of difficulty comes, we return again to that stuff. We don't go to Allah

azza wa jal.

And this was so hard for her sister to witness that when these times would come she would go and sit next to her and tell her let's listen to the Quran, you know, and try to talk about, but she didn't want to hear it. She would just turn on her television that would be what comforted her. My dear sisters and brothers Isn't it time to change what comforts us shouldn't our comforts be? With our beautiful Deen with Allah subhanho wa Taala.

I'm telling you this now My dear sisters and brothers, what you are surrounding yourself with now what is comfortable for you and making you happy now, that will be with you towards the end, I was a biller. And for a lot of us, that is not what we want with us towards the end. Because I asked this question all the time. I say, if you knew that today was your last day, if you knew that today was your last day, how would you behave? How would you act? And people tell me all the time Oh, my gods or I would pray more. I would wake up and I would fast and I would do all these things I would get closer to Allah I would listen to more Quran I would do this and that.

And I say if you know that you would do that for your last at the Why aren't you doing that every single day? Because no one knows when their last day is coming? except Allah azza wa jal, none of us know.

So I'm telling you, it is so important that you surround yourself while you're healthy. And while you're okay and while you have the sanity, to do the right stuff to comfort you with the right comfort so that when the time of difficulty and pain come, it's easy for you to go back to Allah azza wa jal and turn to him.

For only he can take our pain away for only he can make it go away for only he can give us that piece of zucchini that we really need.

I reflected My dear sisters and brothers how short this life is, and how Shakedown is deceiving us by having us running around looking for happiness and places that there is no happiness, like movies and music and concert and parties. My dear sisters and brothers. Those may look like a mirage of happiness for moments, you think you're happy, but then you go back and you're looking for the next high? What else should I do? What else is going to make me happy? Is it going to be the next movie that's out? Is it going to be the dinner out with my husband to the concert, buying the next dress for the next wedding? The next party? You're constantly looking for that high? Because you're not

satisfied? You're not satisfied? And you and when you're so busy running around for all this one? Do you have time for Allah azza wa jal? When do you have time to learn your Quran and your deen and to practice it and to go and do charity work and make a difference when you're running around?

When you become the soccer mom of going back and doing everything that you think is gonna, you know, literally benefit your child. You think it's the piano lessons and the drum lessons and soccer practice and you know, everything else that you got going for them? Well, where's Quran in the, in this? You know, big formula? Where is Allah azza wa jal? Where is them understanding their Deen and understanding that something happened? How do they connect? How do they not go into depression your children? How do they become better Muslims? How do they How does the mind become stronger? How?

My dear sisters and brothers true happiness only lies within our understanding our Deen within ourselves.

lationship with Allah azza wa jal, I reflected how I recently visited my family in California and how everyone was so busy running around for dunya and dunya and more food for our party, and more this and more than going out to eat, they could stay up till two in the morning and talk. But when it comes to fudger they couldn't wake up to pray out of the villa

and they wouldn't wake up their children's upon Allah. You know, you've got kids you responsible for these kids, you responsible for them, my dear sisters and brothers, you get up for Salah wake them up, I don't care, they have to go to school. They will not be in regret in the year after that they walk up for salon, believe me. It's okay if they don't get straight A's, but they did their salons five times a day. And if they're praying five times a day and then No, they're then they're close to Allah Subhan Allah inshallah they'll get the straight A's that you're aiming for. But don't, don't let them neglect their lead for the dunya. Don't let them go to sleep without praying. Isha Salah.

Make this a habit for your children, my dear sisters and brothers, make it a habit make it part of their daily life and routine. It doesn't matter if you're out there in the house make it a habit.

So back to her story, my dear sisters and brothers.

Soon after I spoke to her after the text message. And I was reflecting and I started writing this, and I wanted to talk about death and dying. I wanted to wait until I spoke to her sister to find out how her last few weeks were. And she told me how her sister became weaker and weaker through chemotherapy. And she became in more and more pain. And all she wanted was morphine. Until the doctors realized that wasn't helping her anymore. They had to stop her. So she told me, her sister was in tears telling me this beautiful girl. This beautiful girl was 33 years old when she died.

She once was one of the most beautiful woman we had seen.

She wants to care of this beautiful hair and this beautiful body. And she just did everything and she cared so much about it. She spent hours fixing it. And here she was dying with no hair on her head. I don't care anymore.

Everything that she put all those times and hours and fixing herself up and being out. Now didn't matter My dear sisters and brothers.

She told me how our sister towards the end, didn't even want her clothes and she was like, get rid of it. Get rid of all of this. I'm not comfortable. I don't want it. She had told her sister to even get rid of her jewelry. She didn't care anymore for it. She was so much pain towards the end that she could barely speak.

And her sister Mashallah has an amazing sister. She was by her side the entire time. And this is the kind of sister each one of us needs my dear sisters and brothers, one who's reminding us to ask a lot of Allah for forgiveness constantly. One that's reminding us to keep our tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah subhanho wa Taala This is the kind of sister we need by our side. But you know what the irony of this was my dear sisters and brothers. The irony was she was only one person by her side doing this. Besides her husband who would have the crown on be next to her. Her friends would come in and they would visit her at the hospital while she was ill. And in her last stages of

death. And they would say let's fix you up. Let's put some makeup on you. And let's make you look more beautiful in this dress you up.

This is what they were thinking. They thought that's what she needed upon Allah

subhanaw taala. And when the Quran would be on this fantasy, she doesn't want to listen to this and makes her think about death and dying. While she's dying. She's dying, my dear sisters and brothers and we need to be in reality that we're all going to be dying one day. And imagine it's your sister Oh the below your brother that's passing away. And this is what your friends are doing. This is what her friends or his friends are doing to her or him support Hello Alhamdulillah handler for the sister was strong enough. And then she told them some amazing words which I want all of you to ponder, reflect on my dear sisters and brothers. She said the Quran is for us to listen to and to

apply daily while we are alive. And as we're leaving this world, the Quran is the only thing that we should be listening to during this time when she was so much pain.

The Quran is not to use when someone has passed away and then put on a shelf until the next death. This is a cultural thing and not the way of the Prophet salallahu alaihe salam. And she said I'm sorry you feel this way but I know what my sister needs. And she wanted to turn the clock back on. Her sister

passed away that night.

She passed away that night.

And her sister was just sitting next to her trying her best to remind her. My dear sisters and brothers, as her sister was telling me this, with tears in her eyes.

She was telling me this or I didn't I don't know if I did enough. I don't know. I keep thinking I should have done more.

I should have done more. And I say this upon Allah, you did your best. And that's all that counts. Right now you did your best and Allah knows that.

I said, but if you weren't there, imagine Oh the below how the ending may have may have been.

So my dears, this woman, she was blessed to have her sister by her side reminding her of this. Well, what about the rest of us? What about our death? What if it's destined to be quick, or we're sleeping? And we don't have enough time to ask Allah azza wa jal for forgiveness one last time, or to say the Shahada one last time. Every one of us has our timestamped My dear sisters and brothers when we wake up, if not, now, when? When you tell me when death is right around the corner, and we should be planning for it. As we're planning the most important event of our life.

And we should be asking Allah azza wa jal to make our last eat our best deep. And if we are not planning for it now, then who was in last My dear sisters and brothers us? Us? And we can blame no one but ourselves. We can blame no one but ourselves.

So my big question to all of you out there listening to me, is are you ready to meet Allah subhanho? wa Taala? Are you ready to meet your Creator?

I want you to think about this question for a moment. And I want you to answer honestly. And if you answered know that my dear sisters and brothers, it's time for change. It's time for real change. It's time to submit and be the best servants of Allah azza wa jal that we can be inshallah, it's time to know who our Lord really is, and what his expectations are from us. And it's time to know truly, what Islam isn't what we should be doing and what we should be refraining from, why should we be staying away from? And I tell you, my dear sisters and brothers, recently, I was somewhere at someone's house. And I said, I saw something that was wrong. And I asked, I said, What is that? And

this individual told me and I said, that's a bit the, and this individual looked at me and say, yo, we do a lot of beta. And I was my heart. My heart felt so much pain hearing these words, how can you say we do a lot of our Billa? How?

What does that mean? That you don't care what the loss of Allah has told us to stay away from? But it doesn't matter? How can we say these words and not be affected?

staffer law, I was very, very, very much in pain at that moment. And I said, y'all law, but you guide us all to the straight path. Yeah, a lot of life is only a few days long. And me, you,

me, you guide us to the straight path.

And when you do make help us do the things that you're pleased with and help us stay away from the things that would anger you. My dear sisters and brothers, there's no excuses, it's time to change, even if the change will be in small dosages, my dearest, take this, do it, just make small goals and work on it. Even if you know, I tell this to the sisters all the time. If you are not ready to wear the hijab yet, then stop, you know, make changes from going to from tank top to short sleeves to long sleeves, make small changes, grow from there, but just commit to changing and go step by step.

But don't let this life go by so quickly that you don't have time for the important stuff. And don't be one of those people who say I know, I know. When you someone tells you about some. Yeah, I know. But yet you sit there and you don't do it, and you don't care, then what's the point of view knowing what's the point of you having this knowledge that you don't act upon it? And you're arrogant by saying I know, I know. Subhan Allah, my dear sisters and brothers, be of those who submit fully.

And I ask Allah azzawajal to forgive our sisters and brothers, all of them who have passed away and give them general for the house and to accept all of their good deeds. I mean, and I asked the last one but that he gives us all a good end and let our last DBR best deed, but he accepts it from us. I mean, and last I asked Allah azza wa jal to give us all patience and perseverance as we go through the tests of life and help us pass our tests with flying colors. And mean, Doc Lohan for listening is upon us. Aloha Mojave hamburger shad en la la Hilah anta Stouffer kawakubo Lake