The Story of Julaybib

have legislated, even if it's a non-obligatory act, that it is something good, that it is not something to be looked down upon, that it's not to be looked at something that, oh, this is a burden, a waste of time.

"Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship."

So in our struggles to submit to Allah, whenever you hear and talk to non-Muslims at your work, and they say, wow, no drinking or eating for the whole month, how are you going to live? I've been living. So this idea of ease is very subjective, and it can only be tasted. The sweetness of iman can only be tasted when we submit to Allah.

Divine Wisdom in What We Like and Dislike

Brothers and sisters, in those things that we do not know of, and of our future, remember that there are things that we might like, we have a predilection towards, we are drawn to that, and those things might not actually be good. And sometimes you will dislike certain things, and Allah knows that it's actually good for you.

"But perhaps you hate a thing and Allah makes therein much good."

And we know in the other verse:

"But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you."

You know, I was one time walking somewhere, and this place, this thing on the wall, it was like a motivational thing, and they were saying like, oh, pain is weakness leaving the body. A little sadistic, but it's a way to motivate people. That nothing is just going to come easily to you just like that, that you have to work for it. That you know that lifting weights is difficult for you, but you know it's good for you. You know that medicine tastes gross, but you know with the permission of Allah that it's going to be good for you.

The Reality of Tests in This Life

Brothers and sisters, being afraid of the future, of the unknown, of things that you have no control over, it's a natural fear. There's nothing wrong with that. But Allah has already promised us that this dunya is used as a way to test you. So you have to be prepared for it.

"And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient."

Here it refers to property. In your life you're going to lose one of these five things. There is nothing more difficult that we could say for any woman, except that if you tell her that she's going to lose her child, that's probably the worst nightmare. And that's exactly what Allah told to the mother of Musa (peace be upon him).

The Story of Musa's Mother

"And We inspired to the mother of Moses, 'Suckle him; but when you fear for him, cast him into the river and do not fear and do not grieve. Indeed, We will return him to you and will make him [one] of the messengers.''"

Do not be afraid and do not be sad. And he didn't say do not be afraid and sad. (لَا تَخَافِي وَلَا تَحْزَنِي - la takhafi wa la tahzani) To show the two emotions of motherhood, of not knowing what's going to happen to your child when you throw him into this river. You probably know in the Nile there's crocodiles and all sorts of things, right? That she probably will never see her child again.

But what does Allah promise her? That if she is strong and if she doesn't despair, two things: we will return him to you and we'll make him from among the messengers.

Avoiding Conspiracy Theories

Brothers and sisters, part of our modus operandi in dealing with things that we might not fully understand or things that we don't have control over is to avoid conspiracy theory. And what I mean by that is, it is very easy to sit around and everyone sitting, (رجل على رجل - rajul ala rajul) with tea and you know, coffee, and sitting there and making philosophy and saying, (ممكن - mumkin) it's this maybe it's that, maybe it's because of evil eye, maybe it's because of magic, maybe it's because you know, someone didn't like so and so.

(يا أخي - ya akhi) if you're lazy, it's not because someone gave you evil eye. Now, we're not saying that doesn't happen. But if someone doesn't take his own responsibility and projects it onto someone else or looks at a societal problem and simply dumps it onto someone else and say, well, it's all this whatever, insert problem. And just say, I know the reason because it's this. Conspiracy theory.

We ask Allah to give us tawfeeq. We ask Allah to guide us.

Second Khutbah

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has taught us that in everything there is always a silver lining to it. That not everything that is viewed negative in your perspective is actually (شر محض - sharr mahd) that is not pure evil.

Even the scholars and theologians, they've talked about Iblis is evil, right? We agree on that, alhamdulillah. But they said, but why did Allah create Iblis? Knowing that Iblis would do all these things. And that's why the scholars they said Allah (لا يقدر الشر محض - la yuqaddir ash-sharra mahd) Allah does not ordain evil that is pure 100% evil.

That yes, shaitan is evil, but there is good that comes from it. That you will be tested, that the believers will be distinct from those who disobey Allah. That it will be made clear for those who choose the right, and those who choose the wrong. That you might have a cut on your hand, but there is an underlying benefit to you and that is with your patience. Allah will reward you.

The Story of the King and His Advisor

And so there is this interesting story, just to quickly go through it. There was this old story. It's not from a hadith, so don't hold me to that. It's an old story about this king who was sitting with his wazir, and he accidentally got cut and he lost a finger.

And then his wazir, his minister, his advisor looked at him and he said, it'll be okay, it'll be okay. So he got so angry, and he said, what do you mean it'll be okay? You're not empathizing with me? Immediately to the prison. So he sent him straight to the prison.

So now this advisor of his is sitting in the prison, and he, on his way to prison, he smiled and he said, it will be okay, khair. It'll be good. And sometime later, the king went on an expedition, and he was hunting on the borderlands, and he accidentally got caught by the enemy side, and they took him.

And they were going to, they didn't know it was the king, and they were going to make a sacrifice out of him for their idols. And then they were inspecting him, and they noticed a missing finger. And they said, no, he is not worthy for our idols, and we cannot take him.

So they let him go. So he walked back to the palace, shocked that this missing finger, this thing that had caused him so much pain, would actually be his salvation, that would save him from this. So he went back to the prison, and he released his wazir, and he said to him, you know, you were right, if I didn't lose this finger, I would have been on the altar somewhere else, being given to some false deity.

And so he said, and the wazir said, and it is good that you put me in jail, because had I been with you, I would end up over there. There is always a silver lining to the difficulties that come to you.

The Reward for Patience

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) tells us:

(Muslim 918)

"There is not a single servant who suffers a calamity and says what he has been commanded to say: 'Truly we belong to Allah and truly to Him we shall return. O Allah, reward me for my affliction and give me something better in return for it,' but Allah will reward him for his affliction and give him something better in return."

Allah tells us in the Quran, that those five things that we had mentioned earlier, that a loss of wealth, loss of life, fear, as well as property loss, right? All of these things, and hunger, Allah gave us the cure, and that is through patience.

"Who, when disaster strikes them, say, 'Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.' Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided."

And what is the reward for that patience? (أُولَٰئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ - ulaika alayhim salawatun min rabbihim wa rahma) That there will be peace sent upon them, and mercy from Allah.

The Example of Umm Salama

Brothers and sisters, one of the famous wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Umm Salama, and as you know, if you read her story, she actually went through a lot of difficulty. And if you read her story, her story has been going up and down. Her husband passed away, and then her son was taken away. She never knew that she would end up later on, after her husband passed away, that she would end up being the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

Every Difficulty Has Reward

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also tells us in a narration:

(Bukhari 5641)

"No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, not even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that."

There is no fatigue that afflicts a believer, or sickness, or some sort of worry, or some sort of sadness, (وَلَا أَذًى وَلَا غَمٌ - wa la azan wa la gham) or some sort of pain or affliction, or something that bothers you. (حَتَّى الشَّوْكَةِ يُشَاكُهَا - hatta ash-shawkatu yushakuha) Even if it's a thorn that pricks you (إِلَّا كَفَّرَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِنْ خَطَايَاهُ - illa kaffarallahu biha min khatayahu) That except Allah will remove the sins from him because of it.

Accepting Allah's Decree

And finally, brothers and sisters, we should always try to accept those things that we cannot change. That perhaps Allah did not make you a billionaire, maybe there's a reason for it, right? And we have to accept that this is Allah's predestination written for you. And you will only find peace and happiness in your heart when you come to terms with that.

The Story of the Camel Herder

And I want to end off with a story, it's a little sad, but it shows the beauty of a person who really is accepting the will of Allah. There was a story of this one man who was a camel herder, and he had lost his camels in the wilderness, and his family and his children lived in a tent in a valley, and he went to go look for them. And he was looking, looking, looking, until overnight, there was a very strong flash flood that ran through the valley.

And as you know, in those places when a flash flood comes, it's very, very fast, it doesn't look like water, it just looks like mud sludge just coming, and it took all of his family and children away. So he goes back, he looks for his family, all of them are gone now. He has no camels left, no family left, nothing.

And then, he sees in the distance some of his camels, and he starts running and chasing them. He finally has something. And he trips over a boulder, he falls, hits his head, becomes blind. Little dramatic, but true. And he was walking in the wilderness, asking, beckoning, asking for someone to help him. Lost all his money and family and wealth and everything, and his eyesight now.

And finally, a border guard takes him, he said, what happened? He explained to him. So he takes him to the local governor, and the governor asked him, what happened? He told him the story. Then he said, how is it possible that you're still okay and composed in all of this? He says, I am pleased with the will of Allah. These are things that he cannot change, and he accepts it.

Final Duas

We ask Allah to make us among those who hear the truth and obey it. We ask Allah to give us the ability to see falsehood as falsehood and stay away from it. We ask Allah to reward us with what is the best in this world, and to give us the best in the next life, and to protect us from the fire.

(Quran 2:201)

O Allah, in this time of our need, we ask you to forgive all of our sins, forgive our parents, and to protect all of those who are oppressed around the world.

"And establish prayer"