The Greatest blessing, Islam and Iman

The Greatest Blessing: Islam and Iman

Opening Praise and Testimony

Verily, all praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, we seek His help, and we seek His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls and from our bad deeds. Whomever Allah guides, none can misguide, and whomever Allah allows to go astray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.

The Story of Abu Talib

The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) used to love his uncle Abu Talib. He loved him very much. And his uncle, likewise, loved him very much also. So much so that whenever it was time to eat and the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was not home, nobody at home would eat before the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) arrived. And no one was allowed in the room of Abu Talib except for the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). Even his own sons were not allowed. But Abu Talib loved the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) very very much. And as I mentioned, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) also loved him also.

He loved him because the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) after his grandfather passed away, it was Abu Talib who took care of him. And after he received revelation, it was his uncle who also protected him. And he did all that he could. He did all that he could to protect the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). He even risked the lives of Banu Hashim. When the embargo and the sanctions were put upon the Muslims in Mecca, it was Abu Talib who ordered all of Banu Hashim, Muslim and non-Muslims amongst them, to join, to go to the mountain pass. The mountain pass to stay and protect the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) there. And they spent three years there. And these were years of extreme difficulties.

In fact, many scholars have mentioned the reason why Abu Talib became extremely sick and eventually passed away after the sanctions was because of the three difficult years. And likewise Khadija (رضي الله عنها)

Abu Talib's Final Moments

So the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) when he heard that his uncle was sick and he was breathing his last breaths, he was on his deathbed. And then the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) came to his uncle. And he wanted his uncle to say La ilaha illallah. He said:

Oh my uncle, say La ilaha illallah. Just this phrase. With this phrase, with La ilaha illallah, I will be able to speak on your behalf. In other words, I will be able to intercede on your behalf.

And Abu Talib was this close to saying La ilaha illallah. But there was one person who was there in the room at the same time. And it was Abu Jahl. Abu Jahl knew that there was only one person, there was only one person that Abu Talib loved and respected more than the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). And so he said:

Are you going to abandon the ways of your father, Abdul Muttalib? Are you going to abandon the ways of your father, Abdul Muttalib? Of course, he was the grandfather of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم)

And so, he did not say La ilaha illallah. Even though the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) wanted him to say La ilaha illallah so much. But he wasn't able to say La ilaha illallah. And he died outside the fold of Islam.

Allah's Revelation About Abu Talib

And the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) out of his great love for his uncle, continued to make dua for his uncle until the ninth year after Hijrah. Until the ninth year after the Hijrah of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) the Hijrah to Medina. And Allah says:

O Muhammad, you cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He pleases.

The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was very sad by the death of Abu Talib. More so because he died outside the fold of Islam. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) wanted his uncle to accept Islam so much. And it saddened him very much that he died outside the fold of Islam. Even though he was at the service of Islam and the Muslims all of those years. But he didn't have La ilaha illallah.

But the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, O uncle, O uncle, just say La ilaha illallah with this phrase, I will be able to intercede for you. Without it, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was not able to help his own uncle. Without La ilaha illallah, Abu Talib would not enter Jannah. Would not enter Jannah. Even though the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) loved him very much.

The Greatest Blessing

And that's why the greatest blessing that we have right now is La ilaha illallah Muhammadun Rasulullah. That Allah gave us Iman and faith in Islam. And that is why it's the most precious thing we have. And if it is the most precious thing you have, then you guard it with all that you have. You should guard it with all that you have.

If you have to spend money so that you can learn or send your children to learn La ilaha illallah, then you spend that money and it's always worth it. Because it is greater than any blessing that anyone can have. It is the

blessing of faith, of Iman in Allah. It is your ticket to Jannah. It is your key to Paradise. Without it, you will not be able to enter Paradise.

O changer of the hearts, keep my heart firm upon your religion. Keep my heart firm upon Islam, upon your deen. That's what the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) supplicated for more than anything else. And he's teaching us to do that. Because Islam, because La ilaha illallah is the most precious thing that we have.

The Temporary Nature of This Life

You can die of thirst and hunger. You can die of thirst and hunger, but if you have Islam, you will eventually be successful. In this life, there will be ups and downs. There will be times in which you will have success. And there will be times in which you will have failure. But the success and failure in this life are all temporary. All of that is temporary. The true success, as Allah says:

Whosoever is distanced from the hellfire and enters Jannah, then he has truly succeeded.

And that's why you may lose all that you have. And you may lose those whom you love. But if you have La ilaha illallah, and you have Allah, Allah is always enough for you. Allah is always enough for you. Because if you have La ilaha illallah, you will have greater than the treasures of this world. When you are in Jannah, nothing in this world will be compared to it.

The Value of Good Deeds

And that's why two rak'ahs, two rak'ahs. Two rak'ahs of Fajr, before Fajr prayer that you pray, the Messenger of Allah:said (صلى الله عليه وسلم)

(Sahih Muslim 725)

Is worth more than the whole dunya and whatever is in it. This whole world and whatever is in it. Just two rak'ahs.

And the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) he said, would one of you, every single day, want two fat, precious camels? You want two camels every day? And you know, in our time we would be saying, any one of you, would you guys like it? Every single day have a new SUV. Two SUVs everyday. You get one in the morning, you get one in the afternoon. You want two every single day? Would any one of you like that? Would any one of you like that? You get two brand new cars. Not regular cars.

When he says camels, you have to understand, in the old days, the donkeys are like the regular cars. The sedans and the regular cars. And then you have the horses. Horses were like the sports cars. Like Lamborghinis and Ferraris. And then you have the camels. Or like the high class cars, SUVs. You know like the BMW SUVs and

things like that. That's how they would perceive it. Would you guys like one of those every single day? Two of them actually. Every morning you go and you get one.

You know what? The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, if you recite two verses of the Quran, you go to the Masjid to recite two verses of the Quran, it's like getting two camels. It's like getting two cars. Two brand new cars every single day. And if you read four verses, it's like four.

Reflecting on Our Commitment

How many of us, how many of us, if we knew that you come to the Masjid in the morning and you recite one verse, you'll be given a car. How many would stay home? How many would stay home? If you were tired, how many of us would stay home? I don't think any one of us. How many of us would stay home? If you got no sleep that night, you would still drink as much coffee as it would keep you awake just to go. And you would set six alarms so you wouldn't miss it. If you knew you just got one car. Just one brand new car for coming to the Masjid and reciting one verse.

The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is saying that if you do that, if you just come to the Masjid to recite a verse or two of the Quran, that's what you get. Why is it worth so much? The reason is because whatever you're getting in reward will be greater than what you're thinking about in terms of cars and so forth. In terms of cars. We would all come because the hereafter is forever. When you have that La ilaha illallah, and you have the hereafter, that's the true life.

And that's why our faith and our iman, our deen, is the most precious thing that we have. And that's why the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) made dua that Allah keeps him firm upon this deen more than any other dua. Because it is so precious.

The Story of the Jewish Boy

You know, he wanted his uncle to accept Islam. And in Medina, he had a neighbor. He had a neighbor. And that neighbor was a Jewish neighbor. And that neighbor used to harm the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) Used to harm the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). And some of us might say, someone who harms the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), someone who he hates the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), would La ilaha illallah benefit such a person? Would La ilaha illallah benefit such a person?

Well you know, even though he had such a neighbor, the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) heard that that neighbor's son was sick. That neighbor's son who was a Yehudi, he was sick. And he came to visit him. The Messenger of Allah went to visit a Yehudi boy who was sick. A Yehudi boy who was sick.

And the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) saw him and he said, first thing he said, he said:

O son, O young boy, say La ilaha illallah.

And so that boy looks at the face of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). Remember he is very sick. He looks at the face of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). And then he looks at his father. As if to say, Father, what should I do? Father, what should I do? He's looking at his father. And then he looks at the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). And his father says:

Obey Abu Qasim. That's the kunyah of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) Abu Qasim. In other words, obey Muhammad. Do whatever he tells you to do.

And so that boy says La ilaha illallah. He says:

I testify, I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship, and I bear witness that you are the Messenger of God.

And at that moment, he passes away. At that moment he passes away.

That father did not say La ilaha illallah himself. But he knew. He knew that Islam was the true religion. He loved his son. He loved his son. And he wanted his son to be successful. He knew that his son would enter Jannah if he obeyed the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). But his own arrogance, out of his own arrogance, he refused to say it himself.

But the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) then went and said:

(Sahih Bukhari 1356)

Allah is the greatest. Allah is the greatest. Our praises be to Allah who has saved this boy from the hellfire because of me. Our praises be to Allah who has saved this boy from the hellfire.

A boy that never prayed a single prayer. Never made a single sujood. But at the end of his lifetime said La ilaha illallah. He said La ilaha illallah. That's why it's the greatest blessing. And if we know it's the greatest blessing, if we know that that is the greatest blessing, how should we treat it? How should we treat it? If we know it is the greatest blessing, then we should implement it to the best of our ability.

Being Grateful for Islam

Every day wake up in the morning and praise Allah. Say:

And thank Allah that He has given you life. But not only that, He has given you faith, Iman. He has given you La ilaha illallah. He has made you a Muslim. And He's chosen this deen for you.

Abu Talib, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم wanted him to accept Islam so much. Didn't even have it. But Allah, we're not amongst those who are really, most of us are not from the lineage of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . But even someone from the lineage of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم as close as Abu Talib, so much love from his nephew. Yet he was not able to help him. Because Allah did not give him La ilaha illallah.

And that's why we, when we have La ilaha illallah, we should put it to practice and be thankful to Allah that Allah has given us this deen. We don't realize how great of a blessing is. But there are others who, who see this blessing. And those who have been non-Muslims before and have accepted Islam, a lot of them appreciate this great blessing. But sometimes we're born Muslims and we act, and everything that we do seems like it's just a ritual. Or it's part of our culture. But it's a great blessing that Allah has given us Islam.

The Verse of Completion

During the time of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم a Yehudi, again a Jew, approached Umar bin Khattab رضي الله عنه about a verse that was revealed. And that verse was the verse in Surah Al-Ma'idah, in which Allah says:

Today I have completed your religion for you. And I have completed my ni'mah, my favours, my blessings upon you. And I have chosen for you Islam as your religion.

Allah, when he revealed this verse, he said, if Allah, if us, we the Jews would have received this verse, if we were to have, if we received this verse, we would have made that day an Eid. We would have made that day a holiday, an Eid. That's how great that verse is.

And so Umar al-Khattab رضي الله عنه he said I know exactly where and when it was revealed. It was of course revealed in one of the most blessed days, in one of the most blessed places. It was Arafat when the pilgrims have come together. And Allah descends to the lower heavens. The day of Arafat. It was the day that الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ was revealed.

That's why the religion that Allah has chosen for us is a complete way of life. It teaches us everything. If we follow it, we will have the best of this world and the hereafter. We will be the best people. Health wise, economically, politically, personally, in every facet and aspect of our lives. Because Allah created us.

Does he not know whom he has created? And he is all aware. Allah knows whom he has created and what he has created. And he has given to us Islam. And he has given us the Quran. And he has given us the best of guidance, the guidance of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم

Every aspect of our lives, we have the best way of doing things. Even using the bathroom. Even when we go to relieve ourselves, there is a way to do it correctly. Guidance. When we wake up in the morning to the time we

go to bed, there is guidance for us. In every aspect of our lives. Because Allah is merciful towards us. And he wants to give us the best of this world and the hereafter.

Teaching Our Children

So this great blessing, the blessing of Islam, it's such a great blessing. Yet a lot of us don't realize it. And you see some of our youth, some of the youngsters growing up. And sometimes having doubts. There have been many occasions where parents, brothers and sisters, have approached me. And they came to me. On one occasion, a mother comes crying. Comes crying. And she says, today my son, my son came to me, my son came to me when I told him, son it's time to pray. And I always remind him to pray. I always try to teach him. But something happened today that made my heart just drop. And all my limbs, every muscle in my body, was weakened to the point where I fell to the ground when I heard the words from my son.

So she came to me crying. She said he came to me and I reminded him to pray. And he says, Mother, I'm tired of being a hypocrite. I'm tired of being a hypocrite. I'm not a Muslim. You can just stop telling me to pray and read the Quran. I'm not a Muslim anymore.

And she said, I didn't know what else to say. I did not know what else to say. And that's when she came crying and approaching me.

This scene happens in the United States and in Europe over and over again. It repeats itself. We hear it about other people. But we don't, we think it's always going to be the other people, until their own sons and daughters come to us saying the same thing.

Now why are some of these things happening? And some of us, Alhamdulillah we try very hard. We try very hard. But we have to, when we raise our children, we have to teach them to love Islam. And to realize how great of a blessing this is. And sometimes you just have to speak to them. But before you can speak to them, you also have to learn. Because the best people to teach them are the people who are always with them. To teach your children, it's you.

So don't think that you, by you sending them to Sunday school, is enough. You just sending them to Sunday school is enough. You have to live Islam. And you have to bring your children to love Islam. And you have to tell them to be the best. Because you're a Muslim. You have to make everything that you do, try to instill the love of Islam in their hearts. And if they have any doubts, quickly speak about them.

And so sometimes they'll come to you. And they might say you know what, who is Allah? And how do I know Allah exists? How do I know Allah exists? And some of these questions might come why? Because they're exposed. When you're out there, you're in the public schools, and you're out there with everyone else. If you don't have a firm foundation, if your children don't have a firm foundation, they're gonna be easily swayed. And they're gonna be easily misled. And they easily stray.

Building Strong Faith

So what can we do? Well the first thing of course is make dua to Allah. Is make dua to Allah. Because our children are also a test for us. The greatest prophets and messengers of God sometimes were not able to even convince their own families. Prophet Nuh 950 عليه السلام years 950 years he was not able to have his own son and own wife follow his message. Follow that message. It was a test but they never gave up. They never gave up. So sometimes it's a test for us. And our children are a test for us. But you have to do all that you can.

And the first thing that we have to do is we have to be firm in our faith by seeking knowledge. Because when these doubts come left and right, sometimes they come from left field. All of a sudden, you don't even know when they're coming. You have to be prepared. You have to speak. You have to be able to speak about it.

The Story of the Vietnamese Scholar

And so how do we know, for example, how do we know that there is a God? How do we know that there is a God? I'm going to share with you a story. One of the scholars of Vietnam, this is before the communists took over the whole country. He, he, he was captured and interrogated. And the communists, you know, when they came to the south, of course they didn't have like offices and things like that. They just had, their offices were like huts and so forth in the jungles. So they got him and they interrogated him. And of course they knew that he was Muslim. And so they said to him, why are you following, why are you following a religion of a people thousands and thousands of miles away in the desert? Like why are you following the religion of those people?

And so that sheikh he said, and by the way the sheikh is the one who actually translates the translation, the Vietnamese translation of the Quran is actually his translation. Most of it was done by him. But he said, they said to him, why, why do you follow a people who are thousands and thousands of miles away living in the desert? And so he looked at them, because you know the Vietnamese, right, and the people of the Vietcong from the north, they were communists. So he said to them, he said why are you following a people even further away, thousands and thousands of miles in the tundras of Siberia? Why are you following their ways? Like communism in other words, right. And of course him saying that, they probably, I think they, they tortured him even more.

And then he said, you believe in God. But the communists, they don't believe in God. He said you believe in God. He said have you seen God? Have you seen God? Have you talked to him? Have you like, have you touched him? How do you know he exists?

The Elephant Dung Argument

And so the Sheikh said, I want you to look outside right there. Out that window. What do you see out there? He said what do you mean? He said do you see there is a pile of elephant dung? Right there is a pile of elephant dung. Right there right. Do you see that pile of elephant dung there? And so he says, where did that elephant dung come from? And he says of course from an elephant. He said did you see that elephant? He said no. But I

know there are elephants in this jungle. I know that there are elephants in this jungle. And that's a pile of elephant dung. So there is an elephant.

And he said what if that pile just came out of nowhere? There was no elephant. Would that be logical? Would that be reasonable and logical? And the guy says no. If there is elephant dung, then there is elephants, right.

And so he said, how about the earth with all its rivers and mountains and trees? Look at all this beauty you see in this jungle. And all the animals and all the vegetation here. Do you think that came from nothing? You can't even believe that a pile of, you know what, a pile came from nothing. And you say all of this came from nothing? No, there is a creator who created us. All of this is telling us that there is a creator. There is a creator. All the sophistication is showing us that there is a creator.

The Pottery Analogy

And he said, if you were to, if you were an archaeologist, an archaeologist, and you discovered some artifacts, you dug up something, and the archaeologist says, this is amazing. Look at the intricacies of this pottery. Look at the artwork that is on here. This is made by a people who are advanced, greatly more advanced than we thought. Number one, look at the clay. Look at the clay. This clay is red clay. In this area there is no red clay. The closest area where there is red clay is about 700-800 miles away. So these people maybe, they were travelers. And they must have had ovens that you could heat up to extreme temperatures to make it that strong to last this long. Can you see the ovens? No.

Now if you were to say to that archaeologist and say to him, Mr. Archaeologist, you are a fool. This came from things that happened randomly. Maybe a volcano exploded and part of it splattered onto a piece of dirt. And then it made it hot. And then it started rolling down the river. And it hit some branches and made this artwork. What would that person, what would, what do you think, what are the chances of that happening? That archaeologist would probably say you are mad. You are crazy. There is no chance of that happening. Look at the intricacies of this pottery here.

How simple is that piece of pottery? Can it come from nothing? No one in their right mind would say that simple piece of pottery would be able to come from nothing. Yet people who don't believe in God say that all of this, the solar system, the sun and the moon with all its intricacies, the water and the clouds, and all of that came from nothing. How much more sophisticated is that?

Signs of Allah in Creation

And then Allah says:

And then yourselves, do you not believe? Do you not see? Do you not see your eyes and your heart? Does it need, does it ever need an oil change? It keeps on pumping and pumping for years and years. It's so amazing.

Your brain, your heart, everything from head to toe.

The Miracle of Eyebrows

Your eyebrows are amazing brothers and sisters. Right here, what we have here is a miracle. If I were to shave my eyebrow, not that I would want to, right, would it grow back? Would it grow back? It would grow back inshallah, right? But how long would it be? It would be exactly this length again. As soon as it reaches this length, it stops growing. Have I shaved my eyebrow ever? Never have I shaved my eyebrows. Once in a while, one or two, one or two comes off. But then it grows back to that same length. And it's the same.

Sisters, Allah chose this length for you. And it's a miracle. It's a miracle, Allah chose that for you. You don't need to make it smaller or bigger or so. It is one of the most amazing things. And that's just one out of the millions and millions of amazing things that we have in our lives that Allah has given to us. All, every strand of eyebrow is calling to you and screaming at you that there is a God. Every strand of grass is calling out telling you there is a God. There is a God.

And so that's why sometimes when you recite the Quran, Allah tells you to reflect upon the heavens and the earth. The alternation of the night and day. Because these are miracles that we see everyday that we take for granted. But every single moment in our lives, there are miracles everywhere. And all these miracles are calling out to us that there is a God.

The Alternation of Day and Night

Imagine if there were no night or no day. And if you live, so that means if you lived on the dark side of the earth, what would happen? It would be cold, right? And it would continue to be cold. And it would be so cold that no life would be able to exist. And on the other side, if there is no alternation of day and night, it would be so hot. And it would keep on becoming hotter and hotter that no life could exist. But Allah alternates. And He makes the day and night, night and day. Everyday we see the sunrise and the sunset. And we don't reflect upon who is controlling all of these things.

And that's why when you recite the Quran, Allah tells you to reflect upon them. Why? Because we need to sometimes renew our faith. Sometimes, you know, you don't doubt. You believe in God. But you know what? Sometimes you just need assurance to strengthen your faith.

Prophet Ibrahim's Quest for Assurance

Just like Prophet Ibrahim عليه السلام when he says, oh my Lord, رَبِّ how can you revive the dead? How can you? How are you? Oh my Lord, how do you bring the dead back to life? He said, oh, you don't believe? He said, do you not believe? Do you not believe? And he said, he said, yes, I do believe. But I just want my heart to be, to have some assurance and peace. That's all. Prophet Ibrahim himself, he's reflecting. He's thinking, you know, how does he do it? How does he do it? And so that's when Allah tells him, you know, to do what he did.

To put the birds and so forth to one side of the mountain and the others. And call them coming back together. And so Allah showed him that.

But you know, every single day, every single moment in our lives, we see miracles. But we don't reflect upon them. And that's why when you're with your children and so forth, speak to them and remind them of Allah. When you see the leaves falling down from a tree, when you see a strand of grass piercing through the ground, speak to them. That Allah is the one who created all of this. Like how amazing this is.

Strengthening Our Faith

And that's why if we do so, then our Iman will become stronger. So we have to reflect upon the Quran. Not only do we have to reflect upon the Quran, but you also need to be with good people. You need to be with good people. Especially in times of trials and tribulations. In times of trials and tribulations when you have so many people doubtful and so forth. And do you know where the good people are? The good people are in the houses of Allah. And that's why Alhamdulillah praise Allah that Allah has brought you here. That Allah has brought you here. Because that's where the good people are. So be with the good people. Be with good people.

As Allah says:

"And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire, and whose affair is ever [in] neglect."

Be with those people. Be consistently with those people. Meaning be with them all the time. Those who remember their Lord in the morning and in the evening, seeking the countenance of Allah. Countenance of their Lord. (وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا - Wala ta'du aynaka 'anhum turidu zinatal hayati dunya) - And do not look past them towards the adornment of this life. Because sometimes it makes you forget the hereafter. (وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَن ذِكْرِنَا - Wala tuti' man aghfalna qalbahu 'an dhikrina) - And do not follow and obey those whose hearts have strayed from being conscious of Allah. Are conscious of the remembrance of Allah. (وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ - Wattaba'a hawahu) - And they follow their desires. (وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا - Wa kana amruhu furuta) - And their affair is in disarray. Their affairs are in disarray.

A Beautiful Verse About Life's Order

This verse is a beautiful verse. It's a beautiful verse. If you find that your life is in shambles, that everything is breaking apart, or breaking down around you. And you're going through some difficult times. And everything is getting worse. And there's chaos in your life. The answer is actually in this verse. Do you know what Allah says? If you read the verse, Allah says (وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَن ذِكْرِنَا - Wala tuti' man aghfalna qalbahu 'an dhikrina) - Do not hang around and be with those who don't remember Allah. Those who don't remember Allah do what? Those who do not remember Allah. Those who do not pray. Those who do not come to the masjid. Those who don't remember Allah, what do they do? They follow their desires. (وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ - Wattaba'a hawahu) - They are the type of people who follow their desires. And when you follow your desires, then your affairs will be in disarray.

So if you want, just flip it. Remember Allah. Remember Allah. And Allah will keep you firm. Because you won't be following your desires. And if you don't follow your desires, then everything will be in control.

Everything will be ok. In other words that you, your emotional state and your spiritual state, and even your physical state inshallah, everything will be ok. But when you start following your desires, that's when all these problems start happening. When you are far from the remembrance of Allah, that's when your affairs go into disarray.

Islam: The Complete Solution

And that's why as a Muslim, Allah gave us Islam. Islam gives us the tools to solve our problems. It does not mean that we will never be sad. It does not mean that we will never be sad. There will be times in which you will be sad. There will be times in which you might be depressed. And you might be going through difficulties. But Islam gives you the solution to handle those difficulties. It gives you the tools to handle those difficulties. Because sadness and difficulties that we go through in life, there are ups and downs in life. The ups and downs in life are always going to be there for everybody. The difference is those who have iman, they will be strong. Why? Because they are connected to the hereafter. Because of their belief in Allah.

When you believe in Allah, it gives you hope. It gives you hope no matter what you are going through. And sometimes you go through difficulties. And Allah tells us:

"O my sons, go and find out about Joseph and his brother and despair not of relief from Allah. Indeed, no one despairs of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people."

Do not lose hope in the comforting mercy of Allah. For nobody loses hope in the comforting mercy of Allah except for disbelievers.

Why is it that those who lose hope in Allah, they are disbelievers? Why is it? The reason is because those who lose hope in the comforting mercy of Allah, as if they are saying when they are going through difficulties, Ya Allah you don't know what I am going through. You don't know what I am going through. I can't handle it. No. You can handle it. And Allah does know what you are going through. But sometimes Allah wants you to be stronger. So He gives you no option except to be stronger. So that you can be stronger.

And so that's why everything that happens to a believer, he knows that if he is patient, every single ache and pain and hardship and difficulty and worries and concerns and anxiety, you may have every moment you have that. And you are patient. Allah will reward you for it. And your status in this life will rise. You will rise in status. And that's by having (لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ - la ilaha illallah). Helps you to be at peace. Helps you to be content.

The Dangers of Materialism

Because if you don't have (لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ - la ilaha illallah) you start following the dunya. And you start buying things you don't need with money you don't have at a price you can't afford to impress people you don't like. You fall into debts. Economically you are going to be in disarray. Spiritually you are going to be depressed and sad. And you will have no one to turn to.

You know in the United States, do you know which city has the highest suicide rate? Seattle, I am from Seattle. Very good, Seattle. Some people might say, well it's because it rains a lot, right. It does rain a lot. Yes, people can become depressed. And it does rain a lot. But do you know why I think the greater problem, the reason for it isn't that it rains a lot? The reason isn't because it rains a lot. There are other places that it rains a lot but they don't have the same problem. The reason why the highest suicide rate in the United States is Seattle is because it also has the highest percentage of atheists. People who say they don't believe in God. If your life is in disarray and that's all that you have, you have no hope but hereafter, what are you going to do?

And by the way I was just reading about some stats. Do you know at what time of the day and what day of the week do most people commit suicide? On Monday is correct. What time on Monday? 9 o'clock Monday morning. 9 o'clock Monday morning. Why 9 o'clock Monday morning? They have to go back to work. They have to go back to reality. They have to go back to reality.

And a person may be rich and that person may be poor. But if you don't have iman, if you don't have iman, you don't have Iman, no matter how much money you have, it will not make you happy. It will not make you happy. That's why you see, you see people who are very wealthy, people who are famous, some of the most famous people, some of the most wealthy people, the most well known actors and actresses, people whom others watch them and look at them and say I wish I was them. And those same people have tried to commit suicide many times. And they're so depressed that they have to go into rehab and out of rehab. Why? It's because all of that fame and money, it doesn't bring you happiness. And it doesn't matter how much you have, you'll always want more. It is contentment. And that contentment can only be achieved through iman in Allah.

Implementing Islam in Our Lives

And that's why when you have Islam, when you have Islam, you should be thankful to Allah. All of us we should be thankful. How should we be thankful? By implementing the teachings of Islam in our daily lives. The more we implement the teachings of the Quran and the Sunnah, the more we implement the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah, the greater our iman is. Because when you're thankful for something, you implement it. When you value something, then you implement it. And if you implement it, it's showing that you're thankful. And when you're thankful, Allah increases it for you.

And that is why every single day, if we want to be stronger Muslims, we should be thankful first and foremost for our iman. And we should be thankful that Allah is telling us to pray five times a day. Because that's something that will give us happiness, peace and happiness in this life. We should be thankful that Allah has given us the Quran. And be thankful by reading the Quran and implementing its injunctions.

And that's why if you implement the Quran and if you read the Quran, you will continue to love it. And you will get to a point where you will love it so much that you can't put it down. And that's why Uthman Ibn Affan رضي :said الله عنه

If our hearts were pure and clean, we would never get enough of the word of our Lord. We would never get enough. We would always want to read the Quran. Because that's what will bring us happiness. That's what will give us peace.

So we have the prayers. You know all the problems that we have, you resort to prayer. As I mentioned yesterday, if you want Allah to speak to you, then read the Quran. And that's why Allah has given us this iman. He has given us لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ

Being Proud of Our Faith

This deen that Allah has given to us is the only deen that's upon the truth. And that's why if you are upon the truth, you should not be afraid of practicing it. Those who are afraid, those who should be afraid, are those who are upon falsehood. If you're upon the truth, let's say it's time to pray and you know it's time to pray, and you're at an airport for example, and time is running out, you shouldn't be afraid to pray in public as long as it's safe to do so. But don't be afraid because people might say this and say that. Because you're upon the truth. They are the ones who are upon falsehood. They should be hiding, not you. They should be hiding, not you.

The Example of Umar ibn al-Khattab

And that is why, you know when Umar bin Khattab رضي الله عنهwhen Allah guided him to Islam, what is the first thing that he did? He went to Dar Al-Arqam. And remember before this, he was intending to kill the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم He was going to commit the greatest crime that any human could ever commit, which was killing the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم Rejecting him and killing him also. But as a result of Allah guiding him, he turns around when he goes to his sister's house. And he hears the Quran and iman enters his heart. He comes back to the house of Dar Al-Arqam, which was where the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was, which was where he was headed at the beginning to kill the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم

But then they opened the door. And Hamza Ibn Abdul Muttalib, he said let me finish this person off. Let me finish him off. Because he thought that he was going to kill the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. Umar bin Khattab was going to kill the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم And then the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said wait. Let's listen to what he has to say. And so Umar says, he accepts Islam right there and then. And afterwards he sees that the Muslims are hiding in Dar Al-Arqam. He says what are we doing? Are we upon the truth? Are we not upon the truth? And they said yes of course. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said yes we are upon the truth. Then what are we doing hiding here? Let's go out and proclaim it.

See he just accepted Islam. And he was quick. He wanted to share it with everybody already. Because he knew how great of a blessing it was. Because he had just come out of Kufr. He had just seen the light.

The Story of At-Tufayl ibn Amr Ad-Dawsi

And that's why At-Tufayl Ibn Amr Ad-Dawsi, one of the companions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم from the

Daws tribe, from the Daws which is in Yemen, he came, he was a poet. He was a poet, a very eloquent poet at that. When he came to Mecca, the aristocrats, the leaders of Mecca, they warned him, they said don't listen to this man. He is a magician. He will be able to mesmerize you with his words. And so they put so much fear in his heart that At-Tufayl Ibn Amr he said, I was so afraid that when I entered Mecca I put earplugs. I put cotton in my ears. So that when I made Tawaf I wouldn't be able to hear what Muhammad was reciting and saying.

And so he said I was making Tawaf around the Kaaba. And then I thought to myself, oh Tufayl, oh Tufayl, you are an intelligent person. You know right from wrong. And you can tell good from bad. You can differentiate these things. Why are you being so foolish by putting this cotton in your ears? So he takes it off. And the Messenger of Allah is reciting the Quran. And he is making Tawaf. And he hears the Quran and he says, this is not the word of any man. He has never heard of anything so beautiful. But he didn't go to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم right away, right, because remember the others had warned him. It would be inappropriate for him to approach the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم immediately. So that night he went to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. And he asks him who are you? And he says I am the Messenger of God. And he calls him to La ilaha illa Allah. And he says I bear witness that there is no god but Allah. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His Messenger.

And when he accepts Islam, of course he stayed a little bit longer to learn more. And then when he was about to go back, what does he want to do? Does he say Alhamdulillah I am a Muslim, Alhamdulillah I am going to go back and just try to practice as strong as I can? No, he wanted to go back. And he wanted to call his whole tribe to La ilaha illa Allah. And he asked the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم to make dua for him. To make dua for his tribe. And he was afraid that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم would make dua against his tribe. He says no make dua for them they will be guided. And then he said my people are very very very hard headed. They are very arrogant. And there is you know zina and so forth, all kinds of things widespread amongst them. Make dua that Allah also gives me a sign.

So Allah, so the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم made dua to give him a sign. And there was light that would come from his forehead. And so he said, O Messenger of Allah, O Messenger of Allah, can you make dua that this light goes to another place? Because my people will think I am sick. Like radiation coming from my forehead right, that is not normal. And so he made dua and so that light came at the tip of his whip. The whip that he had. And you know nowadays if we had a whip that had light that shined like that, it would be made in China right. But in those days that was a miracle. We don't realize there are so many things that people in the old days would consider miracles right, would consider amazing but we have them now. We have them now by the grace of Allah. With all of these blessings that we have.

But the point here is he wanted to call his people immediately. But there are people amongst us who grew up as Muslims, never did we ever think about speaking to our neighbors about Islam. Our co-workers and the people around us that are not Muslims that we work with. And that we are at school and study with. We don't think about it. Part of being thankful for what we have is calling others. Because if you don't call others, if you don't influence others, they are going to influence you. It's one way or another.

Being the Best Muslims

But I'm not telling all of you to go, like you know everyone go out, knock on doors. What we need to do now in the United States of America is we need to implement this deen to the best of our knowledge, in the best way possible. To be the best Muslim that we can be. We always complain about problems and about the media being biased against the Muslims. About Donald Trump saying this and saying that. And especially BBC, CBC, especially Fox, they are saying this and that. But you know we can make a difference. We can change the narrative. What can we do to change the narrative?

Every Muslim now is responsible to be the best Muslim that they can be. To be the most honest Muslim. To be the most kind, the most helpful. To follow the example of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). To embody the teachings of the Quran in our daily lives. Because the people out there are not going to be reading the Quran. The only Quran they are going to be reading is through our actions. And that's why we have to embody the teachings of the Quran in our daily lives. As the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was described:

(Sahih Muslim 746)

His character was the Quran.

That's what we need to do. And if we can do that, it will not matter what Fox says. Donald Trump can say anything that he wants. Because your neighbors will know. And they will say you know Donald Trump is a liar. Everyone knows that already but, you get what I mean. Fox you guys are lying. You guys are lying about the Muslims. I know Muslims, it's not what you are saying. The Muslims are the best people. I have a neighbor who is a Muslim. He is the best neighbor I have ever had. Every single time he mows his lawn, he comes and mows my lawn also. And that same neighbor when I see him walking in the neighborhood, when he sees trash, does he just walk past it? No, he always picks it up. Why do we pick it up? Because our Prophet told us to do so.

And if we can do that, if we can be the best neighbors, the best co-workers, we can be the most honest of people. When you are at work and you are being paid 8 hours, work for 8 hours. Be the most honest of people. Be the most hard working. If you are at school be the top student in your school. And do so because you want to show people that that's what Islam is all about. And every moment that you spend studying for your exams, you are going to get rewarded by Allah for it. And every moment that you are working for your company because you are honest, you are getting rewarded by Allah for it. Because you want to embody the teachings of the Quran in your daily life. You want to be honest.

So you say you know what, this is my personal email. Now, I never check my personal email when I'm at work. Yes, if it's my break time. But if it's work, I'm going to give it my all. Because I'm doing it for the sake of Allah. Whether my boss sees it or not, Allah sees me. That's what makes us the best.

You are the best of nations brought forth for humanity.

Why? (تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ) - You enjoin that which is good, forbid that which is evil. (وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ) - And you believe in Allah. That's what makes us the best ummah. That's what makes us the best nation.

And that's why if we want change, we have to be the change we want to see. And that's why Allah says:

Allah will not change what's in the people until they change what's in themselves.

And that's why we need to change. We need to show that we love Islam. This great blessing of Islam by implementing it and being proud that we're Muslims. And showing people what Islam is all about. We ask Allah to teach us that which benefits us and benefit us from what He has taught us.

Questions and Answers Session

Question About the Jewish Father

Did the Jews try to become a Muslim? We know that some of the Jews did accept Islam. But many of them didn't. They were the beginning, the Jews of Banu Qaynuqa, Jews of Banu Nadhir. And even they stayed in Medina, even afterwards. Those who refused to, who did not break with the Prophet, actually they stayed with the Prophet. And some of them did accept Islam.

As for this particular father, at that moment in the hadith that's mentioned in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim, he did not accept Islam. He wanted his son to accept Islam. That's how much he loved his son. But he was still arrogant. He didn't accept it himself at that moment. Later on whether he accepted Islam or not, Allah knows best. Allah knows best.

Teaching Children to Pray

Yes, once they become teenagers, you know at 14 years of age they think they know everything, right, they think they know everything. And that's why the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم)he said:

(Abu Dawud 495)

Order your children to pray when they are 7. When they've reached the age of 7, whenever you pray, tell them to pray. When you go to the masjid, bring them to the masjid. Whenever it's time to pray, tell them to pray. You have to get them used to praying. Because at that 7 years of age they listen to you. You tell them to pray, they pray. But when they get older, if they're not used to it already, then it's going to be difficult. So you have to start from the, in order for your children to pray, and to make it easier for you, follow the advice of the Prophet (صلی الله عليه وسلم) Order your children to pray when they are 7.

And at 10 years of age, they still don't pray, then discipline them. Every time they don't pray, there has to be some discipline. Every time they delay their prayers, there has to be discipline. At 7 years, if they don't pray, let's say, okay, they run out, I want to pray with my kids. Okay, just don't worry about it. But once they reach the age of 10, there has to be some discipline. There has to be a punishment for not praying at 10. And if you do that every single prayer, then by the time that they are, and they reach the age of puberty, it becomes part of their life. It becomes part of their, their routine that they do every time. And they're used to it. But if you don't start early, then don't come back crying after they're 15 or 16. Because that's too late. It's still not too late but it's going to be difficult now. Because they're not used to it yet. And that's why at 7 years of age, tell your children to pray. And if you've already passed that age, okay, they're already teenagers. What should you do now? They don't want to pray. They don't want to pray.

The thing is, sometimes you have to, first and foremost, make them, make sure that they increase their faith. So reminders. And you don't have to tell, sometimes by telling them to pray they feel like you're nagging all the time. Maybe give them opportunities to like, maybe tell them stories. Or bring them to a people. Let's say, bring them to the masjid. Or bring them to where the Muslims are. There's a Muslim camp. Bring them to an area where people are praying. That when it's time to pray they stop praying. When you go to the masjid, bring them to the masjid. When you go to the supermarket, say, okay, it's time to pray. I'm going to go to the masjid. Of course, he's going to be with you. He's not going to stay in the, he or she is not going to stay in the car, right? So then you start getting them used to it again. So if they don't pray and they don't want to pray and it's difficult getting them to pray, you yourself put them in position to pray. Put them in situations where they will feel comfortable praying, right? Where they have to pray even though you don't have to tell them. So you don't always have to tell them but you have to try to put them in position where it's easy for them to pray.

Making the Masjid Appealing for Children

Allah Ta'ala, when I tell them, you know, the first day 4th of May, let's go to, you know that 4th which is the second day, then we start saying, yeah, he's coming as well. And he is 7, 8 years old. So it's not, you just thank him for what he said. Stop. No, sometimes this is what I do. Like my kids, I have kids in the same way. Sometimes they get, I mean a lot of us have, they're the same. But every time I go to the masjid, every time I go to the masjid, there's always something that I also do that they like. Like one thing that they love, like my kids love cookies. Yeah. And so every time we go to the masjid, say let's go to the masjid. And they say, can we get a cookie when we come back? And I'll stop at McDonald's 50 cent cookies, right? It's 50 cents per cookie. Two for a dollar. So I get two of them. And then, oh yeah. So they love going to the masjid. I mean it's not like they love the cookies, right? But it's something else connected to it that they like. I mean my wife doesn't like it too much, you know, when you're giving them too much sugar and things like that. But I'm trying to make them enjoy it.

So sometimes, you know, they like to come with me because even they say, oh no I want to play video games, I want to do this and that. He says, you know, how about, how about a sundae? You know, like a hot fudge sundae. I know all the prices and like, you know, all of those things. That's a dollar nine I think. I don't know how much is it here. But, right, with tax, it's a dollar twenty or something like that, right? So it's like, it's a little bit to pay to get them to love coming with you. You know, they come and then they get used to it. And there are times in which we don't have to go, they're so used to coming with me that they don't say no. But then once in a while we'll stop, we'll stop along the way and do something. So maybe stop along the way and do something. Stop along, you know, it doesn't have to be something very expensive, right? Kids just little things. Little things like a cookie, fifty cents. But they like it. It's something that they like. And sometimes, you know, they just, okay, can