The Pure Soul

Ya Allah, today I witnessed someone with a bottle, it hurt me, Ya Allah. Ya Allah, guide them, help them to remove the bottle, help them to give up that bad habit, and help them to give up whatever bad habits I have, Allahu Akbar. This is purity of the heart now.

With that dua and that nasiha, if Allah wills, that person's heart will come on to the right path, within a matter of time. We know so many people who had very bad past, but now, when they've come up straight, subhanallah, they've gone very far in life, in terms of the deen and become closer to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So many of us, perhaps we are much better today than we were yesterday.

May Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala grant us goodness. This is why we say brother, when you have become religious, remember, when you are inviting others towards religion, you also came about slowly, so give them a little bit of time. The problem with us, we come on the deen after 50 years, and everyone else, we give them 5 minutes.

Wallahi, it's a problem in the ummah. We are facing it. We are not patient.

We are supposed to be patient as muslimin. It took you 40 years to recognize your maker. Why do you want to, in 4 minutes, create such a situation that you remove a man from the whole fold of the deen, kick him out, curse him to the degree that you've buried him alive, and you haven't given him more than 4 minutes to repent.

You took 40 years, my brother. Thank Allah, He showed you the light. Allahu Akbar.

Work on them. Continue working on them. The Prophet'ssalallahu alayhi wa sallam's nubuwwah was not 23 minutes, nor was it 23 days, nor was it 23 months.

It was 23 solid years. Allahu Akbar. So purify your heart when it comes to your relation with others.

Rights of People

Because there is something known as hukooq al-ibad, through which a lot of what your heart conceals, becomes manifest. We hate for the sake of Allah the deeds that are done in the displeasure of Allah. We may hate for the sake of Allah those who have absolutely no goodness in them, and they have damaged the deen, or they have caused lots of damage to those who follow the deen.

But remember, even the non-Muslims, every single non-Muslim is a potential Muslim. If you lose focus on that, you have lost the path. Every single non-Muslim is a potential Muslim by the will of Allah.

For as long as they are breathing, there is hope. Who is ready to invite them in the proper way? Allahu Akbar. A very big statement that brings tears to the eyes.

Story of Umar's Conversion

Every non-Muslim, when the Prophetsalallahu alayhi wa sallam made a dua, for the enemies of Islam,

one of the prayers were:

Allahumma a'izza al-islam bi ahadi al-'umarayn - Sunan al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3683

O Allah, grant strength to this deen through the acceptance of Islam of one of the two Umars. One was known as Umar ibn Khattab (رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ) later to be known as.

And the other one, Amr ibn Hisham, who was known as Abu Jahl. Now as soon as the dua made, the response came from Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala, this man came marching into this house of Al-Arqam, ibn Abu Al-Arqam, (رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ) as the books of history have made mention. So Rasulullahsalallahu alayhi wa sallam knew that Allah is the one who guides.

Just like He guided me, He may guide you or anyone on the street. So remember, when we say cleanse your heart and do not be judgmental, we need to understand what the statement means. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make us people who realize that we would like to help one another to become steadfast on the deen.

Dealing with Jealousy

And that help can happen in so many different ways, depending on the authority that Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala has given you as well. If we have hatred in our hearts, now let's talk of general hatred, not necessarily whilst giving da'wah, but at the same time, hatred in our hearts for someone, for some reason, normally it stems from jealousy. Not every time, but a lot of the times.

Because Allah has blessed someone with more wealth, with more knowledge, with more acceptance, perhaps with greater looks. You know, you have a woman who is extremely beautiful, or a girl who is extremely good looking, and sometimes you have other girls who make her life so difficult and her crime is just that she is gorgeous. I would have told you to say mashallah, but it's abstract, there's no one in particular we're talking about.

Allahu Akbar. So alhamdulillah, or you can say inshallah. My brothers and sisters, wallahi, do not become jealous of the favors that Allah has bestowed on others.

Just because you don't have it, don't. It will result in the dirty heart. The heart will become unclean, filthy, and it will require cleansing.

Dhikrullah and Purification

Cleansing of the heart is also done through what is known as dhikrullah. Because everything has a detergent, and the detergent of the heart is the remembrance of Allah. But I'd like to interpret the term dhikrullah in its broader context.

Dhikrullah starts with understanding the meaning of the Quran. That's where it starts. That's the beginning of it.

Because the dhikr that is mentioned in the Quran, so many times it directly refers to the Quran. And at times it refers to the sunnah of Muhammadsallallahu alaihi wasallam. So remember, you need to know the message of Allah in order to have your heart purified.

Understanding the Quran

What did Allah say to me? I always, always say it is a big insult. Some of us, how old we are, how regular we are with our salah, yet we have not made an effort to understand the meanings of what we utter in salah. Wallahi it is an insult.

"[All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds - The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful - Sovereign of the Day of Recompense"

We don't even know what is meant by these words. Some people do not know the meaning. And some people do not think of the meaning when they utter these words. So what value do you have? How is your heart going to be impacted? Look at the hearts of those who were the sahaba radiallahu anhum.

When they heard a single verse, their lives changed. When they heard one verse, their hearts were purified. Umar ibn al-Khattab himself, who was an enemy of Islam, the opening verses of surah Taha were read to him.

Not more than a few lines were read to him. He began to tremble. Immediately his heart was cleansed because he had that sincerity in his heart.

For a moment it was struck with sincerity. And he said, take me to Muhammadsallallahu alayhi wasallam. Guided from kufr to iman in a split moment because of the Quran.

And this has happened to so many people. It has happened to people around us in our midst. Perhaps some who might be seated here.

Reverted immediately. Allahu Akbar. Why? They read the Quran and they realized this is the word of Allah.

The Impact of Understanding

I always tell people, you know I have a disc, an MP3 disc in my vehicle, given to me by someone in Malaysia, a brother. Allah grant him goodness. And in it or on it, there is the entire Quran just in the English language.

So the Arabic has been separated. Now we know the importance of the Arabic and the English. And he says, this is extremely beneficial to those who speak the language.

And I thought to myself, look to me, the Arabic is powerful, the English is fair enough trying to explain what the Arabic is. But the word of Allah is that particular Arabic. You cannot compromise it.

So I thought to myself, let me put it in and try and listen to what is being said. And I had a non-Muslim sit in my car once, one who had come to do some work and I was taking him back to his place. I saw tears in his eyes.

Four or five surahs were read within a short space of time in the English language alone. And he told me, what is this? I said, what do you think it is? He said, it's something powerful. He said, it has to be the book you guys follow.

I said, it is. Can I come to your place of worship? By all means, brother. Subhanallah.

I think within a short space of time, may Allah grant him guidance to the deen. Ameen. That's when I realized, I said, you know what? Sometimes when people are just going through even the meaning of it, because they understand it, it impacts differently.

Without reducing the importance of the tilawa in the Arabic language, because indeed that is on a level of its own. But at the same time, remember the impact of that, if you understand what you're reading, is totally different. You need that as well.

Working on Purification

So your purification will start when you have made an intention to understand the word of Allah. I said moments ago, they heard four verses of the Quran, they embraced Islam. They read four verses of the Quran, they embraced the deen of Islam.

We have read what we known as khatma, upon khatma, upon khatma, once a month, sometimes once a week, sometimes once every two months. We've completed the entire mushaf. But brother, you cannot give up your pornography.

A'udhu billah. It did not move you. Pornography is the problem of the age, wallahi.

It's a difficulty. It affects your eyes, your brain, your mind, your organs, your reproductive system, the way you look at the opposite sex, your marriage, absolutely everything is made rotten through a cancer because of your eyes perceiving some dirty sexual movements of the opposite sex. Totally haram, completely unacceptable, but available on your phone.

The Mobile Phone Test

Today, I was speaking to some brothers on our journey back from Birmingham, and I made mention of a very interesting point. Your mobile phone that you have, my brothers, my sisters, can take you to jannah or jahannam. Remember that.

The way you use it, you have any scholar on the globe that Allah has used to affect you and impact on you, at your fingertips, at the time of your convenience, in your bedroom, subhanallah. Perhaps, whilst you're lying down, you can click every night, either on a scholar, where you can listen to something regarding your deen, and go to bed feeling a good Muslim, or you can click onto a pornographic site, and perhaps you will be caught in that web, which will take you very very far away. It's to do with how clean or dirty your heart is.

If you want to purify yourself, you need to force yourself before you go to bed. Click that phone, listen to a ten-minute clip of a scholar of your choice, subhanallah, and then go to bed. Every day that ten-minute dose will wake you up.

But if you have a one-minute dose of that which is pornographic, or ugly, or dirty, or unacceptable, wallahi, it is like a seed that grows, and when the tree grows big, it's going to be very hard to uproot it, my brothers, my sisters, get rid of it now. Now, make an intention here and now. Ya Allah, you take me before I exit this masjid, let me be a pure person, I seek forgiveness for all my sins, I change my life.

Allahu Akbar. How many more scholars would you like to hear before you change your life? Before you decide to purify that heart of yours, without an effort from you, the heart is not going to be purified. When you have your own kitchen, and you've cooked your food, and your pans are dirty, you cannot just look at the pans and expect them to become clean.

Even if you've got a dishwasher, you've got to pick the thing up, put it into the dishwasher, choose the detergent, turn on the water, press the button, then things happen. Subhanallah. We still don't have that eye control, the eye control of the pan.

And if you thought you did, they'd take you to the hospital, believe me. May Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala safeguard us. So these are powerful words of reminder for myself to begin with.

Social Media Usage

My brother, my sister, how do you use your Twitter account? What type of a profile do you have? How do you use your Facebook account? It can take you to paradise, or it can drive you to hell very easily. Believe me, it's up to you when you press click, and when you press like. And it's up to you to go home and dislike, or to dislike it here and now, whilst we're talking.

Because I know there are brothers, perhaps maybe even sisters, busy on their phones whilst we're talking. To be honest, I actually don't see a single one, mashallah. Allahu Akbar.

So I need to swallow back my word. But this is what it is. If your heart is dirty, it begins to show your own self.

You can see it. Your mind can figure it out. Why? Because you lead a life.

What will happen to it? It will be full of bunk. You know, it will be so narrow. It's full of depression, full of stress, full of lack of contentment.

Where is my contentment gone? It's gone with the pornographic site. It's gone with the adultery that you cannot give up. Adultery is a seed.

Wallahi, if you sow it, and you water it, watering means you return to it, and you water it more, you return to it more, it grows a tree. When the tree becomes big and strong, it becomes more difficult to uproot it. You get hooked on to it, to the degree that it's just like second nature.

The Danger of Sin

No regret thereafter, until you die in a condition. May Allah safeguard us. We had some brothers who came to me some time back, telling me, you know, what do we do? Our father was looking like such a religious man, and he died in the midst of two prostitutes with beer bottles.

Do you want that to be the end of your life? May Allah protect us all. (نَعُوذُ بِاللهِ - Na'udhu billah). May Allah safeguard us.

Well, if that's the case, do not let that be a probability. Rather, let salah be a probability possibility. If you engage in five salah, the chances of you dying in salah are very great.

Do you know that? There are so many who have died in sujood and ruku' But if you don't lead salah, there are no chance of that happening to you. Not at all. May Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala take us away whilst we are in His obedience.

And may He protect us, really, that we are not disgraced dying in His disobedience. My brothers and sisters, life is too short. We cleanse our heart from malice, from dirt, from jealousy.

Jealousy leads to that hatred, subhanallah. When you hate someone, you start planning their downfall. And what happens when you plan someone's downfall? You lose focus from your own life.

Because now everything I do, it's to do him down. I'm going to fight this man. I'm going to do this to him.

I'm going to do this to this sister or this woman. I'm going to make sure this happens and that happens, whether it is the young age, starting from the school rivalry that we have, because of what someone looks like or how sharp they are, what type of friends they may have, and how sociable they may be or not be. These are all little problems we face in schools, primary as well as high school and so on.

Social Dynamics

Some people only flock around those who are wealthy. Others flock around those who are popular. Others flock around those who are intelligent.

And we leave sometimes the best of people, who have the best of character and conduct, just because they are quiet sitting in one corner. Allahu Akbar.

Perhaps from them you might have benefited more.

So don't make people's life difficult. When you start making someone's life hard, you have lost focus from your own. You know we are very fortunate that in Britain, I'm going to say something that really might be affecting some.

We are very fortunate that in Britain the houses are small and there is a shortage of space. Do you know why? You have less problems of in-laws than we do back in Africa. Because you have to live separately, like it or not, in most cases.

Why I say this is because, when there are many people living together, that cannot be possible unless you have a very big heart. You need to be a selfless person, who loves Allah and the deen, and who allows people their freedom, subhanAllah, who respects and who serves. Otherwise it cannot work, doesn't happen.

You're living with so many people, subhanAllah. Allahu Akbar. So this is why I say you're lucky, you've got small homes.

But I think the hearts are big inshaAllah. Let's hope that. Allahu Akbar.

At least we can... A heart is something, you know when you exercise your muscles, they inflate, don't they? MashaAllah. The youngsters would like to look big, you know, they'd like to look muscular. When you exercise your heart correctly, it also becomes big.

MashaAllah. Big in the right way. Alhamdulillah.

Generosity and Selflessness

So we ask Allah to grant us good hearts, big hearts. To be generous. Generosity is a good quality of the heart, which stems from the goodness of the soul.

But when we are stingy and miserly, everything goes wrong. Because then we begin to hate people. You don't spend on your own family.

Come on my brother. You don't spend on your children. So where's your wealth going? Allahu Akbar.

Are you amassing it? The verses I read before you, Qarun, that's what he did. He amassed the wealth. And you know what was his problem? He had such a dirty heart, such a filthy soul, that he related whatever he had to himself and not to his Maker.

That brings me to a point. Whatever goodness you have is from Allah. The evil and bad from yourself and shaitan.

Allahu Akbar. May Allah safeguard us. So you recognize your own nafs and you recognize shaitan, who is trying to work on you.

And divorce yourself from the devil. You find yourself getting closer to Allah. It's like a seesaw.

Your soul, within it, there is this seesaw type of a relation. You either move closer to the devil and further from Allah, or closer to Allah and further from the devil. Simple.

May Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala grant us purity. My brothers and sisters, another bad habit is when we are selfish. We want everything for ourselves.

Rather develop our hearts and souls to be selfless to the degree that we can share. Something known as al-ithar. Look at Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala praising the Ansar.

The Example of the Ansar

What did they do? They welcomed strangers who were brothers in deen into their homes by the instruction of Allah. When Allah instructed, they welcomed their brothers who were strangers. Had it not been for the link of iman, there would be no other link.

Welcome them into the home and share their wealth 50-50. Today we cannot share our wealth with the suffering souls in Syria or Somalia or anywhere else on the globe. And nobody is asking you to open your doors, to let them live in your house and share everything 50-50.

But we are not ready to give out 5% without them coming even into our houses. That's why we are not sahaba. May Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala grant us purity of the heart, so that at least we can be sahaba in the akhirah.

We'd like to be in the company of Muhammadsallallahu alaihi wasallam. They really had such good hearts. So much purification within the heart.

Quranic Verse on Preference

They gave so much to their suffering brothers and sisters, to the degree that life was made comfortable for these people who had come known as muhajireen. And Allah praises them by saying, They gave their brethren preference over themselves, even though they needed it a lot more. They were in dire need of what they were actually giving away.

We are asking you for very little. All your suffering brothers and sisters across the globe, perhaps in your neighborhood, perhaps in your masjid, are not asking you to give up that which you are in need of, but that which you do not need. How many of us have wardrobes full of clothes that we've never worn for the last year? My sister, give it away.

Do not let your heart cling to this worldly material items that are there. Allahu Akbar. You may use them, you may enjoy them within the limits of Allah.

Nobody is saying no. You may make use of it, you may become happy whilst using it. But remember, don't let it be a waste.

Warning Against Extravagance

Extravagance is a sign of the dirty heart and the dirty soul. Allah says in the Quran, such people who are extravagant and wasteful, they are the brethren of the devil.

Those who are wasteful, extravagant and so on, they are the brethren of shaitan, and shaitan is ungrateful, which means wastefulness is a sign of ingratitude. Wastefulness is a sign of ingratitude. You have so many pairs of shoes, 45 pairs of shoes, one for every occasion.

The wedding coming up next week, you've already sewn a brand new pair of clothing and you've got 60 pairs in your closet. Don't worry my sister, they are not going to know that you wore this for the wedding that was 10 weddings back. That's how we've got to speak.

And if you want to sew, and you have the ability to sew, something new for every function, make a promise to Allah, for every one I get, I'm going to give one away. Make sure it is a cut within the pleasure of Allah. Because if you give away a skirt with a slit, that is going to expose a female, whom you have given it to, you may be amassing a sin, rather than getting something in terms of reward.

Proper Charity

You think you are giving a charity. One day we were given donations from somewhere, in Zimbabwe. And they told us, please give this to the poor.

Wallahi, when we took some of it out, not all of it, some of it out, we were so embarrassed as to what it was. And we decided this, we cannot give it to anyone, no one. Because we cannot allow the people to wear it.

They're going to think, wow, this guy must be a real, real romantic dude giving it to me. Wallahi ya, it's not from me. My sister, what an embarrassment.

We're giving it to someone, and they might take it home, give it to their sister, and they know where it came from, and they have such a bad feeling in their heart about you, that this guy is actually someone besides what he is purporting to be. Yet, it's not from me. It's from a donor.

And when they donate it, they're asking Allah, ya Allah, (تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا - taqabbal minna), O Allah, accept from us our sadaqa. What sadaqa? What sadaqa are you giving?

It's like giving a bottle of alcohol, and saying, ya Allah, accept it from me as a sadaqa. Not at all.

It is haram. Why did you have that in the first place? You should be embarrassed of it. And this is why we say, my sisters, buy clothes, or sew clothes, that insha Allah, one day you can give out as a sadaqa, by the will of Allah, just the mere giving it out later on, even if you've used it, and it's in good condition.

There are people across the globe, who might not even have that much. But if you've given that, it may be a means of your entry into paradise. So just sew it properly, insha Allah.

Make sure it is within the obedience of Allah. Subhanahu wa ta'ala. I know what the sisters are thinking, but I use it at home in my bedroom.

You see? Sharp. They say, very very quick thinkers today. Wallahi my sister, what you do in your bedroom is none of our business.

It's between you and your husband, insha Allah. The difficulty is, we're talking of people, who are not yet married sometimes. Allahu Akbar.

May Allah safeguard us. And may Allah open our doors. And even if we are married, we need to understand and realize, when you're giving someone something, you need to know what you are giving them.

Especially as a mu'mina. We are supposed to be Tahirat. May Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala open our doors.

Brotherhood and Unity

I think this mic is cutting every little while to remind us that it's not only about the sisters. It's about the brothers sitting in front of us as well. My beloved brothers, Wallahi we are so grateful to Allah.

How do we show this gratitude, that we are part of the ummah. We love each other for the pleasure of Allah. Wallahi.

Wallahi we see beautiful faces, insha Allah. We see people whom we love solely for the pleasure of Allah. You are trying to earn Jannah and so am I. And I ask Allah in this blessed gathering, in one of his houses, Ya Allah, unite us in Jannah.

The same way you brought us together here today. Ameen. So my brothers and sisters, we need to become generous.

We need to know, that there are people across the globe suffering. Sometimes we throw away our food. Not realizing there are others, who actually do not have that food.

Purify your soul and you'll realize the value, of even the ni'mah of Allah upon you. We were speaking of Qarun. Do you know what he said? He said, whatever I got is from my own intellect.

Allah says, oh, he doesn't even realize our hand there. He doesn't realize where it came from. Allah says, we destroyed him and everything he had.

And we let the earth swallow it up. And there was nothing left the following day. And there were people who used to wish they had like him.

Oh, they were reminded by the scholars, you cannot wish for something of this nature, which came by wrongdoing. And at the same time, with arrogance.

And when they saw what happened, they said, just as well, we did not get what he has, or what he had.

Because if we had got that, we would have perhaps been swallowed by the earth, just like he was. This is why you want to ask Allah, ask him for Jannah to start with. Ask him for Thabat.

Ask him for purification. Ask him for the ability to remain steadfast. Ask him to let the heart be inclined towards him, rather than to let it drown in the illicit love of this world sometimes.

Pure Nature and Environment

When I say illicit, I mean, you get married, you protect your heart from depression and stress by the will of Allah. So long as you married the right brother or the right sister. But if you want to develop that love without having been married to someone, it will not result in anything but the dirtiness of your own heart.

(Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith 1358)

Every single child is born upon nature. The nature of the belief in Allah alone, they will understand it and realize it. That heart which is pure, completely pure.

But what happens? Over time, the heart becomes impure because of the environment. The parents sometimes divert people this way, that way. Your friends can also make your heart dirty.

Subhanallah. And when we speak of that type of purification, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala speaks of the heart that is on the highest level when He describes the day of judgment. He says, the day of judgment:

"[On that day] wealth will not benefit, nor children, But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart."

On that day, your wealth and your children will not help you. The only thing that will help you is the pure heart. The accepted, correct heart. That heart which stood firm on the oneness of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

On the obedience of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. The heart that struggled to keep shaitan at bay. And the heart that engaged in constant repentance.

The Power of Istighfar

If you repent correctly, on its own it will help you abstain from sin. How does that happen? Because if you say, oh Allah forgive me, oh Allah forgive me in the morning. For example, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam through the day said it up to a hundred times.

And if we are to do that, say for example, whilst I'm walking, I've said it five, six times. As I'm entering, for example, a store, I say it another five, six times, bearing in mind what I'm saying. And then, for example, whilst I'm coming out, I say it a few times, bearing in mind what I'm saying.

And throughout the day I'm saying it, you know, scattered through the day here and there, a few times here and there. What will happen? The minute there is a sin to be committed, I will feel immediately, it doesn't go together with this tawbah that I've been engaging in through the day. The two don't come together.

I'm on one hand saying, oh Allah forgive me. And on the other hand, I'm busy gazing, the wrong gaze. It won't come together, it won't.

So this is why they say, engage in istighfar, that will protect you. What else will protect you? Your salah will protect you. Salah, when it is read correctly on time, when you are worried about the next one, that is when you're reading salah correctly.

Connection to the Masjid

That's a sign that your salah is valid and correct. This is why the hadith describes:

(Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith 660)

A man whose heart is connected to the masjid, meaning, connected to salah, connected to the house of Allah, in the case of the sisters, connected to your salah, when you read one, you're worried about the next one. This is a gift of Allah.

How many of us, we fulfill salah, and already we're worried about the next one. Try and achieve that. You find your heart will be cleansed.

"[Indeed, salah prohibits immorality and wrongdoing]"

Wallahi, the sins will eradicate themselves. Because, Salah itself, prohibits and prevents you from immorality and evil. Allahu Akbar.

May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala purify us. May He grant us goodness. So this is why we say, subhanAllah, this (قَلْبٌ سَلِيمٌ - qalb saleem) this pure heart, should be the dream of every one of us.

Protection from Sin

Save yourselves. Remember Allah a lot. Protect yourselves from jealousy, from envy.

Protect yourselves from that which is bad. The love of sin, that which you commit in private, that is what destroys your heart. One sin in private is more dangerous One sin in private is more dangerous than what you think.

The reason is, when a person commits a sin on his own between him and Allah, although it may not be as bad as committing it openly with arrogance, but there is a difference. When you get used to doing something on your own that is bad, perhaps sometimes people might not correct you. When you commit it openly, sometimes a person might correct you.

And this is why, the hadith speaks of it from another angle, where the Prophet s.a.w. says, there is hope for people, for as long as they are not proud of their sin and they don't openly commit it. So that angle, yes, it's in the hadith of Rasulullah s.a.w. But that which you do in private, it does not mean it's belittled. It is very dangerous, it is venomous, it is poisonous.

It is something that may grow into roots of evil that are like the arteries around your heart, they've blocked it, sealed it. If you've ever seen the diagram of a heart and you see all the veins and capillaries and arteries and various other blood vessels around the heart, they come so well around the heart that they form like a cage around it. Imagine if that was full of evil, what would happen to us? This is why develop your link with Allah silently.

Night Worship

"[And from [part of] the night, pray to Him, and after the prostration.]"

One of the means of purifying your heart, Engage in acts of worship when people are fast asleep. Read your salah at night when nobody is watching besides Allah. Why is this going to purify your heart? Because you are doing it for the sake of Allah.

If committing a sin, when you think nobody is watching, is very very bad and evil, and dirties your heart, then engaging in a good deed when nobody is watching will have the opposite effect. It will purify your heart and cleanse it. So this is why there are so many evidences to prove that a good deed that is done in private is far more beneficial than the same good deed which may be done sometimes openly.

Beneficial from a certain angle, that is purification of the heart. Your link with Allah is a secret between you and Allah. Mostly who knows my connection with Allah? Only I know it.

I know what water I'm swimming in. I know what hot soup I might be in. And so do you.

Subhanallah. It's only Allah who knows this. So you need to know between you and Allah, what's your link? Develop it.

Make Allah your best friend. Give that love to Allah. And the love of Allah is known by your obedience.

It is not known by mere statements of the tongue. Statements of the tongue are important, but they need to be substantiated by action. Moments ago we promised 10 pounds each.

To do what? To upgrade the sound system here. It's easy to put up your hand. Whether or not you're going to take it out of your pocket and put it in the box, that's between you and Allah.

Sincerity in Speech

Subhanallah. This was just a statement to make sure it comes. I'm thinking moments ago as soon as I'm gone, I'm sure everybody would just say salamu alaykum out.

Don't forget. Allahu Akbar. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make us honest people.

It's easy to say something. It's difficult to put your money where your mouth is. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala give us mouths that will not embarrass us.

We say, oh Allah, we love you. Oh messenger, we love you. It's just like what we are getting in return.

My sisters, I said a few days ago and I'm saying it again. When he says I love you, it's just like how he says I love the messenger. Why do we say that?

Because when he says he loves the messenger, if he really did, he would not be saying that to you illicitly.

Allahu Akbar. Did you hear what I just said? If he's married to you, it's fine. Yes, we're not talking about that.

We're talking of illicitly. You want to say I love you, I love you, sister in Islam, I love you. And at the bottom we add F-T-O-P.

You know what that means? Or F-T-P, for the pleasure of Allah. F-T-P-A, yeah. I've seen it happening.

I love you. And they've got a big sign with a smooch. You know, it's a little snog, mashallah.

Astaghfirullah. It's just a sign. They've got it going.

And this little emoticon that comes up, I love you with an emoticon. And at the bottom they say F-T-P-A, for the pleasure of Allah. What's that? Is that like a password to commit sin? Wallahi, it's not.

Be careful. It's a password to dirty your heart. And my sister, if you fall prey to that, you're equally guilty.

Allahu Akbar. Don't fall prey to it. When you love Allah and His messenger, you wouldn't be saying that to someone illicitly.

It's a sign. This is why I say, if such a person says, I love the messenger, it's the same thing. Because they love the messenger, they're not following him.

So they love you, and you're probably not the only one that they say, I love you too. And at the same time, they're probably using that statement just to get something out of you. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala purify us.

Respecting Others

Do not abuse one another. Never abuse the opposite sex. Never ever.

Respect the opposite sex. And remember, if you are used as a means to guide someone, it is better for you than anything of material value in this world. If that is correct, and it is correct because it's the hadith, then you need to remember the opposite is also true.

If you are used to misguide someone, it is worse for you than anything in this world. Than the loss of the biggest materialistic items of this world. Worse than that.

Imagine if you are used to misguide someone, you encourage someone to commit a sin, and they committed it. It's so bad, and it's such a dirty spot on the heart, that what will happen is, it would be equivalent or even worse than if you had to lose your house, and your car, and your job, and your clothing, and everything, and driven out of completely everything, and your bank account gone, everything done, and you sitting there bare. Why? Because you did something that is unacceptable.

My brothers and sisters, it's about time we cleansed ourselves for the sake of Allah. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us goodness. May Allah open our doors.

The Tears of Remembrance

Wallahi, we need to be worried for ourselves. When we die, and we go into our graves, we will be on our own. It is the warm tears that will come to our assistance, when we've cried for the sake of Allah.

(Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith 660)

Someone who remembers Allah on their own, they remember Allah in the darkness of the night, or at any time of the day, and suddenly a warm tear rolls down their cheeks. That warm tear will bear witness for

you, my brothers and sisters. May Allah grant it to us.

Some of us, we've never cried, except for that which was illicit. Girlfriend breaks up with you, and you cry two buckets full. Allahu Akbar! And when you break up your link with Allah, and develop a link with the devil, there's no tears coming up.

When people remind you of your link with Allah, and how He is the owner of everything. He's the owner of your heart. He's the owner of your eyes, your nose, your existence, your breathing, your life, your sustenance, your happiness.

Then nobody cries. Or should I say some don't cry. This is why the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used to say:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3482)

Oh Allah, I seek your protection from an eye that doesn't cry for your sake.

May Allah open our doors. We cry over our sins:

(Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 4252)

Is a hadith of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم . He says, you need to cry over the sins you've committed.

Weep, it's a sign of acceptance. It's a sign that you have turned. It's a purification of the heart.

The tears are used to purify the heart. For as long as they are, they have been released for the right reasons. Allahu Akbar.

Conclusion and Advice

May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us purity and goodness. Brothers and sisters, I have only tapped on very few angles of purification of the heart. And purification of the soul.

There is much to be said. But as you know, sessions of this nature will keep repeating themselves. It is your business.

You need to make it your business to hunt for them. To make an effort to attend them. And inshallah to be a part of them.

I want to end with one little point that comes to my mind and that is, back at home we see the churches full. They sit for hours, 3-4 times a week. Hours on end.

And the other places of worship. But when it comes to the Muslimin, very few people. Can we fill this masjid for Salatul Fajr tomorrow morning as it is today.

Or any masjid we are closest to, in terms of the brothers. Can we do that? By the will of Allah. We hope that that is the case.

My brothers and sisters, work on your hearts. May Allah make me work on mine as well. No matter what level you've got to, there is always room for improvement.

Always room for improvement. Never ever think that I have arrived. Never ever think I'm holy.

Because a person who thinks he's holy, really, has a few holes. You need to know that. You need to be worried about your piety.

The Example of Umar ibn al-Khattab

Piety is a level that really, even the pious are worried. Look at Umar ibn al-Khattab, going to Hudayfah ibn al-Yaman. What a stalwart of the deen.

What a man. What a great man. And he goes and he says, Ya Hudayfah, I just want to know something.

The list of hypocrites that you have, is Umar on that list? Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. One of the highest of the sahaba, radiyallahu anhum. Two in the order.

Number two in the ranking. And what happens? Allahu Akbar, he is saying, genuinely and seriously asking a question. Worried and trembling.

Is my name on that list? Just let me know that. Did he ever think I'm a pious man? I'm a sahabi, and I was happy to be the companion of Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam. I was given glad tidings of paradise, so I'm pious.

They were given glad tidings of Jannah, and they were still worried about that issue. Are we hypocrites? The Quran says:

Addressing the sahaba radiyallahu anhum, the address is even more for us.

That your deeds might be wasted without you knowing, because of certain bad conduct and behavior. So what about us? We ask Allah never ever to waste our deeds without us knowing. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala protect us all.

Closing

InshaAllah we meet again for another dose. InshaAllah at some stage, whether here or elsewhere, we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to bless us and grant us all paradise. Help us purify our hearts, love one another for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, and remove the clinginess that is in our hearts of the material world that is around us.

When it goes beyond a certain limit, remember, it becomes detrimental. Till we meet again we say:

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ