Who's Watching You
By Omar Suleiman | 2025-12-24T23:02:31.966653+00:00 | Topic: Iman
Who's Watching You - Imam Omar Suleiman
Opening
This is not my point in this lecture, because I just want to make a request to everyone to sit close together inshallah. You may use the wall if you're a senior citizen. And if you're not a senior citizen, then you need a doctor's appointment.
It's better and more appropriate inshallah ta'ala for us to sit together inshallah ta'ala. Especially the young guys. In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
First and foremost, I do want to apologize, I've been feeling very ill today. But inshallah ta'ala, what I'd like to do inshallah ta'ala next, how long do I have first and foremost? 9.30, so about 30-40 minutes inshallah ta'ala. Al-Imam al-Qayyim rahimahullah, he said something that's extremely profound and I think that inshallah ta'ala it can be the basis for a fruitful discussion inshallah ta'ala.
The Challenge of the Unseen
Basically, whenever we're talking about the akhira, what is the main issue that we have with the akhira? I mean, if we could all see al-jannah, if any one of us would have actually seen al-jannah, then we would have absolutely no problem following all of the commandments of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, His Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, without any form of difficulty whatsoever, because we would have already seen the prize. And if we could see hellfire, then we would never have any doubt. And at the same time, we would never even think twice in regards to committing a sin, because we would have seen how grievous hellfire is.
But the problem is that we haven't seen it or at least we don't see it. And al-Imam al-Qayyim rahimahullah, he talks about something very profound. When he says that the one who perfects his standing before Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in dunya, has perfected his standing in front of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in akhira.
And what is the most famous way that we call the Day of Judgment? Yawm al-Qiyamah. The Day of Standing. Whoever perfects his standing in dunya, will have perfected his standing in akhira.
The Concept of Muraqabah
What exactly does that mean? And you look at the salihin, you look at the sahaba, may Allah be pleased with them, demonstrating this utmost level of yaqeen, certainty. Demonstrating this utmost level of muraqabah, understanding that you are being observed by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So much so that Ali r.a said that if I was to see Jannah, then I would not want it more than I already want it.
Meaning there is no way that I could want it more than I already do. If I was to see hellfire, then I would not be more terrified of it than I already am, because that's the level of fear that he had of hellfire. How certain are you that you're being watched? How certain are you that your deeds will be presented to you? And the concept of al-muraqabah is an extremely profound one.
That Imam al-Qadamah r.a in his book, In the Hands of Al-Qasimi, he talks about the concept of muraqabah. And he says that Allah observes you, and you observe Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So there is the muraqabah of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala upon you, and you also are in observance of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
And I just want you to put yourself in this situation. Allah azza wa jal has described to us two types of people on the Day of Judgment. Obviously the believers who are full of joy, who are laughing, whose faces are very bright, who are extremely proud, extremely confident.
And on the other hand, the disbelievers, the munafiq, those who disobey Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and transgress, and their qulubun yawmi dinwajifan, their hearts are beating so hard that they can feel it physically beating out of their chest, nabasaruha khashia, their eyes are humiliated, their sight is to the ground. And then they are remembering the conversations, they are remembering the mockery they used to make, they are remembering all of the things that they used to do, and they are in this absolute state of fear, this absolute state of trembling, that none of us can possibly imagine. And this concept of muraqabah would save each and every single one of us from all of the sins that we do, if we could truly apply it perfectly, and we would never be able to apply it to perfection.
Because it's a very simple concept. If you had a human being who was with you 24x7, would you sin the way that you do? No, absolutely not. Now Allah azza wa jalla tells us about the decision making time.
Receiving the Book of Deeds
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is telling us about those who received their books in their right hands. Allahumma ja'aluna as-sahabahu yameen. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is describing the way that they are, whenever they receive their book of deeds in their right hand.
What do they start to do? They start to go around, and they start to say:
"Here, take and read my record. Indeed, I was certain that I would be meeting my account."
They start going around to everybody that they can find, on the Day of Judgment that they know, and they start showing their deeds. And they're saying, Go ahead and read my book. This is my Salah, this is my Sadaqah, this is my Siyah, this is my Husnul Khuluq, this is my Husnul Dhun and other people, this is my Tasbeeh.
And they're going around and they're showing people their deeds. Whereas those who received their books in the left hand, what are they doing? What is the first thing that they say? What is the first thing that they say? Anyone want to?
"I wish I had not been given my record and had not known my account."
I wish I was never given my book. And I did not know of my accountability.
In fact they would wish that they did not exist. Now here's the key. What if Allah SWT was to send you your book of deeds now? Would you be willing to show people that book of deeds? Or would you be ashamed? That's a very tough question.
Because that book of deeds on the Day of Judgment is not different from the deeds that we do here. That book of deeds reflects the deeds that we do here. Would you be willing to show your deeds to everybody in this restaurant? Would you be willing to go to your parents and say, look at my deeds. (هَاؤُمُ اقْرَءُوا كِتَابِيَهْ) Or would you try to put your deeds away and just say, I wish I never existed. And subhanAllah al-Azeem, the example that's always given from Allah SWT. And what we're really talking about is surveillance.
When you're talking about surveillance, it's not that hard of a concept to understand now. Because you've got cameras everywhere, you've got people watching you all the time, you don't know who's listening to you, you don't know... I mean subhanAllah, I was on the plane this morning. I just picked up that Skywalk magazine.
And they sell spying devices in an airplane magazine. And I was like, are you serious? SubhanAllah, you can just go buy this for 30 bucks and supposedly hear within 50 feet any conversation. So you're always being watched, you're always being listened to.
This concept is not hard for us to understand. And I know a very close friend of mine, who used to work in a clothing store. And subhanAllah, he set up his cameras in his store.
And you could just simply log online with a certain address, a certain web address, and you could watch what's going on in that store. And he was saying, subhanAllah, after that happened, he was so terrified that his wife might go on that website and see what he's doing, even though he wasn't doing anything wrong. That all of a sudden, he found himself lowering his gaze all the time.
All of a sudden, he was reluctant to laugh with a person of the opposite gender. All of a sudden, everything changed. Wasn't Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala the one who created her with him at all times? This concept that you are never alone.
And actually subhanAllah, not only is Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala watching you, you have two angels with you. Not only are those two angels there, there might be some jinn there too. Not only are the jinn there,
there might be human beings who are listening to you too.
The point is, is that you are never alone. And whenever we try to sin, subhanAllah, you know, sinning in private, sinning in private. Although Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala hates that the person will go public with his sins, you're not supposed to go expose yourself.
The Hadith of Concealment
And there's a very famous hadith where Rasulullah SAW is talking about on the Day of Judgment, when he brings the abd close, he brings the servant close, and he's saying, Ya abdi, O my servant, didn't you do this? Didn't you do this? Didn't you do this? And then the person is saying, Ya abdi, I know, I know, I know. And then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says:
(Bukhari 2441, Muslim 2768)
"I have hidden it for you today, and I have forgiven you for that sin. You're not supposed to go public with your deeds."
But there is also something very interesting. Imam Ibn Quddam Rahim Allah says, The sins that you do in private, kill the heart, more than the sins that you do in public. They kill the heart, more than the sins that you do in public.
Why? Because that means that you value the eyes of the people, more than you value the sight of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. You are more worried about people catching you, than Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala seeing you. And then it gets a little bit worse.
Let's say, that you have a camera on you, and your mother was watching you 24x7. How many things would you cut out of your life? But here is where it gets even worse. On the Day of Judgment, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is not just going to inform you of your deeds.
Allah azza wa jal will actually make you read your own deeds. You will have to present your own deeds, I will have to present my own deeds to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So it's not only like your mother is watching you, it's like having to sit there and watch the surveillance video with your mom and then explain yourself to her.
It's deeper than that. Because you are not only aware that your mother is watching you, but you are also observing her presence. And this is the key of muraqabah.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is observing you, and you are in observance of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So whenever you are alone, you find some alone time with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So instead of rushing to do sins, because you know that no one else is watching you, what do you do instead? You rush to do good deeds, where no one else can see you.
Because you don't want other people to infringe on that relationship that you have with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And you know something dear brothers and sisters, Allah azza wa jal has given us the likeness of the sins that we commit, in many different ways. And you have to be able to use imagery.
The Severity of Sins
Where Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for example, He talks about the sin of the backbiting.
"Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful."
Would you like to eat the dead flesh of your brother? You would hate that.
So fear Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is the acceptor of repentance and the most merciful. Or what Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam told Safiyyah, told Aisha radhiAllahu ta'ala on her.
Whenever she described Safiyyah radhiAllahu ta'ala like this, she just put her hand in a way to show that she's sure. And Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says that you have said a word that if you were to spit it into the waters, it would pollute the entire oceans. SubhanAllah.
Or whenever Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is talking about the crime of of riba, interest. That the lowest part of it is like committing zina with your mother multiple times. Or when Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says that to touch a person who is not related to you, meaning a non-mahram, is worse than taking an iron needle and driving it through your head.
You might think to yourself, are these expressions being used just to scare me? Because you know what, in dunya, whenever you use an expression to say how bad your day was or how bad this was that you did, you usually use that expression knowing that it doesn't amount to that. But at the same time, you're trying to make the other party feel good. Right? So whenever someone comes five minutes late to your house and you say, you ruined my life, because you came late.
And we were supposed to have this at this time. But you ruined my life. Or you ruined my day.
Or my work is like hell on earth. Or you use expressions like that. The actual violation never amounts to the expression.
With Allah and His Messenger Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, the expression is not strong enough to represent the violation. Meaning if we took our sins more seriously, if we were more disgusted from our sins, then the way that we approach our sins would be a lot more different. Muhammad ibn Wasif, may Allah have mercy on him, goes back to Muhammad ibn Wasif, may Allah have mercy on him, who said that if sins had an odor, if sins had a scent, then no one would want to sit next to me because of how stinky I would be.
The Side of Certainty (Yaqeen)
And that is the side of yateen. That is the side of certainty. Where Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala has said in a hadith qudsi:
(Bukhari 6507, Muslim 2683)
Whoever loves to meet me, then I love to meet him.
And whoever hates to meet me, then I also hate to meet him. Isn't it ironic that the people who work the deeds of righteousness are the ones who are most fearful of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala and the reckoning of their deeds? SubhanAllah. Isn't it ironic that you would find people who are praying in the masjids, who are observing, you know, what would be enough, at least in terms of status quo, in terms of the standard, who are observing the standard of being a good Muslim.
Isn't that ironic that those people are more afraid of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala than the guy who's selling liquor, than the guy who's committing zina, than the guy who's running around and acting like he has no lord, he has no akhir. It's ironic. SubhanAllah.
You are the one who's committing major sins, but you're not afraid of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. Whereas Umar ibn Abdulaziz Rahimahullah Ta'ala was the same person who, it was said about him by the scholars that all of the ulema are students compared to him. He was recognized as the greatest zahid of his time.
And his wife Fatima, may Allah be pleased with her, says that whenever he would read the verse in the Quran:
A group in paradise and a group in a blazing fire. She would think that she would wake up and the ummah would have to choose a new khalifa, meaning he would die from how much he would tremble out of fear. Whenever seeing that verse, are you kidding me? Umar ibn Abdulaziz was afraid? Why was Umar ibn Abdulaziz afraid? What does he have to worry about? Every one of us, we study his life as a model of taskiyah.
But whenever he read that ayah, it scared him to a point that his wife thought he was going to die. What is that about? What is that about with his grandfather, Umar ibn Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, who Rasulullah SAW has guaranteed him jannah. Who Rasulullah SAW said, that if there was to be a prophet after me, it would have been Umar.
Who Rasulullah SAW said, there were people in the ummah, the nations that came before you, who were muhaddathoon, they were spoken to. And if there is anyone in my nation that's like that, it's Umar ibn Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, who witnessed the battles with Rasulullah SAW. What is it with Umar ibn Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, reciting the ayahs about hellfire and crying so much that he had two black marks under his eyes.
Because of how much he feared those ayahs. Why is it that those people were afraid, and we are not afraid? SubhanAllah. Umar ibn Abdulaziz, may Allah be pleased with him, he once saw the great mufassir of the Qur'an, Mujahid, may Allah be pleased with him.
If you're reading books of tafsir, you'll always find the name Mujahid. And he was a contemporary to Umar ibn Abdulaziz. And when Umar ibn Abdulaziz, may Allah be pleased with him, saw him one day, after salatul duha, he goes out and he finds Mujahid, may Allah be pleased with him, crying and reciting some of the verses of Allah SWT, the book of Allah SWT.
And he sees him in private. It's not like Mujahid is out there in the middle, reading this. He sees him in private.
And Umar ibn Abdulaziz breaks down into tears. And you know what he says? He says, This is the way he said, O Mujahid, How am I going to find my Lord? How am I going to meet my Lord on a day that you're going to meet Him? SubhanAllah. You know how profound that statement is? On the Day of Judgment, Allah SWT is not going to divide us based on the years that we lived.
Allah SWT is not going to say, Okay, those of you who lived from Adam AS to Noah AS, come forward. Or, no. Everyone stands behind their nephew. Everyone stands behind their prophet. That means that we are going to be standing, inshaAllah ta'ala, in the same room as Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, radiAllahu ta'ala. And the same Lord who will question Abu Bakr, will question you and I. What does that mean? We've got a long way to go.
If they were not satisfied, then we cannot be satisfied. And you know what the greatest sign of nifaat is? The greatest sign of hypocrisy is? Anyone know? When you no longer fear. When you are so sure that you have reached the point where, mashAllah Allah, I'm doing everything I can.
The deen is thriving because of me. Or, you know, Alhamdulillah, I go to the Masjid every night for salat and worship. I have nothing to worry about. When you have reached that point in your life, that is the greatest sign of nifaat. You know what Rasulullah S.A.W. said?
(Ibn Majah 4197)
What I would be worried, I would fear something greater for you. الْعُجْبُ الْعُجْبُ الْعُجْبُ is when you are impressed by yourself.
When you think that you are at a level that, mashAllah Allah, look at me. That's why Imam Al-Qayyim, rahim Allah, he said that a good deed that takes you away from Allah S.W.T. or rather a sin that brings you closer to Allah S.W.T. is more beloved to Allah S.W.T. than the good deed that takes you away. The sin that will bring you closer to Allah S.W.T. Like the man whom Rasulullah S.A.W. described to us, amongst those seven who are in the shade of Allah S.W.T., the throne of Allah S.W.T. on the day when there is no shade except for that shade.
And one of them, a young man, who is approached by a beautiful woman. The stage of committing zina is set. All he has to do is take it.
But what happens? That last moment, he pulls back. What does he say?
(Bukhari 660, Muslim 1031)
I fear Allah S.W.T. A sin that will bring you closer to Allah S.W.T. is more beloved than a good deed that makes you more paralyzed, more impressed with yourself, more satisfied. Because if you're satisfied, you're never going to ascend.
And one thing you can find that is uniform with all of the sahabah of Rasulullah S.A.W. is that they were never satisfied. Whether it was going to as far as (حَنْظَلَة رَضِيَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَنْهُ - Hanzala radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) claiming that they have become hypocrites.
All the way to (عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَنْهُ - Amr ibn al-'Aas radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) At his death, saying that my life can be divided into three. At first, I was an enemy to Rasulullah S.A.W. And he was the most hated person to me. And if I would have died at that time, I surely would have been from amongst the people of Hellfire.
Then, I embraced Islam. And Rasulullah S.A.W. became the most beloved person to me on the face of the earth. And he says, if I would have died during that time, I definitely would have entered Jannah.
Now, I'm not so sure. Now, I'm not so sure. These are sahabah talking.
These are sahabah who are not sure if they were going to enter Jannah or not. These are sahabah who feared that standing on the Day of Judgment. Who are we to say that we have been guaranteed protection from them? You have to keep on working hard.
You have to act with a sense of urgency. You have to act with a sense of desperation. When Rasulullah S.A.W. says:
(Muslim 118)
Rush to do good deeds.
You act with desperation. Because you are not so sure about yourself. If you have reached that point, then that is hypocrisy.
The Danger of Status Quo
Dear brothers and sisters, the most dangerous thing that we find is something called status quo.
Whenever status quo is being fulfilled, meaning status quo is, if I go to the masjid this many times a week, or if I attend jama'at, then I'm alright. Then no one is going to think anything is wrong with me.
No one is going to come to my house in Jola and say, brother, where have you been? No one is going to tell me, fear Allah S.W.T. I'm good. My kid finished reading Quran when he was 7 years old. Alhamdulillah, I'm good.
We had a nice big party. Everyone knows my kid finished Quran. I'm good.
And you start to list your accomplishments this way. As long as I'm meeting status quo, then I'm okay. What does that tell you about yourself? Rasulullah S.A.W. said:
(Mustadrak al-Hakim 7930)
That very iman, faith becomes dried up and worn out in your hearts just like a thoat dust.
Meaning if you keep on putting, you take a very nice shirt that has a very bright color, you put it in the washer and dryer, say 7 times, what happens to it? It becomes dull. There is nothing refreshing. You're just doing what everyone else is doing.
And all you're trying to do is make sure that the image of your relationship is okay. But in private, who are you? When you are alone, who are you? When no one is watching you, who are you? Because that's all that's going to count. And if those deeds were to be documented, then would you be proud of them or not? And would you be willing to show those deeds to other people or not? And Allah Azza wa Jalla has described to us these incidents so many times.
But the irony, again, those who are more afraid of their sins are more willing to meet Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and in fact love to meet Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Whereas those who are actually committing major sins, those who are actually disobeying Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala constantly, what is it? They hate to meet Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Why would it be that a person who is afraid of his reckoning would love to meet Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala?
Because Allah Azza wa Jalla says whoever hates to meet him, then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala hates to meet him also.
Why is it that a person who would be in that situation of questioning himself would actually want to meet Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in that situation? It's really something to think about. That's what a relationship is. If you truly love Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, then you know that your Lord is more merciful.
Because you tried. You made the effort. You would be satisfied with only them that you actually made the effort and that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is the one who is going to reward you.
Inshallah. At the same time, the one who is constantly disobeying Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is so confident, is so happy, his heart is so free of any fear in this dunya, he will be the complete opposite on the Day of Judgment when we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to protect us. Now, if you're just doing what everyone else is doing and you're being status quo, and everyone is satisfied with you, and no one thinks you're a bad person, and on the surface you're a very good Muslim, you wear your thong when you come to the Masjid, you've got the look, you've got the walk, you do just as much activity.
Whenever the fundraiser time comes, you give just what everybody else gives. Whenever it comes time for Salat and Fajr, you see if your friends are going and you'll go too. If you're in that situation, then you know what you might be doing, and you might be guilty of? You might just be putting a very pretty face on a very ugly relationship.
You might just be putting a very pretty face on a very ugly relationship. Because I'll tell you what, Tiger Woods, they might think he was cheating on his wife at like 20 something, but I didn't think so. Why is it that Tiger Woods only feels bad and comes out, and gives that phony press conference after he got caught? Then all of a sudden, I'm ashamed of myself.
I can't believe I did that. I don't know what I was thinking. I can't forgive myself. I don't expect you to forgive me. Who was the victim the whole time? That relationship was extremely ugly. But on the surface, he's got it all.
He's a family man. John Edwards, who I supported for president back in the day. John Edwards, see him, mashallah, the champion of civil rights and stuff like that.
The poor, all that kind of stuff. You look at him, you say, wow, he slept by his cancer-stricken wife the whole time. And they lost their son in a car accident. Then all of a sudden, whenever he gets caught cheating, and having a love child, all of a sudden, John Edwards feels guilty. All of a sudden, John Edwards wants to cry. Is that how we act, O Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala? You only feel bad about your sin when you get caught.
How come you didn't feel bad about that sin when you were not getting caught? Was it because the status quo was being nice? Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has not prepared Jannah for status quo people. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has prepared Jannah for al-ghuraba. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has prepared Jannah for al-sabiqoon.
Those who rush to do their deeds. Those who are not satisfied with themselves. Those who are constantly trying to do more to please Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, because they realize that no matter how much they do, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has not been repaid.
And so they're constantly trying to make it. They're constantly aiming for perfection. So even Abu Bakr as-Siddiq radiAllahu ta'ala alim. The one, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala alim. He was the foremost in every single good. Anytime there was a good deed being presented, Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was asking the sahaba.
He's sitting with the sahaba. He's asking the sahaba, Who amongst you prayed janazah today? Abu Bakr raises his hand. And some sahaba raise their hand.
Hands go down. Who amongst you fasted today? Abu Bakr as-Siddiq raises his hand. And another group of sahaba raise their hand.
Who amongst you gave sadaqa today? Abu Bakr as-Siddiq raises his hand. Another group of sahaba raise their hand. Who amongst you visited a sick person today? Abu Bakr as-Siddiq raises his hand. Another group of sahaba raise their hand. And Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam telling Abu Bakr as-Siddiq radiAllahu ta'ala alim when he asks, Will anyone enter Jannah from all of its gates? That yes, and I hope that you will. Abu Bakr as-Siddiq radiAllahu ta'ala alim, Do you know what he said? He said, If I have one foot in Jannah, I will not be satisfied until the other foot gets in.
That's Abu Bakr, who is the greatest man on the face of... whoever walked the face of the earth that was not a prophet. And he said, If I have one foot in Jannah, I will not be satisfied until the other foot is already in. Why? Because he was certain that he will meet Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, and he was certain that he would have his book of deeds presented to him, and he wanted to make sure that that book of deeds was full of good.
You know what? Ibn Hayyan, Ibn Hayyan rahimAllahu ta'ala, one of the salafi, he used to walk out in the middle of the night, and he used to say (عَجِبْتُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ كَيْفَ نَامَ طَالِبُهَا - 'ajibtu mina al-jannati kayfa nama talibuha) I am amazed at the Jannah. (كَيْفَ نَامَ طَالِبُهَا - kayfa nama talibuha) How is the one who is seeking it going to sleep? (عَجِبْتُ مِنَ النَّارِ كَيْفَ نَامَ هَارِبُهَا - 'ajibtu mina an-nari kayfa nama haribuha) I am amazed from hellfire. How is the one who is trying to run away and escape from hellfire going to sleep? Why are we so paralyzed? Is it because status quo is being met? That is the most dangerous.
Examining Ourselves
And you know how you can analyze yourself and see if it's just status quo? Ask yourself this question. Is your salah the same quality at home? (صلاة السُّنَّة - Salat as-Sunnah) Not praying behind the shaykh. If you pray your sunnah in the masjid, and you pray it at home, which is by the way closer and more beloved to the sunnah because also Allah SWT said do not turn your homes into graveyards.
If you pray those two rak'ahs at home, and you compare it to the quality of those two rak'ahs in the masjid, are those two rak'ahs in the masjid just a little bit longer? Is the sujood just a little bit longer? Do you make sure that you actually read another surah after surah al-Fatiha when you pray in the masjid? Or that you actually read al-Fatiha in the way it's supposed to be read? How are you when people don't see
you? Who are you behind closed doors? That is what matters to Allah SWT, not your image. This is all fake. This is all an image.
Allah SWT will strip it off of us on the Day of Judgment. And the only thing that will be presented, is your heart. Al-Taqwa Ha'una Al-Taqwa Ha'una Al-Taqwa Ha'una This is what Al-Taqwa is.
And you know what Allah SWT will say? To the people who used to show off their deeds to others, to make sure that everything was good in terms of status quo. Allah SWT will say to them:
Go to those people that you used to show your deeds to in dunya, and ask them for good for you today? Do they have any reward for your deeds today? No. You wanted people to say MashaAllah, he goes to the Majlis, MashaAllah, this guy is a really righteous person, MashaAllah, this guy is always there for Salat and Isha, you got what you want.
You wanted people to say you're a knowledgeable person, you got what you want. You wanted people to say you're a generous person, you got what you want. You wanted people to say that MashaAllah, he gave his life for the sake of Allah SWT, you got what you want.
You know what? Coincidentally, those are the first three people, according to Rasulullah SAW, who are dragged on their faces into the Hellfire, on whom Hellfire is lit, may Allah SWT protect us. Imagine that, a scholar, a perceived Shaheed, a generous person, Hellfire is lit upon them, before the most wicked person that you can possibly imagine. Why? Because it was fake, it was artificial.
If you really want Jannah, if you're really worried about your standing in front of Allah SWT on the Day of Judgment, worry about your standing in front of Allah SWT in Dunya. Not in front of Omar, or not in front of Muhammad, or not in front of anyone else. Worry about how you look in front of Allah SWT. Because that's what's gonna matter. And by the way, this is something that's very interesting. We are very blessed that Allah SWT loves to forgive, and Allah SWT, in fact, He loves it when we repent more than we love it when we repent.
How do we know that? From Rasulullah SAW, that Allah is more happy when He repents us than the person who is in the desert, and he has his camel, and all his provisions are on that camel, and he loses that camel. And then the happiness and joy that he has when he finds that camel. And then he calls to Allah SWT, and he says, Ya Rabb, Ya Rabb, I am your Lord, and you are my servants.
Because he's so overjoyed that he's actually mixing up his words. Allah is more happy when He repents us than that camel. We're so blessed to have that. But we still have to take that step. And I'll just end with one very beautiful hadith, where Rasulullah SAW is talking about Musa AS asking Allah SWT about Al- Jannah. And by the way, just as a side note, to question the perfection of Al-Jannah is to question Allah SWT.
To question whether Jannah is worth it or not. Because that's essentially what you do. Every time you decide to sin, you decide to put your Jannah on the line.
It's like you're playing a game of poker, and you bet your Jannah on the line, because of that sin. Because Allah might take you while you're committing that sin. You're putting your Jannah, your place in Jannah, on the line.
The Lowest Place in Jannah
Allah SWT has perfected Al-Jannah, and has made it the place of eternal joy and happiness. No one is going to come to Al-Jannah and say, this is food, right? This is what we're talking about? This is the milk of Al-Jannah? These are the palaces that we're... No one is going to come in Al-Jannah and be unsatisfied with Al-Jannah. Musa AS, Rasulullah SAW, he asked Allah SWT, what is the lowest place in Jannah? Or what is the least reward? The least manzib in Al-Jannah.
The minimum reward in Al-Jannah. And Allah SWT said that whenever a man will be pulled out of Hellfire, who will be put into Al-Jannah only after everyone else has been pulled out of Hellfire that is meant to be pulled out of Hellfire, meaning he is the most wicked Muslim. The most wicked believer. He has the least amount of Iman in his heart. And he will be pulled out of Hellfire, scorched, after everyone else has been taken out, that is meant to be taken out. Al-Jannah stays forever.
And then, Jannah. Everyone who was meant to enter, has already entered, except for that one man. And Allah SWT brings the scorched man to Him. And He says (يَا عَبْدِ أَتَرْضَى أَنْ يَكُونَ لَكَ مُلْكُ مَلِكٍ مِنْ مُلُوكِ الدُّنْيَا - ya 'abdi 'atarDa 'an yakuna laka mulku malikin min muluki ad-dunya) Would you be satisfied if you were to have the kingdom of one of the kings of Dunya, the entire kingdom of the world? And I want you to put yourself in this position. This guy, Allahu Akbar, but if he is the least person of Iman, that means that he was committing Kaba'ah. That means that he was committing major sins.
So I mean, imagine this, you have committed so many sins, major sins, and you have the least percentage of Iman, amount of Iman, and you're being pulled out of Jahannam now, and you're being asked by Allah SWT, so do you want the kingdom, which is the only greatness that you know, because you've not seen Jannah yet. You've seen the kingdom of this world. Do you want the entire kingdom of this world? Would you be pleased with that? (نَعَمْ - na'am) Yes. Allah SWT says, (فَلَكَ ذَلِكَ - falaka dhalika) Then you have that. (وَمِثْلُهُ وَمِثْلُهُ وَمِثْلُهُ وَمِثْلُهُ وَمِثْلُهُ - wa mithluhu wa mithluhu wa mithluhu wa mithluhu wa mithluhu) Five times, and then the servant says what? (رَضِيتُ - raDitu) That's enough. I'm okay. I'm pleased. (رَضِيتُ - raDitu) And Allah SWT says after that (لَكَ ذَلِكَ وَعَشْرَةُ أَمْثَالِهِ - laka dhalika wa 'ashratu 'amthalihi) You have all of that, and ten times that.
You know what Musa AS says? Musa AS knows that he's actually a Prophet, and he is not the lowest person in Jannah. And so he asks, he says, and Musa AS says (فَمَا بَالٌ أَعْلَاهُمْ - fama balun 'a'lahum) Then how about the one who's higher than him? Think about that. Do any one of us think to ourselves that we might be the last person to enter Jannah? (فَمَا بَالٌ أَعْلَاهُمْ - fama balun 'a'lahum) Musa AS was like, if this is what the lowest person in Jannah gets, what about the ones who are higher than him? What does Allah SWT say? Don't ask.
Don't ask. Because Allah SWT has customized it. Whatever you deserve, you will get.
No eye has seen it. No ear has heard it. And it has not even come to the imagination or the desire on the heart of any single human being.
Do you actually doubt whether or not Jannah is worth it? (فَكَيْفَ نَامَ طَالِبُهَا - fakayfa nama talibuha) Then how are you not thinking about this? I was to tell you that I wrote you a trip to Hawaii next week, to a private island, where your cell phone will be turned off. For me that's Jannah. Your cell phone is off.
No connection with the rest of the world. You have your island. You're completely alone.
You know what you would do? You would probably not be able to sleep for that entire week. You would be so excited that you'd keep going online to see your itinerary, keep looking at the picture, keep making sure that this is for real. You would lose sleep out of how excited you are.
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala is promising you a Jannah. (لَا يُخْلِفُ اللَّهُ الْمِيعَادَ - la yukhlifu Allahu al-mi'ad) He does not go back on His promise. Promising you Jannah, not for perfection, but for making a sincere effort.
Promising you a place that your wildest imagination cannot even conceive. SubhanAllah. And you know what? I'm going to tell you something that Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam has said.
There is a house in a Jannah that has your name on it. Did you know that? There is a house in a Jannah that already has your name on it. Each and every single one of us.
But you know what the other side of that is? There is also a house in the Hellfire that has each and every single one of us, our personalized names on it. And what does Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam say? If you inhabit one of them, the other one goes. Which house do you want to inhabit? It is already there with your personalized plate.
Your house in Jannah already exists. All you have to do is not mess it up. That's it. Everything is halal for you. Everything is halal for you. Go out and do everything.
Allah has prohibited it for you. And make a sincere effort. It's there.
If you doubt that, then that's why you will mess up. But at the same time, how terrifying is it to know that there is a house in Hellfire that's named for you and it's waiting for you to inhabit it? SubhanAllah. Do you have any doubt that you will one day stand before Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and inhabit one of these homes? Do you have any doubts? That's yaqeen.
That's muraqib. Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said something very beautiful. Even to ask for a Jannah is a way of getting yourself closer to it. Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said that whoever
asks for a Jannah, whoever says, Simple. Oh Allah, enter me into Paradise. Three times.
You know what happens? Jannah speaks. Paradise speaks. And says, Oh Allah, enter him into me. Paradise. And Jannah speaks on your behalf. How long does it take? Oh Allah, enter me into Paradise.
How miraculous is that? And whoever asks Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala three times, Oh Allah, save me from the Fire. Oh Allah, protect me from the Hellfire. Oh Allah, distance me from the Hellfire.
Hellfire speaks and says, Oh Allah, distance him from me. How simple is that? Now, on the Day of Judgment, there's many levels of regret. Everyone has a level of regret.
Every single person on the Day of Judgment has a level of regret. Some people will have the level of regret to the point that they wish that they never existed, being the Kuffar. You know what? Ahlul Jannah also have a regret.
What is it? Anyone know? That there were moments that were wasted, that they were not world glorifying Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Ahlul Jannah, the Shaheed, the martyr, wants to come back to this world and die again for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. The Mala'ika who are free from sin, when they see the Meezan, the scale, that your deeds and my deeds will go inside.
You know what they say? Those creatures who have been created to do nothing but worship Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, do not have the choice but to worship Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. They will say, (مَا عَبَدْنَاكَ حَقٌّ عِبَادَتِكَ - ma 'abadnaka haqqa 'ibadatik) We did not worship you as much as we should have. So if you're satisfied with yourself, then you're claiming to be better than the angels.
That's how serious it is. Do not be satisfied with yourself. Look for your goal in the Jannah and look for every single path to get to it.
And if you make that sincere effort, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has not demanded from you perfection. As long as you are trying, and not just for the sake of the people, but for your own success and your own good, then you would have gotten somewhere. And we can only ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to grant us that beautiful station.
The station where we would be the neighbors of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Where we would actually be able to talk to Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and tell him about this day. And tell him about our conversations.
The station where we would actually drink from the hand of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. If we get that drink, we'll never feel thirst again. We have a chance at that.
It's much better than your Hawaii trip. This is Jannah. This is your rafah.
Work for it. And do not stop at anything. And do not wait until the people think that you've reached the position that you need to reach.
Not until you have become satisfied. And if you have become satisfied, then you've reached hypocrisy. Imam Ahmad rahimahullah, I'll just end on this. His son Abdullah comes to him in prison. And he does not have shoes to wear. And he's looking at his humiliated father, who has been lashed so many times that the skin on his back is gone.
And he asks his father, Ya abadi, mataw rah? Oh my father, when are we going to rest? What did Imam Ahmad rahimahullah say? Bi awwali khutwah. With the first step, naqtuhuha fil jannah. We take Jannah inshallah ta'ala.
That's when we stop. That's when we're satisfied. We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to grant us that Jannah. We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to grant us that Jannah and Paradise. We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala not to make us amongst those who show our deeds to others, or who commit shirk in the performance of our deeds. We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to grant us full Ikhlas.
And we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to grant us full Iman. And we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to grant us full Yaqeen. And we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to gather us under His shade.
On a day when there is no shade except for the shade of His door. Allahumma nadeem. Jazakum Allah khair.
I'm very sorry for my soft-spokenness. I can't do better than that because my throat is not allowing me to talk. BarakAllahu feekum. I appreciate you being patient with me. Akhulukum khair wa astaghfirullahi wa bakr. If there's any questions, inshallah ta'ala.
If it's any filqh questions, your Shaykh is here and he's more knowledgeable than me. So you ask him and lead me out of that, inshallah ta'ala. If there's any questions related to the topic or just practical things, inshallah ta'ala. Please feel free to ask.