Eemaan & Righteous Deeds

But I really needed to go and ask the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that question. So he said, I started, you know, going, walking. And I started pushing people here and pushing people there.

And people are saying, Wasib, you came in late, just sit down. I said, no, I have to talk to Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم). And he said, I saw the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) looking at me and smiling. So that gave him more courage to go and talk to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). He said, I went there and I sat so close to him that my knees were touching his knees.

He smiled and he said, Wasib, if you wish, I can answer your question before you ask it. And if you want, you can ask your question and then I will answer it for you. Wasib said, oh no, Prophet of Allah, I want you to answer my question before I ask it.

Then the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, Wasib, you came here to inquire about righteousness and you came to inquire about sin. Wasib was so happy, he said, indeed by Allah, this is what I came to ask about Prophet of Allah. Then the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said and listen to this very carefully.

He said:

(Sahih Muslim 2553)

al-birru husnul khuluq. Righteousness is having good character. wal-ithmu ma haaka fee sadrika wa khashita an yattaliAAa AAalayhi al-naas.

He said, and sin is that which you have doubts about in your heart and you are afraid that it may be exposed to people. So here we have that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is telling us that righteousness is good character. Because again, my brothers and sisters, Islam must impact the way we behave.

Hadith - Fasting and Lying

You know the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said once:

(Sahih al-Bukhari 1903)

He who does not abstain from lying and fabricating lies, there is no need for him to abstain from eating and drinking. And he was referring to people who were fasting during the month of Ramadan.

Technically, these people were fasting because it's about abstaining from eating and drinking and what have you.

But in reality, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, although they may be technically fasting, but they are not benefiting from what fasting is supposed to do to them.

Hadith - Reciting and Cursing

And also the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) says in a more scary hadith, he said:

(Related by Ahmad)

And how many people reciting the Quran and the Quran is cursing them. Now imagine this, so that someone will actually be reciting the Quran in a very beautiful voice and having all the tajweed down and what have you.

But the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, you'll be reciting and at the same time the Quran is cursing you. Why is this? Because as you are reading:

that say you, Allah indeed loves not the wrongdoers or the oppressors or those who wrong other people, but you yourself, you are guilty of it. Or Allah does not love lying and you yourself, you're guilty of it.

Or Allah does not love that the fact that we abuse other people in any form, shape or manner. But then we are reciting it and we are saying it, so it sounds like as if it's a mockery of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Hadith - Closest to the Prophet

And again also the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) to further illustrate this importance of character, he said:

(Sahih at-Tirmidhi 2018)

He said, the people that will be closest to me in the day of judgment are those with the best of character in this world, in this life.

And good character in Islam is not conditional. It does not mean that I will only be good so long that other people are good to me. I will be good regardless of what other people do.

He said that one time, two men were arguing with one another. One of them was very calm and was treating the other person with a lot of gentleness. And the other person was very rude and he was constantly verbally abusing that person.

And the more that person was abused, the more gentle he became, the gentler he became. So when the argument was over, someone approached him and said, You know, that person was very rude to you, but you treated him like he was a gentleman. The person said to them, I treated him like a gentleman because I am one.

In other words, this is not conditional. I do not allow other people to pull me down to where they are, but rather I remain where I am and hope that I pull them up to where I am. And that is why, again, the whole issue of character in Islam is not a very conditional one.

Prayer of Isa (Jesus) - Being a Blessing

So now (الْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ) You know in Islam, you do not live for me, myself, and I as it is preached in many parts of the world nowadays. The goodness that is in you must also be felt and you must impact the people that are around you.

One of the most beautiful prayers that are mentioned in the Quran is the Dua of Isa (Jesus). When Maryam (Mary) presented him to the people of Bani Israel, they knew that Maryam was not a married woman. So they started questioning her chastity. They started questioning her integrity.

And she did not speak a word (فَأشارَتْ إِلَيْهِ). She pointed to him.

(قَالُوا كَيْفَ نُكَلِّمُ مَن كَانَ فِي الْمَهْدِ صَبِيّاً)? They said, How can we speak to that who is still an infant in the cradle? And then Isa spoke. And what does he say about himself? He says:

He said, I am the servant of Allah. He has given me the scripture, the book.

And he has appointed me as a prophet, a messenger.

And this is what the beauty of it comes in. He made me a man of Barakah wherever I may be.

He made me a man of Barakah wherever I may be. And the explanation of Barakah in Islam is that it means benefit. That he made me a man. That benefit to men, to other people, wherever I may be. And whenever it is. That is the slogan of a Muslim.

(وَجَعَلَنِي مُبَارَكَاً أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُ) Wherever I go, I take Barakah to the people that are around me. I am not only good for myself, but I also make sure that I impact other people with the goodness that is in me.

Hadith - Can We Be Destroyed

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was once asked:

Is it possible that we may be destroyed although there are righteous people that are living amongst us.

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:

He said yes, it is very possible if khubth impurity, immorality dominates. But then we read towards the end of Surah Hud:

And your Lord will never destroy a locality, any place. So long that the people in that village are people of Islah.

People are Musliheen. A person who is Salih is a person who is righteous in himself. He is a good person.

A person who is a Muslih is a person who is good in himself with the addition that he tries to make everyone else around him a good person. So Allah said these are the safety valves of any community. If you have them, the community will not be destroyed.

But if you become very passive, you do not want to take part in the affairs of the community, making sure that you look after the welfare of the community, then the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said destruction to that locality is imminent. And that is how we ought to be, my brothers and sisters. That we are people of Islah.

Wherever we are, we are always looking for the humanity. Muslims and non-Muslims. Because Allah said:

That you were the best of nations erected for the goodness of other people, for mankind.

How can I be good if I am not doing goodness to these people? And we see that in the example of Isa (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that there is this invitation. That he was a holder of this slogan that wherever I may be, I am going to make sure that I take this with me.

Surah Al-Asr

And also again, as we are told in Surah Al-Asr, one of the most beautiful Surahs in the Quran, Imam Al- Shafi'i said that had Allah not revealed any Surah besides this one, it would have sufficed.

Because the elements of success were mentioned in it.

By time, man is indeed in loss. Again, they believed. So now, the doing of righteous deeds, again, is a safety valve. That ensures our prosperity and success and not failure and misery. And that is why there is this invitation of (عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ) And subhanAllah, throughout the Quran, you can see that Allah invites to good deeds.

But by means of observation, you will see that the ones that will get you most reward are the ones that impact other people around you. Yes, you can pray at night, mashallah. Yes, you can fast, and that is very good.

That makes you a better person, alhamdulillah, and that is excellent. If you're doing this, please continue doing this. However, what happens is, the more your action and your character impacts the more people around you, that is when you receive more blessings and reward from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Hadith - Three Things Continue

We also see that Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said that when the son of Adam dies, his account of good deeds comes to an end. It is cut off. But then he said, except for three things.

And again, this is a contribution to humanity. All three things that are mentioned in the hadith. He said:

(Sahih Muslim 1631)

He said, knowledge that other people benefit from.

Now again, this is impacting other people.

A continuous form of charity where people are benefiting from that charity.

She's son or daughter.

Because ولد in Arabic means a boy or a girl. And here we see that all three things are impacting society after him. Whether it be the knowledge, whether it be the continuous charity, or the type of offspring that that person chose to leave behind him.

So now we see this. And we see the invitation of Quran, always you being a better person by the way you impact the society that is around you. And again, in the Quran, it really does not make a difference who is on the other end or who is the receiving hand of the goodness that you are doing.

Story of the Charity

Was mentioned that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said that a man from the earlier Muslims, Bani Israel, decided to give a charity. So they had a specific place where they placed their charity. And when he

Various Forms of Charity

You know, subhanAllah, in Islam we are told that, you know, there are just, there is no end to being and acting a good way. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was once approached, just to give you how Islam looks into the good deeds or good actions. A group of poor companions came to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and they said, Prophet of Allah, it seems like people who have more than we do have surpassed us.

They've gone beyond where we are. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) inquired, what do you mean? They said, Prophet of Allah, rich people fast and we fast. They pray and we pray.

But they have extra to spend and they're spending it for the poor and the needy and we are not able to do so. So it seems like we are missing out on being of that higher caliber or on that rank where they are. Then the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) smiled and he said, shall I teach you other forms of charity? Because many times we think that charity is about giving money.

So the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:

Reference: Sahih Muslim 1006

to say takbeer, Allah Akbar, is a form of charity. To say subhanAllah is a charity. To say this is a charity. To say that is a charity. And then he said, and to satisfy your sexual passion, there is charity in it. Now the

people, the companions were amazed.

They said, Prophet of Allah, one of us would actually satisfy his own desire, his own sexual passion. And Allah rewards him for this? It is very personal. Why is Allah rewarding me for this? Then the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, had he done or if he were to do the same thing with someone that was unlovable to him or to them, it would have been recorded against him or her as a bad deed.

Because they are putting it in the proper channel. And they are doing it in the accordance of the commands of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, they get rewarded for it. In other words, in Islam, it really does not matter how that personal act is.

It does not matter how secular it may seem, as long as that act in itself was a good act and it was done with consciousness, then that act qualifies to be an act of charity. No matter how small it may be or how big it is, it qualifies to be an act of charity. Whether it was directed towards humans or whether it was directed to animals, as we will see what the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) teaches us about being good to animals.

Animal Rights in Islam

You know, it is amazing and the West people speak as if they are the creators of this concept. You know, we have pet people for ethical treatment of animals and they speak on behalf of the cows, they speak on behalf of dogs and cats and pets and what have you. MashaAllah, this is good, they are part of the creation of Allah.

Not knowing that Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) a long long long time ago spoke for the rights of the animals because they are part of the creation of Allah. In the Hadith it was said, there are two narrations, it said that one time a prostitute was very thirsty and she went down to the well and she drank. And when she came out, there was a dog around the well and the dog was feeling very thirsty and it was panting vehemently.

So what happened is that the prostitute felt very sorry for that dog, she went down the well and filled her shoes and brought back water to the dog. Now what happened is that the dog was filled and the Hadith goes on to say Allah (جل جلاله) forgave her sins because of the kindness that she showed to animals. We see that Islam tells us that part of the righteous deeds is being good to the ecology around us.

Environmental Stewardship

In the Hadith the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) tells us:

say that whoever plants any kind of tree. And then he said that when people use as a form of a place to relax, it's a shadow or animals eat from, it will be a charity for them until so long that tree is out there. So now that planting a tree in our religion, it's not only just a good deed, but it is seen as a Sadaqah, as a charity that continues as long as that tree is out there.

Similarly the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:

He said that whoever cuts down a tree for no good reason and it was used by other people, it was used either by animals or by other people. And he cut it down for no good reason, again the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, the abode of that person in the hereafter is the hellfire.

There is another beautiful Hadith also the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:

Reference: Musnad Ahmad 12902

if it happens that the Day of Judgment is being declared, and one of you had a form of a bushel or they had a seed with them, let them plant it.

Now the Day of Judgment is being declared, but he said let them plant it. Now what do you expect from a religious leader? Now the Day of Judgment is being declared, a religious leader would probably say, you go around to the mosque, you run to your church or you run to your synagogue or your temple and stay there for the Day of Judgment is being declared. But that's not what Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said.

He said be proactive, do something good. Even though if it means that you plant a tree as soon as you can, do so even though the Day of Judgment has been declared or the hour has been declared. See my brothers and sisters, Iman with no Amal, belief with no action is really not of much consequence.

We've got to do the act my brothers and sisters. And these different types of worships that we are engaged in, they must impact how we behave.

Ibn Masud's Warning

Now sadly what happens is, in another Hadith, a statement that was said by Ibn Mas'ud, collected by Iman Malik in his book called Al-Muwatta.

He was once addressing one of his friends or one of his acquaintance, and he said, that you live in a time. So the people that are well versed with the Quran are very few in numbers, meaning that the way, the Tajweed of it and what have you. But the people who have knowledge about the meaning and the spirit of the Quran, they are in abundance.

Very few people, he said, ask assumption questions. What if, what if, what if? Even though if they were to ask it, they would find that there are many that will answer these questions. Whenever they give speeches, their speeches are very short.

Whenever they lead prayers, their prayers are very long. They put their ego aside and they pay more attention to their deeds. And then he said, there will be a time where the people who are well versed with the Quran are going to be in numerous numbers.

They've got half is left and right. MashaAllah, may Allah bless them all. But then he said, people who are aware of the message of the Quran are very few in numbers.

People pay more attention to preserving the letters of the Quran, but very little attention is paid to preserve the spirit and the commands of the Quran. Whenever they speak, their speeches are very long. Whenever they pray, their prayers are very short.

And what happens, he said that they pay more attention to their ego than they do pay attention to their deeds. In other words, what Ibn Mas'ud is saying that there will come a time to the Muslim Ummah when a specific disease is going to creep into it. And that is appearance becomes more important than essence.

Style becomes more important than substance. Looks become more important than this. And in the process of what have you is that we mix many things.

Mosque Building Hadith

In the Hadith, the Prophet said that there will be a time when people are going to build mosques. MashaAllah, in the Hadith it said whoever builds a mosque for the sake of Allah, Allah will build a house for him in paradise. But then he said they build it for the sake of show off.

Our masjid is bigger, our masjid has got more calligraphy, our masjid is this, our masjid is that. And then he said, And if you were to enter any of these masjids that were built for this sake, you will not even find one humble devoted servant to Allah in that masjid. Because the skeleton of the masjid was more important than the spirit of the masjid.

Because the building was more important again than the spirit of the building. And Subhanallah, then the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) goes on to say, Nay, they are not men, they are the mimicking, they are the imitation of men. Simply because they did not live up to that.

And again, sadly my brothers and sisters, if we are going to perform this deen and carry on the different acts of worship, it must impact our character and that character must show in the way we deal with other people. We are the best ummah that was created for man, for fellow human beings, and we have got to take this with us.

Story of the Vinegar and Candy Sellers

Quickly I'll repeat the story about the two people. One sells vinegar and the other one sells candy. The person that sells vinegar, his business was excellent and it was booming. And the person that was selling candy, his business was going nowhere.

People walk in and out, they don't buy anything. They go to the vinegar shop, they walk in and they walk out with gallons of vinegar. So six months down the road, they decided to close the candy shop.

But then the owner said, let me go and just inquire, what is it about this person, what does he do? So he went to him and he said, I don't mean to offend you, but you sell vinegar, it tastes very bitter and it smells

very bad. I sell candy, it tastes very sweet and it smells very good, but your business is better than my business. The man looked at him and he said, I sell vinegar with a candy face and you sell candy with a vinegary face.

We have got that candy, but we are not packaging it so that humanity benefits from it. Humanity is in dire need for Islam at this point. Those of us who have lived in the West, we see how people are desperate for Islam.

But they do not see an alternative in Islam simply because of how we Muslims are. What do they see? Poverty? Diseases? Ignorance? Lack of education? Oppression? Dictators? That's what they see. If that religion was any good, it would have been good to the people that follow it.

But it's not doing them any good. Therefore, we cannot see an alternative in it. And that is where the whole idea of Iman. If there is Iman there, then along with it, there must be Amal. There must be action. Not any kind of action, there has got to be Amal Salih.

That action must be a righteous deed. Either be it to the individual, but most important is impacting the people that are around us. And Subhanallah, the companions of Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that's what they used to do.

That's what they wanted. Go out there and impact the people around them. You are not a good Muslim if you just stay in your bedroom and be a good Muslim there.

Story of the Complaining Man

That is not it. One time it was said, and the story here is metaphorical. It is symbolic.

So please take it for that. Said that a man was walking by, said that he was talking to God. Meaning that he was complaining to God loudly.

So he said he saw a beggar and then he saw a crippled person. And then he saw a very poor widow. And then he saw a very, again, poor orphan.

So he started talking to God very loud and said, God, don't you see what is happening? God, don't you see the beggars? God, don't you see the catastrophes that are taking place? God, don't you see the oppression? God, don't you see this orphan and this widow?

Why don't you do something about it? And the story goes on to say that God spoke back to him and said, I did do something about it. I created you to make a difference. I created you to make a difference.

So we know what is happening. We are acknowledging it. But what kind of a difference are we making? And that is the whole point of Iman and Amal As-Saleh.

I see and I'm going to do something about it. You know, interestingly, sociologists nowadays when they talk, they want to know how to determine whether a society is a good society or not. What are the criteria? You know, how do I know if this society in this subcontinent or people in the Middle East, South

America, in the West, if they're a good society or not a good society? So one of them made a very crucial statement and a very powerful one.

He said, the goodness of any society should not be measured by the self-conglatory statements that that society makes about itself. The goodness of any society should not be measured by the self-conglatory statements that that society makes about itself.

It should be measured by what kind of statements that that society make about the most vulnerable in that society.

Surah Al-Ma'un

What kind of statements does that society make about the poor and the needy, the orphans and the widows. In the fourth year of B'ithah, the fourth year after Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم was being given prophethood, you know what verses Allah reveals? Have you been amazed? Now this is a society that is full of exploitation, oppression, alcoholism, gambling, nationalism, exploiting the poor and the Qur'an comes down. And what is revealed?

"Have you seen the one who belies religion? Now you see, who belies religion? He who does not believe in the Day of Judgment. He who does not pray. He who does not believe in the oneness of God. But that's not what the Qur'an says.

It says, Who belies religion? It is he who repels the orphan with harshness and does not encourage the feeding of the poor and the needy. The statement is made today, but Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم on the fourth year of B'ithah, he already made that declaration. That I am here for these people.

Now the Muslims are oppressing themselves, they're torturing themselves, but he speaks of the goodness that is ought to humanity, you know, about doing, to do to other people. And if you see, subhanallah, most of the acts of worship that we are commanded by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to do is either something that is, you know, to further enhance the unity amongst us Muslims and also bring benefit to mankind. You can pray by yourself, but there is more reward when you pray with the rest of the believers.

You can make Umrah any time of the year, but there is more reward when you make Hajj with the rest of the believers. You can fast any time of the year except the Eid, but there is more reward when you fast with the rest of the believers during the month of Ramadan. And every one of it is really an encouragement for unity as well as the welfare of mankind, my brothers and sisters.

Call to Action

So inshallah, let us take this opportunity. The idea of Amal al-Saleh is what can I do so that the society around me is improved. We said last night that part of self-respect is that you see yourself as someone

who can contribute to humanity.

That is part of the dignity and pride that we have in us. That I see myself as someone who is worthy of contributing to humanity. And only me can make that contribution on my behalf.

No one else can do it. And for that, I have to be me. And nowadays, Muslims owe it to humanity that there is a contribution that we must take and only us Muslims, we can make that contribution.

Well, how do we do it? We do it through Iman and we do it through Amal al-Saleh. One of the very first things that Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم did when he came to Medina is that he started digging wells. He dug a well because people in Medina used to walk long distance to get their water.

So what happened is he dug wells locally for the people of Medina where everyone can come and benefit from the wells that Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم dug Jews pagans, whoever was there said that, you know, in other words, I am here for your goodness. Seven times Allah repeats in the Quran:

That we sent you as a mercy to all creation.

Like we said, even animals are included in this. We've sent you as Rahmah. Now what is interesting is that in all seven places, all seven times, all seven verses were revealed in the Meccan period.

When Muslims are oppressed, Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم said, I am here as a Rahmah, as a mercy to mankind. They're tortured and again the Quran reveals, you are a Rahmah to mankind. And they're oppressed and again the Quran says that you are a Rahmah to mankind.

Again, my brothers and sisters, I conclude by saying that we owe to humanity that we ought to contribute. And contribute positively. All according to our capacity.

You know, no matter how big, how small, but they say that big things happen when little things are done right. And in the process, my brothers and sisters, do not belittle yourself. And do not belittle and undermine what kind of contribution you can make.

Hadith - Do Not Belittle Yourself

One of the character of a Muslim is that always dignified. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

(Sahih at-Tirmidhi 2174)

"One of you should never belittle themselves. Always think yourself as you're worthy.

You're valuable. You value, not devalue yourself. The American author Helen Keller, you know her probably. She was deaf, she was blind, and she was mute. What does she say? She said, self-pity is our

worst enemy. And if we yield to it, we will never be able to accomplish anything wise in the world.

Closing Advice

So contribute to the people around you. Alhamdulillah and all, Inshallah, we can definitely bring a better image of Islam. Ibn al-Khattab used to say:

"He said, do not make people hate their Creator because of your actions.

Because sometimes we do this. We do certain things and we do it in the name of Allah. One time back in the States, a Muslim man was presented in the court because he has severely beaten his wife.

Pulled her from the hair, broke her rib, broke her nose, punched her in the face, gave her a black eye, and when he was presented in court, and they said, why are you doing this? He said, God gave me the right in the Quran. Can you imagine this? So he said, Umar said, may Allah be pleased with him, he said, do not make people hate their Creator because of your actions. And many times, we are guilty of this.

Jazakumullah khair for being so attentive. And insha'Allah if someone has a comment or a question now that is pertain to the subject, insha'Allah we may do so. Jazakumullah khair.

Question and Answer Session

Question about Sadaqatul Jariyya

Please elaborate what is qualified for Sadaqatul Jariyya. Heard the question, what qualifies as Sadaqatul Jariyya? Anything that does not come to an immediate end. Once used, you know, it's over.

Like for example, you say that I am donating, just for example, it's a silly example, but please bear with me to make a point here. Say that, I am donating soap bar to the masjid. Soap.

You know, when people finish, they can use their hands with. It is a Sadaqah, it's a form of charity, but it's not continuous. Because it can only be used so many times, and it comes to an end immediately.

Versus if you say, I am building a hospital, or I am building a school, the benefit behind it is almost everlasting. Yes, one day it will collapse, but the benefit of it is everlasting. It is continuing for a long time.

So it could be anywhere, building a school, building an orphanage, publishing a good book, distribution of tapes. So the continuity can either be in time, or continuity benefit as far as this person benefits from it today, the other person benefits from it tomorrow. It just does not come to an immediate end.

It could be sponsoring an orphan. Like in the Hadith, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

He said, whoever takes care of a widow, he is like the person who fasts all the time, or prays all night long. Why is this? Because again, his deeds were of such impacting humanity in a very positive way.

Again, at that point, it really does not matter whether the widow was a Muslim, a non-Muslim, that becomes irrelevant. There was a person in need, and you were there to help them. You were making that difference that we were talking about earlier.

So any act of goodness that does not come to an immediate end, that people benefit from, the benefit can be great, as big as a hospital, or it can be as small as planting a tree. Someone walks by, wants a shade, sits down there. That is also considered to be a continuous charity.

Allah knows best.

Question about Innovation in Religion

One of the Hadith says that, Good question. Remember, Islam, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم rarely gives the specifics. But rather, what happens is that we are given general statements. For example, the Hadith that I quoted. You know the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم once said, someone came and inquired about what is Sadaqah.

So he said:

"In joining the good is Sadaqah. So someone said, And if he is not able to, Then let him eradicate evil. Then let him speak good.

And the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم kept on going, giving examples. So he would say, So for you to say this is a good deed, this is a good deed, it will be exhausted and there is no end to it. So the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم gave a principle and he said, Any act of goodness is an act of charity.

So what qualifies it? The fact that it was good. Be that good was to your own self or be it towards good for someone else. For example, in Islam taking a shower is a Sadaqah.

Any act of goodness that you show to your physical body is an act of Sadaqah. Calming your hair, taking a shower, exercising, resting, sleeping, eating right food, what have you. These are all forms of Sadaqah.

Because Allah has entrusted me with my body. So now any act of goodness that I show to my body becomes an act of Sadaqah. Regardless of how personal it may seem, regardless of how secular it may be, the fact that it's a good deed qualifies it to be a good Sadaqah.

I think what the people were asking about is where the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari 2697)

Whoever innovates in our matter, meaning that the religion of Islam, that which is not offered, then it will be rejected. Meaning that you cannot innovate an act of worship that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has not commanded us of doing. And I believe that is what the person was referring to as the Hadith.

Allah knows best.

Question about Personal Reform

I'm Syed Muhammad Talha. I would like to pose a question. Let's say like, assuming that I'm a wicked person, and Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gives me the Hidayah, and I come into the fold of Islam, or even if I was, I come back like a born again. So how, even if you give me the Quran, or you give me the Sahih Hadith, how do I go about walking the walk and talking the talk, like you said? Because, like the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, I don't know whether it's a weak Hadith or a strong Hadith, but definitely it's an impressive Hadith. If you want to learn the best, you've got to learn it from the best.

So now, if I'm 28 years old, and I kind of, let's say I've got one year to spare, where I go into inner cleansing, so how do I go about it? Is reading the Quran sufficient enough? Or should I be in the company of people who can help me go about cleaning myself, and helping me understand the Quran and practicing it in my day-to-day life?

You know, one of the beauties of dealing with Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, is that Allah does not judge us on the basis of what we did at a specific time of our lives. That is not how Allah deals with us. Rather, it is the overall, the collective effort that we try to do, especially how we try to end our lives.

That is very important. And the doors of tawbah, repentance, are always open. Beautifully towards the end of Surah Al-Furqan, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says:

"those who do not associate others with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, and those who do not kill except in response for murder, and those who do not fornicate or are guilty of adultery, and whoever does any of this will be extremely punished in the hereafter, severely punished in the hereafter.

And then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, Except he who repented, and they believed, and they acted righteously, Allah will take all the wickedness and the bad deeds that they did in their past, and now will change it into good deeds. So imagine you come to me and you say, you know what, I have a loan of one million rupees. Is that a lot of money? Is that a lot? You come to me and you say, you know, I have a loan, I am in debt and it's a one million dollar.

And I tell you, you know what, I will take care of it. I will pay the million dollars on your behalf. Now that's a big relief. And on top of it, I'll give you another million. And that would make you very happy, subhanallah. And that's exactly what Allah said, These people that are guilty of these deeds, when they

repented and they came back to Allah and they made that U-turn to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, said that, Not only Allah will pay that million dollars, but now they will be given that.

And in addition to this, subhanallah, whatever acts of goodness we did in the past, they remain. Amr ibn al-'As wanted to become a Muslim. So he came to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم

And the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم explained Islam. And he was one of the enemies of Islam initially. So the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم extended his hand to greet, shake hands with Amr ibn al-'As.

Amr ibn al-'As pulled his hand back and he said, There is one condition that I must make. So the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم smiled and said, What is that condition? He said, Allah must forgive me. Then the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم smiled and said:

(Sahih Muslim 121)

Amr, are you not aware of the fact that Islam wipes whatever took place, and also repentance wipes whatever took place? Now in Islam, repentance is not something that we say, but rather it is the change of a course in life.

You are saying that this course of my life was not very good. So now I have to make it a better one. Be it through the, again, what Allah said, Iman, righteous deeds.

Now, like we said, righteous deeds, there is no end to it. Making sure that you are in a good company. Making sure that you are consuming and you are preoccupied with something that is positive.

Making sure that you are learning more about your religion. Making sure that you are learning more about Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Making sure that... But the idea is collectively, whatever leads to that goodness, we want to embark it and make it a process.

Because again, in the Quran, tawbah, repentance is a process. So again, we are all that person, my brothers and sisters. Struggling to surrender, have done many evil things in our past.

May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala forgive us. We have done things that we were not supposed to do. But we are dealing with a very kind, merciful God.

So no matter what you have done, no matter how wicked you may think of yourself, no matter how bad and how low you think of yourself, remember that you are dealing with a very merciful God that is not waiting to punish you, but rather that will be very happy when you repent back to Him.

Indeed, Allah loves those who return and repent back to Him. So I say to my brothers and my sisters and myself, that whatever helps us in getting closer to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, let us embark on it.

Knowing that we are all taking our baby steps in the process. Sometimes we may fall down, but the idea is get up and start walking again. Allah knows best.

Question about Non-Muslims in the Hereafter

I would like to ask you about the state of a non-Muslim brother in the hereafter, if he is innocent or ignorant. Also, should he be punished for the sins of his forefathers? For example, when our forefathers are non-Muslim and he is brought up in the same routine life of ignorance or innocence, and he is today following a non-Muslim way of life, should he be punished? Good question.

To start with the second one first. No one is to be punished for the sins of his forefathers or for his children or any of that, so long that he was not guilty or he did not help in the process. In Islam, sins are not inherited. They can only be committed by the individual.

And that is one of, as you know, one of the main differences between Islam and Christianity, that we are all, according to Christianity, we are all born with the original sin, versus in Islam we are all born in the state of fitrah, people having a clear page, a clean record. No one is guilty the minute they are born. Everyone is pure the minute they are born.

So no soul shall carry the burden of another soul. As far as the first question is concerned, number one, we do not play the role of God in determining who gets to go where. But generally speaking, we say that all Muslims eventually will make it to paradise, and all non-Muslims, Allah will deal with them justly.

Allah will deal with them justly. And the kafir, the people who are willingly rejected Islam, then we know that their upload in the hereafter is hellfire, because that is what the Quran says. As for those who did not receive the clear message of Islam, or they got a distorted picture of Islam, Allah will deal with these people justly.

Allah is more merciful and more just than you and I are, and knowing that this is where they will end up, that is what I tell people, that I do not play the role of God. But God takes care of the people, that Allah knows best. Remember what we said earlier, is that there is no sin that is too big for Allah to forgive, including kufr.

If a person can ask Allah forgiveness after having been a kafir, a disbeliever, then all other sins of lesser rank than that one. So no sin is too big for Allah to forgive.

Say, all my servants, for being very extravagant in sinning against Allah, do not go into despair, for Allah forgives all sins.

Allah forgives all sins, no matter how big they may be. At the time of death, once a person departs this world, the only sin that is absolutely not forgiven is the sin of kufr. But other than that, Allah forgives, so long as the person asks for forgiveness.

In the Hadith, the Prophet said:

(Sahih Muslim 2758)

that a man or the son of Adam will sin, and then will say, O Allah forgive me, and Allah will forgive him. And that same person will sin again, and he will say, O Allah forgive me, Allah forgives him. And that same person sins again, and says, O Allah forgive me, so Allah forgives him again.

And you inquire, why is this? Towards the end of the Hadith it says, That servant of mine knows that his Lord forgives sins, witnesses that I have forgiven the sins of my slaves. So long that the person is actively engaging in repentance, then insha'Allah his sins are forgiven by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And that is why we say again, that repentance is not a goal, but rather repentance is a process.

Well, how do you know if your sins were forgiven by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala? The fact that you are still engaged in it is a good sign that you are committed to this process, and that is why Allah is keeping you on that path. And that is why, for example, the scholars have concluded that:

That a sign to see whether your deeds are accepted or not. Every time you do something good, Allah facilitates for you to do something good more.

So in the process, you are doing good and Allah is facilitating for you to do something good again and again. Similarly, they say that:

A sin that goes unrepented from, Allah will facilitate for you to do some other sin. So you will see the overall life. What has it been? Has it been a process of actively engaging in repentance, or was it a life that was actively in setbacks one after another without showing any remorse?

Very quickly, the conditions to make the repentance acceptable, there has got to be (ندم - remorse). There has to be (عزم - 'azm). What is (عزم - 'azm), Sheikh? Resolve that you are not going back again to what you have done earlier, and also abstaining from all the deeds that you were doing.

You can't say, Oh Allah, please forgive me. You know, I drink alcohol all the time. You drink, Oh Allah, please forgive me. That is mockery. You cannot be engaging in a sin that you are saying that you are repenting from. That is just not acceptable.

So abstain, meaning that you cease doing it, remorse, and resolve that you are not coming back there again.

Question about Interest/Riba

Sir, why is the concept of interest is so much harbored in Islam? As far as interest is concerned, Subhanallah, I was doing a research on this subject, and I was looking into, because we deal a lot with credit cards in the West, and the money that is charged and the money that is made on interest, it is unbelievable. There are certain countries in the world, they will never be developing countries.

And it is all because of the interest that they have taken, especially in Africa. Many African countries were given their independence in the mid-50s, 60s, and some in the 70s. By the 70s, the World Bank moved into Africa.

And they moved in with so much enthusiasm that they gave the African dictators that were ruling back then lots of loans. These African nations, they cannot even pay the interest on the loan at this point. The interest is far more than the principal that they borrowed.

And they said that every time it just keeps compiling, compiling, compiling, compiling. Not only that, it is not that they ask for the money only, but they can actually go into the policies in the country. Give me an example.

In Uganda, Uganda is in East Africa, a little bit to the Central Africa. But what happened in Uganda, the government of Uganda spends the equivalent of two U.S. dollars per citizen for health care. So for every citizen of Uganda, the government spends two dollars for health care.

Major issue, health care. For every citizen in Uganda, the government spends 11 dollars to cover the loans and its interest. Can you imagine this? Eleven dollars on loan and interest and only two dollars on health care.

And they spend less on education because they have to keep up to get more loans. They have to keep up and pay the interest and plus the loan and the principal and what have you. And it just gets extremely, extremely exploitative.

Similarly, in the States, if a person has a credit card and they take a $5,000 loan on their credit card, $5,000 loan on the credit card, 17% interest, make 1.67 minimum payment, it will take them, just to pay $5,000 back, it will take them 81 years to pay back their loan. And it gets extremely ridiculous. So Islam sees this exploitative nature of interest and how it is dehumanizing people, how it is exploiting them to the point where they cannot really keep up with any of it.

And then what happens in the process? Nations are destroyed, people are destroyed, economy is destroyed, the policies are under the control of the IMF or the World Trade Organization or whatever it is, and the countries are never able to get up. The government of Brazil, for example, they cannot, at this point, they took a loan back in 1972. Until this point, they are so weak, they cannot even make the payments on the interest of the loans.

So this is just to give you an idea, an example of what interests are capable of doing. In the States, we have what we call pawn shops. What you do is, for example, you want a loan of $50.

You don't have money. So you go and you tell them, I'm going to give you as a mortgage my watch, for example, or my house or my car. Give me the $50.

And they say, okay, we will charge you 10% interest. You come back in two weeks and you cannot afford it. They say, okay, you keep it and we'll charge you 10%.

They said that it gets up to 167% interest charge on a loan that started with $50, $500, or $5,000. You end up paying so much and you end up losing so much. It's a very interesting topic.

And the more you learn about it, the more you'd appreciate the teachings of Islam as to why something like this is prohibited.

Closing

And they spend less on education because they have to keep up to get more loans. They have to keep up and pay the interest and plus the loan and the principal and what have you. And it just gets extremely, extremely exploitative.

Similarly, in the States, if a person has a credit card and they take a $5,000 loan on their credit card, $5,000 loan on the credit card, 17% interest, make 1.67 minimum payment, it will take them, just to pay $5,000 back, it will take them 81 years to pay back their loan. And it gets extremely ridiculous. So Islam sees this exploitative nature of interest and how it is dehumanizing people, how it is exploiting them to the point where they cannot really keep up with any of it.

And then what happens in the process? Nations are destroyed, people are destroyed, economy is destroyed, the policies are under the control of the IMF or the World Trade Organization or whatever it is, and the countries are never able to get up. The government of Brazil, for example, they cannot, at this point, they took a loan back in 1972. Until this point, they are so weak, they cannot even make the payments on the interest of the loans.

So this is just to give you an idea, an example of what interests are capable of doing. In the States, we have what we call pawn shops. What you do is, for example, you want a loan of $50.

You don't have money. So you go and you tell them, I'm going to give you as a mortgage my watch, for example, or my house or my car. Give me the $50.

And they say, okay, we will charge you 10% interest. You come back in two weeks and you cannot afford it. They say, okay, you keep it and we'll charge you 10%.

They said that it gets up to 167% interest charge on a loan that started with $50, $500, or $5,000. You end up paying so much and you end up losing so much. It's a very interesting topic.

And the more you learn about it, the more you'd appreciate the teachings of Islam as to why something like this is prohibited.

End of Khutbah