Don’t Doubt the Plan of Allah

Don't Doubt the Plan of Allah - Yusha Evans

Opening

(بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ - bismillahir-rahmanir-rahim)

The Islamic Center of Authenticity presents

Introduction: The Essence of Tawakkul

When it comes to the issue of tawakkul (trust in Allah), in a short and sweet manner, I want to try to give you a few advices, a few beautiful stories about tawakkul and how—ending off of what we started with yesterday—when Allah تَعَالَى says:

"Those who fear Him, He will make for them a way out. He will provide for them from means which they do not know or they do not perceive, and whosoever trusts in Allah, Allah will be sufficient for them. Allah will be sufficient for them."

Reference: Quran 65:2-3

Story 1: The Prophet's Hijrah

There is a couple of stories that I want to go through with you. First and foremost, a story of our Nabi. And a lot of people—a reason I'm going to add more stories for more people—is because some people sometimes say, yes, the Prophet ﷺ was given miracles by Allah that were not like, you know, things that we can be given. So we'll continue on inshallah.

But we all know the story about when the Prophet ﷺ was to make hijrah. He waited for a very long time until Allah جَلَّ وَعَلَا had given him the permission to go. He took his companion Abu Bakr, told him to prepare himself to leave.

The plan to assassinate him from a person from all the tribes of Quraysh had come together. They had surrounded his house. There was no way for him to get out.

Had he left, he would have been seen quite clearly, and he would have been assassinated. But his trust in Allah تَعَالَى سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى allowed him to walk outside, walk outside and walk right through them. Walk right through them.

They didn't even see him. They fell asleep. Sleep overcame them.

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There's different ways that this story could have happened. Even Ibn Hisham in Sirat al-Nabi, he said a couple of different ways that it happened. But then he left with Abu Bakr.

And they took an obscure route to go to Medina. First heading south, correct? Yes, first heading south and then going back north. I had the chance, alhamdulillah, a couple of times to take that kind of same trip that the Prophet ﷺ took on his hijrah.

It was not an easy task. It was not an easy task. The mountain that they went to is not just some hill.

It's actually a pretty hard climb to get to the cave that they hid in. And any of you ever been to that cave? Raise your hand if you've been to that cave where they hid. Now, if there was somebody in that cave and you walked up to it, would you see them? You'd see them.

It's quite clear. Anybody who's in that cave, you'd be seen. So Abu Bakr and the Prophet went inside.

And the band that had been sent after him came very close. And Abu Bakr became very afraid. And he told the Prophet, Ya Rasulullah, if they look at their feet, they will see us.

They look at their feet, they will see us. We know the story that Allah جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ had caused the spider to go. The one about the bird's nest, I think is actually kind of weak.

Am I correct, Jibreel? That one's weak. The one about the pigeon laying in the nest, that's a weak one. The spider one is the more authentic of the stories.

But the Prophet ﷺ, his response to Abu Bakr was, again, when you look at the Prophet's speech, it's just illustrious the way he would say things. He said to Abu Bakr, Ya Abu Bakr, what do you think about two people whom the third of them is Allah جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ? What do you think is gonna happen to those people?

And Abu Bakr رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ and he didn't mean with them physically. Because Allah جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ is not within His creation.

The Aqeedah of Allah's Position

Is not within His creation. This is another part of the aqeedah, of the simplicity of Islam that needs to be reiterated in this ummah. That Allah جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ is not within His creation.

Where is Allah? Anybody know? This is a question that is an issue of serious aqeedah that we need to know. Where is Allah الْأَجَلُّ جَلَالُهُ

ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ

Then He rose above His throne! Allah جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ created the heavens and earth in six days.

This is the position of Allah جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ . Not a position like we hold. Like position like we're standing here and standing there. No, but Allah جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ is above His creation.

He's above all things. We know from the issue of the slave girl. One of the companions possessed a slave girl whom he slapped. He slapped her. And he told the Prophet ﷺ about it. He called that girl to him.

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And he asked her, where is Allah? She pointed up. She said, Allah is above the heavens. And he said, she's a Muslim, let her go, free her.

And he freed her on that. So we know that this is the reality and this is the proper context. But he said that Allah is with us, meaning that Allah جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ is going to protect us.

The Tranquility of Faith

And we know that when they came, Abu Bakr said after this, he had a tranquility in his heart. Tranquility in his heart. Now while this took place, while the Prophet was leaving for Hijrah, who remained behind as the caretaker of what the Prophet had of people's property and he laid in his bed that night.

So that the people would think that the Prophet ﷺ was there. Ali رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ . Do you know what Ali is reported to have said about that night? Knowing that there are assassins waiting to come at dawn and stab him and kill him.

But do you know what he said about that night? Anybody? He said he got the most peaceful rest in his life on that night. That Allah gave him the most peaceful sleep on that night, on that night. And this is when people have that trust and they put their dedication to Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى

It is known also from Khalid ibn Walid رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ said that the most peaceful sleep that he gets in his life was not in his bed at home, but it was in the ribat, on the front lines waiting to meet the enemy at dawn. This is when he got the best sleep. Because his trust was in Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى

And we know after that they were able to make their Hijrah without being caught. This is tawakkul. This is trusting in Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى

Story 2: The Battle of Badr

When we look at the story of Badr, and I like to use known stories. Because you know these stories, you know they're authentic. The history of Badr.

How many Muslims went out to chase the caravan at Badr? 313. The closest and the most accurate account. Against how many people did Quraysh bring to protect that caravan that got away? A thousand.

What are the statistics of that fight? 3 to 1. 3 to 1. For every one Muslim, there was 3 of the Quraysh that he needed to deal with. That's a serious fight. Now normally, statistically, they should not have won.

But before this battle, the Prophet brought out his greatest weapon. It wasn't tied around his waist. Do you know what his greatest weapon was? He put his two hands in front of him, and he supplicated to his Rabb.

And he said, O Allah, these are your believers. This is what you have on earth right now. He said, if these believers are defeated, you will not be worshipped anymore on earth.

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You won't be worshipped anymore. Calling upon the aid of Allah جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ . And we know the story of what happens. Allah جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ sent his army, the angels.

And when they arrived on the scene, they completely routed the Quraysh. And there are some accounts that Shaytan was there that day. He wanted to witness the extermination of Tawheed.

He was there that day pushing the Quraysh to exterminate them. But even when Shaytan saw the help of Allah come, he ran. He took off.

Because Shaytan is not an idiot. He knows. He knew that if Allah is helping them, you're done. I'm out. I have nothing to do with you anymore. You're done.

And they won. And they won.

Story 3: The Battle of Uhud

Flip the story. The next battle. The battle of Uhud. The battle of Uhud.

When the believers were confronted at Uhud. And again, this is something you can go and see for yourself. This scenario that took place.

Who here has been to Mount Uhud? Now, a lot of people mistake Mount Uhud for Archer's Hill. That's a problem. That's a big problem.

Most people will stand. And I've been there many times and stood on and heard people saying, Oh, this is Mount Uhud. This is all it is.

Because it's just a big hill that you stand on. I'm like, no, no, no. That's not Mount Uhud. Turn around, turn around. Look over there. You see that thing you cannot see over? That's Mount Uhud.

It's quite big actually. And it's lit up brightly at night. Every night in Medina.

Beautiful how they light it up. Anyway, they were commanded to stay on this hill. Because the Muslims were positioned on one side of the hill.

And if no one had stood on that hill, it was quite easy for someone to come around from the back. Quite easy for someone to come around. And they saw, the Prophet saw who was leading that army.

Who was leading this army? Khalid Ibn Waleed. Khalid Ibn Waleed grew up in war. Khalid Ibn Waleed was trained for war from a young man.

He was one of the best wrestlers of Quraysh. The best wrestlers of Quraysh. Do you know who his best friend was growing up? This is a little known story about Khalid Ibn Waleed.

Who is his best friend? They used to wrestle, and they used to compete with each other the most. And I think it was actually this best friend that, or the best friend of Khalid Ibn Waleed actually ended up breaking his leg

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during a bouting competition. Anybody know? Umar Ibn Al-Khattab رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ

They used to go at it back and forth because they both had similar statures, they both had similar strengths, and things of his capabilities. They went from being friends to enemies, to again friends for a very long time. But the Prophet told those archers that he put on that hill, don't leave this position.

If you see us winning, don't leave. If you see us losing, don't leave. Even if you see the birds picking from the flesh of our bones, don't leave this spot.

He was quite emphatic about not leaving because he knew Khalid Ibn Waleed would take that advantage if he saw it. Now the Muslims began to win, and the Quraysh began to run. They began to run.

The Loss of Trust

Now these archers, the majority of them did what? They left. They left because they said, the ghanima is going to be distributed before we even have a chance to get any of it, the booties of war. And there were a few of them that said, no, no, no, the Prophet told us to stay, we trust in his words.

We trust, we have trust in Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى just stay. But the other ones just left. They lost their trust in Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى and in the words of the Prophet, and they left.

What happened to that battle? They lost, they lost. Not only did they lose, but our dear Prophet was severely injured in that battle. Gashed his face open, gashed his face open in that battle.

And a lot of eminent Muslims lost their lives. Musaib ibn Umair رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ lost his life. Hamza lost his life.

The names could go on. If you want to see, there's a group, there's a large group of people that are buried at Uhud. Unfortunately you can't go see those graves anymore because of the deviant groups that go and do their shirk there.

They had to kind of fence it off. You can look through a dirty plastic screen and see. But standing from Archer's Hill, you can see over into it, inshallah.

These are the graves where the shuhada were buried. But we know where their souls are. We know where their souls are. If Allah is accepting from them.

Story 4: The Battle of Khandaq

Let's fast forward a little bit to the battle of Khandaq. The battle of Khandaq.

And the reason I'm using battles in the beginning because this is one of the most trying things the human being can go through is war. Putting their lives on the line for the sake of Allah جَلَّ وَعَلَا . Not for nationalism, not for money, not for land, not for any of that.

Solely for the sake of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى. The battle of Khandaq happened when the Muslims were caught unawares. They were in Medina and an army of how many was gathered from amongst the Arab tribes of Jazirat

al-Arab of the Arabian Peninsula? How many roughly? 10,000.

That's an army they couldn't even face really on the battlefield. That was too much. That would have been astronomical, you know, numbers for them to face against.

So the Prophet ﷺ decided to stay in Medina and defend it from there. Defend it from there. So they were coming up with strategies of war. Strategies, strategies. And Salman al-Farsi رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ came forward with an idea that had been used in Persia before. He said, let's dig a trench.

Because at that time, and you can go even still see that area today. I think Masjid Sada is there now. There's a Masjid called Masjid Sada.

The parking lot is where they dug that trench. It's now a parking lot of Masjid Sada. But you can go there and you can see from that position, that was really one of the most exposed areas of Medina at the time.

It was only one of the ways because the rest of it surrounded by mountains and that volcanic rock. You really can't send an army over. So he said, let's dig a trench at this most exposed area.

They will keep them at bay. Keep them at bay and we can deal with it like that. So the Prophet agreed, and the trench began to be dug.

And the Prophet himself got into the trench and dug himself. He himself got his hands dirty digging in the trench. And he was an old man at this time.

Now, the armies gathered around and some skirmishes took place. A few people got over and they were dealt with, things of that nature. And one of these skirmishes, Sa'd ibn Mu'adh was actually mortally injured.

And it was the Jews that had a treaty with the Prophet who broke it, who had actually allowed all of this to happen. But was that trench going to be sufficient for the long run, logically? Of course not. You don't think after a while they would have figured out how to get over it? Of course they would have figured out how to get over it.

After a while it was just broken down. They could have eventually filled it up with sand and gotten over it. But they did what was within their capabilities.

You see? They did what they could do. It's all they could do. The Prophet told everyone, because this was a defensive jihad, so it's Fard 'Ayn.

The Prophet said, everybody who has the capability to defend themselves, defend yourselves. And the hypocrites, the munafiqeen in Medina came to the Muslims and said to them Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ records it for this in the Quran. They came to them and said, don't you know that a great army is gathered against you? There's 10,000 people on the other side of that trench.

Why don't you just give up? There's no win here. You're going to, even trying to appeal with the Prophet, you're going to get your whole nation slaughtered. What did Allah جَلَّ وَعَلَا say it caused the believers to do? Number one, it increased their iman.

The Heart of the Test

It increased their iman. Because there is also something that they understood. They understood the heart of the test.

The heart of the test, the closer that Allah جَلَّ وَعَلَا is with the believers. Because tests are a part of life. Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى says in Surah Al-Ankabut:

"Do people think that they will be left alone because they say, "We believe," and will not be tested?"

O you who believe, do you think that you say, you will believe, and you won't be tested? Do you think that's going to happen? Do you think you're going to say, amantu billahi, and Allah is not going to test that? And see if you're true in your speech or not.

Reference: Quran 29:2

Surely Allah said, we'll test you just like we tested those who before you. So you'll be tested. It's going to come test.

But at the testing time, is when Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى is with His slaves, in a manner that befits His Majesty and Honor, and He is ready to increase them. He's ready to increase them. It's not about the, you know, winning or losing the test.

It's about just getting through it. It's about getting through it. Because we don't know what a win or loss is in reality in this life.

Success is Not Known in This Life

That's another thing about this life that's not properly understood, is that there's no true success known here, known here. No true success can be known in this life. Because there can be a person who looks on the outside as if the most successful person on in the planet.

He has everything anybody could ever imagine. He lives the most easy, cozy, cushy life. He's able to do whatever he wishes, and he gives in charity and all of these other things.

But only Allah جَلَّ وَعَلَا knows the sincerity of that individual, and what kind of person he might be. It might be that this person was a disbeliever. And if that's the case, none of that will ever do him any good.

It might be this person was a fasiq, a hypocrite. Who knows? And it might be that he looked as if he was successful, but on the Day of Judgment, he ends up being one of those who are eternally punished to the fire. Is that success? No, that's not success.

That's failure. Khasiroon means one of those who have lost. And there might be someone who's humble, miskeen.

Looks like he goes through a lot of hardship. He goes through sicknesses all the time. He's struggling all the time.

Looks like he has a very difficult life. But on the Day of Judgment, Allah may have prepared for him one of the greatest palaces and some of the highest ranks of Al-Jannah. So, was that person really a loser? No, that person is a winner.

That person is from the fa'izoon, he's a winner. So, success and failure is not really known. Here it's just about passing the test, getting through the test.

So, the Muslims woke up in the morning, there was no one left. And the munafiqeen were utterly embarrassed and utterly humiliated. This is about having trust in Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى

Story 5: Abu Bakr Al-Ansari (Qadi Al-Maristan)

Let's fast forward to another story that is about a man that lived in the 6th century of the Hijrah. This is recorded by Ibn Rajab in his book, Tabaqat Hanabali. And it's about a man who lived in the 6th century of the Hijrah.

His name was Abu Bakr Al-Ansari. He was better known as Qadi Al-Maristan. Qadi Al-Maristan.

He was a person who was known for his devoutness in his worship to Allah. He was an abid. But he was also known for having tawakkul, he trusted Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى on everything.

He was in Mecca, and this is him telling his own story. He was in Mecca, and he said he was very poor and hungry, he had no food. So, he was walking the streets of Mecca looking for something to eat.

Walking in the streets of Mecca looking for something to eat. And he came across a pouch on the ground. Came across a pouch on the ground.

So, he picked it up and took it home and opened it. Anybody heard this story before? Raise your hand. Inshallah.

He took the pouch home, he opened it. What was inside of it? Pearl necklace. Expensive, luxurious pearl necklace.

That was worth tons of money. So, you know, initially this is a good thing. But also this man, Abu Bakr, understood that property that is found like this does not necessarily belong to you right away.

You have to take some time to try to find its owner before it can become general property. So, he went back out in the streets, continued to look for sustenance. Maybe, you know, he'll come across the person who owns this, who knows.

But he said he heard a man calling out in the streets that he had lost a pouch. And if anyone had found it, he lost a pouch. Has anyone found it? So, he went to the man, he said, I found a pouch, but I need you to make sure that you're the owner, so tell me about it.

He said the man described the necklace, the string that the necklace was on, how many pearls, what size they were, the string that tied the bag. So much so that this man knew it was his property. And the guy was offering a

500 dinar reward for it.

500 dinar reward for whoever found this pouch. Alhamdulillah, the rizq is coming again. So, he went and he gave the man the pouch, and the man's trying to give him the 500 dinar.

The Refusal of Reward

But then Abu Bakr thought about it, he said, I didn't earn this money. You know, it's not like I work for this, I'm returning a property to someone who it belongs to him. So, he didn't feel good about taking the money.

So, he said, no. He said, I'm not taking the money. And the guy fought with him, you know, they back and forth, back and forth.

He finally just said, look, I'm not taking it. So, the guy took it and took his money, took his necklace and he left. Abu Bakr realized that he could not find his sustenance in Mecca.

So, he decided to get on a ship and go somewhere else. Because Allah جَلَّ وَعَلَا says, if you can't make it in one place, this earth is very big, go to another place. And this was a time where the Khilafah was large.

You could go all over the place, and you didn't need a passport, you didn't need a visa, you didn't need a green card. Your passport, your visa and your green card was La ilaha illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah. That's all you needed to travel within the Khilafah at the time.

The Shipwreck

So, he got on a ship, and as he's going, the ship sinks because of a storm. A big storm comes, breaks the ship up and sinks. Now, look at this, subhanallah.

Here's a man who trusts in Allah. He has taqwa, he has tawakkul, he has worship of Allah, he's known for it. And Allah is putting through difficulty after difficulty.

He's poor in Mecca, can't even find something to eat, gets on a boat, tries to go somewhere else. Allah has now sank the boat. So, he said he grabbed onto a piece of wood that was floating.

Many people died on that ship. And the wind, he said, started to blow him and blow him and blow him till he came to an island that had people on it. So, he went around looking for people, he didn't find them initially.

So, he saw the masjid, he said, I'm gonna go to the masjid. He went to the masjid, there was nobody in it. So, he sat down and began to recite Al-Quran.

Because, you know, this is the life of the believer. He's gonna recite the words of Allah. Because even if it doesn't do anything else, it's going to increase his heart, it's gonna make him feel good.

You know, this is a solace. The words of Allah, the remembrance of Allah, the heart finds some tranquility. So, he began to recite the Quran.

The Teaching Opportunity

And he had a very beautiful voice, eloquent with tajweed. And the people came by and heard him reciting, and they went into the masjid, they said, you know how to recite Quran? He said, yes. They said, teach us and our children how to recite Quran, and we will pay you.

So, he began to teach them Al-Quran, and they began to shower him with money and gifts. Later on, he found a few pages from the masjid, from the Quran, and he started to read them. And people saw him reading them, and they said, you know how to read? He said, yeah, I know how to read.

You know how to write? Yeah, I know how to write. They said, none of us here, not a single one of us knows how to read and write. So, please teach us how to read and write, and we'll pay you again, and we'll shower you with more gifts.

So, he began to teach them, and he began to gain more and more wealth, more and more wealth. Finally, the people realized that after a while, this guy is going to go. We want to keep him here.

The Marriage Proposal

So, they offered him to marry an orphan girl of theirs, who was known as one of the most pious, most beautiful, from the most pious lineage of that place, offered her to him in marriage. And he refused. First, he just refused.

He said, these people are trying to keep me here. They don't want me to leave. I'm not falling for the trap.

So, he said, no, no, no. They kept on, and on, and on, and on. Until finally, he just accepted.

He gave in and said, I'll marry the girl. So, the Nikah was made. Performed.

The girl, they brought her to him. He said, as she walked up, he started to look up from her feet. And when he got to her neck, he couldn't look any higher.

And he dropped his head. And the people's jaws dropped. Because they thought, it was because he thought she was ugly.

He didn't think that she was, you know, pretty. So, they became very, and the girl started crying. You know, because she thought the same thing.

They said, oh my God, what have you done? You've embarrassed this girl. You've embarrassed us. She's the most beautiful woman from us.

What do you want, man? He said, no, no, no. He said, on her neck, on her neck, is a necklace that I remember. I gave this same necklace, I found it in Mecca a long time ago.

The Divine Plan Revealed

And I gave this same necklace to an old man. And they started to shout Takbir, Allahu Akbar, praising Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى . They said, the girl's father was the owner of this necklace.

The man whom you gave this necklace to in Mecca was her father. And we used to hear him say about you. We used to hear him mention you frequently, saying that you were one of the best Muslims he had ever encountered his entire life.

And he used to openly make dua for Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى - subhanahu wa ta'ala) to allow you to marry his daughter. He used to make this dua. You see, this is tawakkul.

Sometimes the plan of Allah doesn't make sense to us. Sometimes it seems as if the plan of Allah is not really working out. This man was hungry in Mecca, went through this ship, all kinds of nonsense.

But little did he know that he was actually, all of this was leading him to respond to the dua of this man. The dua of this man was dragging him forward to this place. And so he ended up marrying the girl.

They lived together for a while. She gave him sons. Eventually she ended up dying.

She got a disease and died. Another test came to him. And then both of his sons died as well.

His whole family died. He ended up alone again. But as an inheritance, part of his inheritance, he inherited that necklace.

And he ended up selling it for a large amount of money. I can't remember the exact amount, something like 5,000 dinar or something like that. It was a large, large sum of money.

And he was explaining to the people how he went from being a poor guy in Mecca who couldn't even find something to eat, to now a very respected, honored, and wealthy person in this place. You see, this is how tawakkul works. It's not about understanding the plan.

The Best of Planners

We plan and Allah plans. And He's the best of those who plan.

Reference: Quran 3:54

You can make all the plans you want in your life, and it might not work out like that.

It might not work out like that. But one thing you should know is that if you put your trust in Allah, if you put your trust in Allah, that Allah's plan will always be the best plan. And it might not be what you want at first.

It might not be what you want. But Allah (جَلَّ وَعَلَا - jalla wa 'ala) knows it's what you need. It's what you need.

Sometimes Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ - 'azza wa jall) doesn't answer all of our duas because He knows that what we ask was not beneficial. It's not beneficial. So He gives us that which might be better.

We know the dua is not answered for a few reasons. Either Allah wants to replace it with something that's better than what we asked for, Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى - subhanahu wa ta'ala) or He wants to wait until the akhirah, and then answer that dua by

increasing us and things of that nature. So we have to be able to trust in the plan of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى - subhanahu wa ta'ala)

Personal Story: Trusting Allah with Prayer

I'll give you a little personal story before we close up inshallah. I don't really like using personal stories, but this is one that cemented in me the understanding of tawakkul in my life. I had not been Muslim for too, too long, only a couple of years.

And I had just moved to Florida, and the only job that I could find, I didn't even really know the community very well. It was a small community. I was in St. Augustine, Florida, which is actually the oldest city in the United States of America.

The only job I could confine was construction. Construction in the summertime. Construction in the summertime in Florida.

And it was the worst kind of construction, building frames on houses with those cinder blocks. You know, those big huge cinder blocks. And because I didn't have experience, I was the gopher.

I was the guy who just carried these blocks around all day long. I ended up with carpal tunnel syndrome, all kinds of things. I had bad damage to my hands from it, etc.

And it was a tough job. And this was all within one week, I ended up with carpal tunnel syndrome. The first Friday came.

First Friday came in my job, and I told my boss that I was going to take an extended lunch break. I would stay an hour later, finish up whatever I need, but I'm going to take an extra hour for lunch because I have to go to pray Jummah. He wasn't having it.

He said, no. He says, no. He said, what? He said, no.

He's like, if you don't worship like normal people on Sundays when we don't work, you just don't go. I told him, this is not optional. I'm not asking you to go.

I'm telling you I'm going. And he said to me, if you're not back at the job site by 1 o'clock, then you'll be fired. So I thought about it, pondered for a little while.

At lunch, I handed in all my stuff, and I said, I will see you later. Can't. I'm not coming back.

I'm just telling you right now. You can send my check to my home. Now, I needed that job at this time.

This was a time where I was actually quite poor. I really, really needed this job. And didn't know, I didn't have anything lined up next.

I didn't have anything lined up next. And I'd only been at this job for one week. So it wasn't like I'd made any savings.

So I was in a bit of a conundrum, as they say. So I went to the masjid, prayed Jumu'ah Salah, made dua for Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى - subhanahu wa ta'ala) that I'm trusting in you to obey you. I'm obeying you.

So therefore, I'm asking that you help me. As I was leaving the masjid, there was one young man who I had met. He's a very good brother.

His father came to me afterwards, and he asked me, his father was a very beautiful man. One of the most beautiful men that I've ever met. His akhlaq is something pristine.

He was from Palestine. He was somebody who was known for his charity. He used to go during the rough times before the first intifada in Palestine and stuff, before he brought his family here.

He owned a pizza shop in Palestine. And after work, he used to take the leftovers and things of that nature. And he would walk from Jerusalem all the way to the refugee camps, through all the checkpoints, through all the fitna that he had to go through in Ramadan just to give the refugees something to break fast with.

Because a lot of men used to break fast with things like tomato peels and trash and things that people threw away. He came to me and he said, Yusha, do you work? I said, yeah, I did work. As of today, I don't.

I had to quit my job to come here. He said, well, my youngest son who used to help him at his pizza shop, he had another pizza shop. And let me tell you something, side note, if you ever go to St. Augustine, Florida, on Crescent Beach, there's a pizza shop named Tony's Pizza.

The best pizza I have ever had in my life. And I've eaten pizza on a lot of places. I like pizza.

One of the best I've ever had in my life. Handmade everything. But nevertheless, he said, would you like a job? I said, yeah, of course I'd like a job.

He hired me on the spot. I went to work that evening making double what I was making at the construction job. Making double.

And he ended up, I ended up learning so much from him. So much. Working for him for two years was such a pristine thing.

So, you know, you never know. Sometimes you just gotta trust. That's what Iman is all about.

Iman is sometimes taking a walk in the dark. You don't know where you're going. You don't know how you're gonna get there.

But you're trusting in Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى - subhanahu wa ta'ala) and you're moving your feet. You're moving your feet. This is what tawakkul is about.

Tawakkul is not about sitting at home saying that Allah is our raziq so the check's gonna come in the mail. Or I'm gonna go to the masjid. You know, I'm gonna sit in the masjid and make dua.

And then we're gonna eat dhal and curry. And you know, the rizq of Allah is gonna come anyway. Yeah, the rizq of Allah is gonna come which you weren't written for any.

If you're gonna do that. Trusting in Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى - subhanahu wa ta'ala) is about making a plan, logical plan, and then moving your feet. Moving your feet and then trusting that if the plan doesn't work out and Allah leads you down another path, you're willing to take that path.

Even though it might not seem like the wisest thing to do, you trust in the plan of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى - subhanahu wa ta'ala). Trust me, Allah (جَلَّ وَعَلَا - jalla wa 'ala) never disappoints His slaves. Never, never.

I've been traveling the world for the past decade. And it's not been the easiest thing. Trust me, wallahi, it's a big fitna.

So I'm trying to tell you young men who wanna make YouTube videos and be famous, stop yourself right now. Just calm down a little bit because the fame, the price of it is too high. The price of it is too high.

It's a lot of fitna that comes along with it. So I've been through a lot. But one thing I will say is that Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ - subhanahu) (وَتَعَالَى - wa ta'ala) has never disappointed me, ever.

Ever, ever, ever. Before I moved to St. Augustine to find that job, I actually had to borrow money to get on the bus to go there. I was actually so broke that the day before I went to Florida, I was walking around in the streets of my hometown looking for change on the side of the road to buy anything to eat, anything.

So I know what poverty is like. Been there, been there. And I was thankful to Allah then.

And when I've had money, I've been thankful to Allah as well. Comes and it goes. So we have to understand that this ummah right now, 2014, is being tested.

The Test of the Ummah

It's being tested. But why is it being tested so hard? Why is Allah now testing this ummah so hard? We have to be able to look beyond sometimes. That Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى - subhanahu wa ta'ala) wills, wants desires to grant this ummah the victory that it deserves, the honor that it deserves, the position above all other things that it deserves.

And that is what is required, that is what Allah wills. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى - subhanahu wa ta'ala) said:

He sent His Messenger with the guidance and the Deen of Haqq, to make it prevail and over and above every other way of life, no matter how much those who associate partners with Him despise it.

Reference: Quran 9:33

You see, this is the will of Allah (جَلَّ وَعَلَا - jalla wa 'ala). The problem is not anything other than us, us, us, us. Because one thing you have to understand is that Allah (جَلَّ وَعَلَا - jalla wa 'ala) is not going to give you things if you believe that you don't deserve, that you don't deserve.

Allah is not going to grant you victory for disobeying Him. Allah is not going to bless you for disobeying Him. And let me explain something to you.

If you're disobedient to Allah, if you know you're a disobedient, rebellious person to Allah (جَلَّ وَعَلَا - jalla wa 'ala) and you see your life is going good, and you're being increased, you should be terrified. There's no way you should sleep good at night. There's no way, you should be so frightened.

Because Allah is only giving you that to punish you even more in the next life. Or He's paying you for every good that you've ever done here. When you meet Allah on the Day of Judgment, you will be bankrupt.

The True Bankrupt Person

The Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) was asked he asked his companions one day, who is the bankrupt one? And the companion said, the one with no money? The Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said. He said, the bankrupt one is the one who comes to Allah on the Day of Judgment with good deeds.

But because he's slandered this one, he's backbitten that one, he's done things that are insincere, that those deeds become like dust that just gets blown away in the wind and he has nothing.

He has nothing. He stands in front of Allah with nothing but debt on his neck and he is thrown into hellfire because of it. So this is bankruptness.

So if you're disobeying Allah and He's increasing you, you should be worried. If you're involved in Islamic work, if you're involved in da'wah, if you're an imam and Allah is not testing you and you don't have struggles and trials and tribulations in your life, again, you should be worried. You should check what you're doing and how you're doing it and the minhaj upon which you are doing it.

Because the shaitan would not leave you alone in this predicament. He would not. You would be public enemy number one to him.

So you need to check those types of things. But this ummah is being tested because Allah (جَلَّ وَعَلَا - jalla wa 'ala) wishes to increase it. What comes at the end of test is victory, is blessing from Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى - subhanahu wa ta'ala) if we pass the test.

Unfortunately, a lot of us are failing it. A lot of us are failing it, failing it. Because we're not having trust in Allah (جَلَّ وَعَلَا - jalla wa 'ala)

We're trusting in ourselves more than we trust in Allah. Trusting in ourselves more than we trust in Allah. So we have to try to understand our lives are not always going to be what we wish them to be.

But if we've done our best, if we've made our plans and we've moved our feet and we've trust in Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ - 'azza wa jall) alone, it might not be going the way you want it to go, but it's going the way Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى - subhanahu wa ta'ala) wishes it to go. And you'll be grateful and thankful for that on the day when you meet Allah (جَلَّ وَعَلَا - jalla wa 'ala)

The Day of Judgment Reality

Lastly, before we take some Q&A, because my head is starting, I'm actually starting to see like two, three of every one of you.

On the Day of Judgment

On the day of judgment, we know that Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى - subhanahu wa ta'ala) will call forward the one who He gave the best life to in this world. He gave the best life to them, but they were disobedient. They were sinful and disobedient and rebellious to Him.

Maybe a disbeliever. And Allah will ask him about the favors that He granted him in this life. Yes, you gave me so much.

And then Allah will take him for one second and dip him into Jahannam. Let him taste it. Give him a taste of what's coming to him.

And then He will ask him again, Did you get any goodness in the life when you were in that dunya? And he will say, No. My Lord, I was given no good. Because when he sees the recompense for it, it all fades away.

It all fades away. But then He will bring forward the most oppressed, the most downtrodden Muslim that has ever existed. Ever. Ever. And I don't think anybody in this room, Allah knows best, but I doubt any of us are them, or that person. And then Allah will ask him about the hardships that he faced.

He went through a lot. And then Allah will dip him in Jannah for one second. Allah will place him in Jannah for a moment and let him experience and taste what's waiting for him.

And He will ask him, My slave, did you ever experience any difficulty in your life? And he will say, My Lord, no, I never experienced any difficulty in my life. Because when he sees the reward that comes for it, it will all fade away. It will all fade away.

And that's we got to understand about the struggle, brothers and sisters. If you believe, then your final resting place is Al-Jannah. The Prophet ﷺ said, Anyone with an ounce of Iman in their heart, their final destination is Jannah.

They will go to Jannah. So if that's your final destination, then don't worry about too much in this life. If you know that you believe and you're firmly rooted upon La ilaha illallah, Muhammadur Rasulullah, have some solace in this life.

That a lot of it you might go through, it's all going to be worth what we go through. The moment you put your two feet in Al-Jannah, you will forget about it all. You won't care.

Nobody will be in Jannah asking each other, how did you get here? What did you go through to get here? What did you go through? No, we won't care anymore. It won't matter, we made it. That's where we'll be able to look at each other, InshaAllahu ta'ala, and say, we made it, we made it.

And that will be the final. That's it, it's done. Death will be slaughtered on that day.

There's no more time. You'll be able to do whatever you wish for as long as you wish, as many times as you wish, forever and ever and ever. So trust me, don't be too caught up in the here and now all the time.

Don't be too caught up in the here and now. Because it might not seem so bright. But trust me, the future is brighter.

The Future of This Ummah

And for this ummah, the future is bright. The future is bright. This is one thing I know.

I am worried about this ummah right now, because we are failing the test quite heavily left, right, and center.

But one thing I do know is that the future of this ummah is brightness. Because the Prophet ﷺ, he said, after me, after me, there will be khilafah ar-rashideen.

There will be righteous khalifs after me. After that, after that, there will come monarchy. Father handing the son down and down like this.

He said, after that, there will come kingdoms. There will be kingdoms, there will be kings. And he said, then after that, there will be khilafah, back on the model of the prophethood once again.

So the end of this ummah is going to be victorious. We just ask Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى - subhanahu wa ta'ala) to make us of those people who either witness it, or who became part of its revival. Became part of its revival.

We want to say that we did our part. We did the right thing. We stood up to the test of time, and we did the right thing.

This ummah has always had a legacy of number one, being oppressed. People have always tried to oppress the Muslims since the beginning.

That Islam began as something strange, it will return back to being something strange as it was before. So, Tuba is a tree in Al-Jannah, is for the ghuraba.

So, Islam has always had this strangeness about it, especially at its two ends. But this ummah has always been known that no matter what we've gone through, we've always come out the other end, on top.

We've always come out the other end, on top. That's the legacy of this ummah. That people can laugh at you, let them laugh.

We become so caught up in what people think. It's a problem, so caught up. People laugh at me because I'm a Muslim.

And they did worse to your Prophet ﷺ, you're no better than that. The companions were treated worse, you're no better than them. People laugh at you, people mock at me, and people harass you, and people spit on our sisters.

And Alhamdulillah, be thankful that Allah has allowed you to suffer any hardship because of your deen. Any hardship that you suffer because of your deen. We are people who let them laugh now.

You've ever heard the statement, laugh now, cry later. That's the position we stand in. Let them laugh now.

Let them laugh. Because let me tell you something else. On the day of Qiyamah, on the day of Qiyamah, after that day is over, 50,000 years long, there will only be laughter heard in one place.

Guess where that is? Al-Jannah. Only the people of Jannah will laugh ever again. So they might need to get it out now.

They might need to get it out now. Let them laugh now. Know in your heart, who the final laugh is going to be for.

The Honor of the Believer

And this is something that we have some certainty about. It's not a position of pride over them, but we do have honor that we are believers. And Imam Al-Shafi'i (رَحِمَهُ اللهُ تَعَا��َى - rahimahullah ta'ala) was reported to have said, that the toenail of the most fasiq Muslim that has ever lived on the face of the earth is better than the best disbeliever that has ever walked the face of this earth.

This is an issue of yaqeen for us. Because one thing we know is that the believer, no matter how bad he or she might be, if they die on La ilaha illallah, even if they're placed in Jahannam for a long period of time, their final destination is Al-Jannah. But the best person who denies Allah (جَلَّ وَعَلَا - jalla wa 'ala) even if they were the greatest human being that was known at their time, they will never make it to Al-Jannah.

Never, there's no possible way. Because the key to Al-Jannah is La ilaha illallah. If you don't have that key, you'll never get in.

So this is the reality for us. We need to know that. We need to have that air of idea.

Because this ummah is being recolonized again. But the colonization is going on up here. Trying to make us think that we are not who we are.

Trying to degrade our identity. Trying to degrade whom we are supposed to perceive ourselves as. We are very, very, very susceptible to that, unfortunately.

Because we live in a society where you are judged, are judged very quickly. And we are people who don't like to be judged. It's the human nature that we don't like to be judged.

We don't like to be disrespected. We don't like to be laughed at. We don't like to be made fun of.

It's just the reality. The human soul does not like it. The human psyche is not made for it.

But for the believer, but for the believer, we should never allow that to get to us. We should never become insecure about our deen. We should always have total, total, total security in our deen that who we are.

You can call me whatever you want to call me. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى - subhanahu wa ta'ala) has called me a Muslim. And that's good enough for me.

That's good enough for me. I don't care what I go through. We know Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى - subhanahu wa ta'ala) says that there will come a day. Allah says there will come a day when those who disbelieve will have wished they believed. There will

come a day when those who disbelieve will wish that they had believed. They would be willing to sell their children, their wives, their husbands, anything, to come back to this life for one second to say la ilaha illallah, when they see what is the reward for that in the hereafter.

There will come a day when those who disbelieve will have wished they had been believers. You have that honor now. You've either had it through birth or you've chosen that honor.

But that's an honor that no one can take away from you. No one can laugh away. No one can mock away.

You have that. So be assured of who you are. And know that the plan of Allah is that this ummah will one day inshallah be victorious.

We ask Allah to make it in our lifetime. We ask Allah to make it in our lifetime. Because, and it's not as a thing as to where we want to destroy the world.

The Truth About Islamic Rule

This is another bad concept. The Muslims want to take over the world through death and destruction. We desire, and Allah desires that the ummah rule over the world because it's the best position for the world.

It's better for them. It's better for them. When this ummah ruled the majority of the world for almost a millennium, this ummah ruled the vast majority of the world.

And a large portion of people under the Khilafah at that time were non-Muslims. Were non-Muslims. And they lived the most peaceful times.

They lived in the most peaceful times. And there are people who have come to admit that. And they've written papers about that.

Yes, during the time of the rule of the Muslims, we lived under the most tranquil peace. And for those who want to come and say to you that your religion commands you to kill all non-Muslims. How many of you heard that before? Your religion commands you to kill all non-Muslims.

They recite to you from Surah Al-Ma'idah, kill them wherever you find them, etc., so on and so forth. I simply respond to them, and there was a time when we controlled most of the world. And the people under our rule were non-Muslims.

If it was an obligation for us to kill you, you would not be here still. We'd have already killed all of you. None of you would ever exist. And there's a billion of us now. A billion and a half of us now. If it was part of our religion to kill all of you, you wouldn't be here.

So it's just nonsense. It's just pandering, and it's just antagonistic at its very core. Facts can overthrow that.

Have honor about yourself. The reason why we believe that Islam should be the most dominant way of life in the world is because it's better for everyone. It's better for me.

It's better for you. It's better for me and it's better for you. Because you'll have more rights.

You'll have more rights under the Islamic system than you've ever been given here in United States of America. It's a reality.

Understanding Modern Scapegoating

And lastly, why do you think... There's some wisdom behind a lot of things.

Muslims are being targeted in America right now. We have become public enemy number one. Public enemy number one.

Why? Why? Is this some outside history for you? You might know why. It's part of it. There's more to it.

It's more devious than that, actually. Again, that's part of it. It's the long term goal.

That's the end game. But there's more to that in the present time. You see, this is the problem with us.

We don't know history. Even us born and raised in America, we don't know our history. The reason why the Muslims are being targeted today is that we are being used as the scapegoat for America to take freedom from its own citizens.

We are being used as a scapegoat for America with the ruling elite to take freedom from its own citizens. And it's something we need to be sharing this consciousness about to the non-Muslim community is that we are being used, and you're being played as a pawn in the game to take away your freedoms, to take away your civil rights, to take away your civil liberties. We are being used for that.

And we are not the first people to be used for that purpose. It happened with the Native Americans before the American Constitution even existed. The American Indians were the first, the Native Americans were the first terrorists of this country.

This is what they were labeled as. Let's kill them before they kill us. And they slaughtered them in the millions and millions and millions.

That's my heritage. If you trace my lineage back, father, father, father, father, it goes back to the Cherokee Indians. So I know who I am.

Then the Germans were used for the same reason in the 40s. The Japanese were used for the same reason. The Jews were once used for the same reason.

And now we've entered into the new phase where they want to do their endgame and remove America back to a dictatorship, back to a colonized civilization. So they're using us as a scapegoat. Then in order to make you safe, we have to take away your freedom.

It's the most crazy idea, and unfortunately the American public is sucking it up because of the media. Then in order to make you safe, I got to take away your freedom. If that's the case, just lock me in a prison cell, I'll be quite safe.

That's what's really going to end up happening in America, really end up happening. So we need to wake up. You need to see those things that are going on, like what's going on in Ferguson and things of that nature.

This is all part of the endgame, all part of the endgame. And I don't like to bring too much politics into it, but what I know about, because I see it, and I've experienced it, been born and raised in this country, I like to wise people up to it. This guy, Darren Wilson, you think they didn't know what would happen when they came back with no bill? You didn't think they already knew that? Of course they knew exactly what was going to happen when they came back with no bill.

That's why they did it. That's why they did it. Did they not know that the citizens of Ferguson were going to come out and go crazy? Yes, that's why they did it.

But they wanted to, and they knew the cameras were going to be there. So they wanted to show, they wanted to put on a stage for the American public that this is what happens when you stand up for your rights. You stand up for your rights, we will beat you back down into servitude.

This was played out for the American public, played out for the American public to remind us of what can happen. And it can get much worse than that, trust me. Martial law is the most dangerous thing under the American society government.

They enact martial law, it's game over, game over. So we need to be wise to that situation that we're being used, we're being targeted. And it's not us that they want, they're just using us.

The end game is to stamp the Muslims out because they don't want to ever see the revival of the Khilafah and things of that nature because they know what that means. They know what that means. But in the meantime, they want to put servitude back onto their own citizens.

They want to make every American slave, but in a different kind of way. And we've just become the latest scapegoat. When they're done using us, they'll find somebody else.

Oh, trust me, they'll find somebody else. This will continue on until they get what they want. So it's good to educate the American average citizen about these things.

We're the end game. I mean, realistically, how many Muslims, according to media, how many Muslims have killed the number of people in America? Maybe a few thousand, maybe a few thousand. The amount of people that America have killed and their wars and their propaganda affairs goes into the millions and millions and millions and millions and millions and millions and millions.

Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of millions. So just let the facts speak for themselves when you're dealt with in these kind of situations.

In sha Allah ta'ala, I will take some questions around this topic, in sha Allah, when it comes to trust and things of that nature.

Question and Answer Session

If you have any question, please feel free to ask it. I'm gonna try to be short, but please don't leave. Please don't leave.

During the Q&A session, please do not leave because it makes it very distracting for the people asking questions and for me. If you don't have to go, don't leave. Just stay, please.

We're gonna keep this short and sweet and simple today, in sha Allah. I have a couple of questions that were anonymously written to me, so I'll answer them as well. So like I said (جَزَاكَ اللهُ خَيْرًا - jazakAllahu khayran). May Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى - subhanahu wa ta'ala) reward brother Yusha Evans.

May He make the listeners and the speaker benefit from that which is said. May He increase us all in knowledge and steadfastness. So in sha Allah ta'ala, we will begin with the Q&A session.

And as brother Yusha has stated, please keep to the topic. I know we jumped from a couple of topics, but try to focus mainly on (التَّوَكُلُ عَلَى اللَّهِ - at-tawakkul 'ala Allah) putting your trust in Allah. Whoever has a question, please raise your hand and I will bring the mic over.

Question 1: Overcoming Fear

I'll start with this one while you think. The first one I've already answered, how does one get rid of fear that the family would feel if you look different, closer, step your life regarding religion. We already answered this one, in sha Allah.

What does a Muslim do if he or she is having a battle with their nafs, heart and soul, mind, nose, what's right regarding a certain situation, but has fear of taking action. In that type of situation, you have to make a move. You know, overcoming your own nafs is a great battle.

But understanding that the momentary pain that you're going to feel in making this decision is better than the long term consequence and remorse that you have. I think it was Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya (رَحِمَهُ اللهُ تَعَالَى - rahimahullah ta'ala) who said that the pain and patience of avoiding sin is greater than the pain and patience and remorse of the sin. So you gotta keep that in mind, in sha Allah.

Any questions from the audience? No? We'll keep going with these and then we'll shut it down.

Question 2: Istikhara

What should a Muslim do if they need to pray istikhara on something but are afraid of the outcome? As in they're afraid the outcome leans towards that what's khair for him or her, then he refuses to follow through. My name is, okay, I don't know, my name is nothing.

When it comes to istikhara, this is also another one of the basic things of Islam that is quite misunderstood. Istikhara is also part of having tawakkul in Allah, (جَلَّ وَعَلَا - jalla wa 'ala). It is a dedicated salah that you make and there's a

special dua that Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) used to make in this salah, asking Allah that if the decision I take is going to be khair for me in dunya and akhira, then allow it to, facilitate it to happen.

If the decision I take is going to be bad for me in my dunya and akhira, then prevent it from coming. After that, it's your time to make a choice. It's not where you need to go home and wait for a dream to happen and this is, I don't know where this idea came from, but this is an innovated understanding that you're gonna get some magical dream that's gonna tell you what to do.

No, this is the understanding of tawakkul that you're going to make a choice and that you're asking Allah (وَعَلًا - wa 'ala) if it's good for you, facilitate it. And if it's bad for you, do not ever even allow it to happen. And you trust in that.

That if it wasn't khair for you, you won't be able to do it. If it's good for you, then it will happen. So you just move, you make your decision and move.

If you haven't made your decision yet, well, that's something you need to deal with. Because you need to make your decision, inshallah. Last question.

Question 3: Marriage Choice

Is there a definite way to know if one's choice for a partner in marriage is correct? No. There's no definite way to know. Again, this is the thing where you make dua, you make istikhara, you trust in Allah, you try to find out the situation behind the person to whom you're gonna get married to, you look for the qualities that the Prophet encouraged upon, deen, akhlaq, lineage, or money.

Any one of these four, the best of those, deen. Best of those is deen. But know that they might not always pan out.

This might not always pan out. And it's just a reality. Another thing I wanna discuss with this is, we as Muslims have unfortunately, even though the divorce rate in our ummah is increasing unfortunately, and that's a bad thing because it is halal.

But Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى - subhanahu wa ta'ala) does not like to see families broken up like this. But the fact that it is halal means that there should be no stigma on the individuals who have been divorced. This is another misnomer and problem in our community is that when people get divorced, there's an automatic stigma upon them.

With the woman, it's an automatic stigma from our communities, especially in the Muslim world. Especially in the Muslim world, that if a woman gets divorced, there must be something wrong with her. There must be something wrong with her.

Therefore, nobody wants to marry her again. Or she is used. Astaghfirullah.

I'm telling you, I've heard these things. But there must have been something wrong with her for her husband to have divorced her. And therefore, she's looked at with negative stigmatism.

Or if the man gets divorced, he's looked at as if he didn't wanna stick around, or he's a womanizer, and all of these other types of things. This is not a negative stigmatism that should be used. Every case should be judged on its basis.

Because if divorce was a negative stigmatism, then all the companions would have black stains on them. Because they got divorced. They got divorced.

Umar ibn al-Khattab, I think, was divorced several times. Several times. Many of the eminent companions got married and got divorced.

But then somebody else would get married to the sister, it wouldn't be an issue. This is not something they looked upon as a negative stigma. The Prophet married a divorced woman.

Married divorced women. This is reality. So it should not become a negative stigmatism.

You do what you can. You make the choice the best way you can. You try to stick it out as long as you can. But know that sometimes, in some situations, in some realities, divorce becomes the better option. Divorce becomes the better option.

Closing

End of Khutbah