Go Big or Go Home

Go Big or Go Home

By Imam Zaid Shakir - MASCON 2017

The Power of a Smile

Before we start, I want everyone to just take a minute and smile, just smile, it's alright. You'll feel better, there'll be a sense of relief that permeates the audience. Allahu Akbar, thank you.

That's just a reminder that despite the troubles, the struggles, the hardships, the controversies, there's a lot to smile about. Plus it's the way of our Prophet, peace be upon him. Any sadness was in his heart, but he had a pleasant face, a smiling face.

Come Strong and Go Home

So my topic is, come strong or go home, something like that. So I just want to adjust the topic to come strong and go home. Because our strength in this world plays a large part in sending us home to the Akhira, to Jannah.

That's where it all started, our father and our mother Adam and Hawa were in Jannah. And then they were cast down into this world, and if we come strong in the world, and our faith is strong, and our actions are strong, then we go home to Jannah. So I just want to change the title from come strong or go home, to come strong and go home.

The Hadith of the Strong Believer

So when we talk about this subject, usually people reference the Hadith of Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him. He said, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

(Sahih Muslim 2664)

"The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, and in each there is good. Seek that which benefits you, strive assiduously for that which benefits you, rely on Allah, and don't be incompetent. Don't be incapable. And if you're afflicted by something, don't say, 'if only I had done such and such,' rather say, 'Allah decreed something and what He decreed came to pass.' Otherwise you will open the door for Shaitan to play with you."

Understanding the Strong Believer

So the strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, and in each there is good. So the strong believer, strong believer is one whose faith is strong. That's the first component of a strong believer, one who has strong faith.

One who has a strong resolve. They're not going to be easily deterred. They're not going to turn back.

The Attitude of Perseverance

If some of you are old enough to recall, or you've studied enough to know, one of the most inspirational songs of the Civil Rights Movement, as those people were struggling against the vicious racism of a system that was more vicious than apartheid in South Africa. Struggling against Jim Crow and the vestiges of slavery that were immediate, that were close by. It wasn't long ago, the distance rather between Jim Crow and slavery is not a great distance.

But one of the things that the people would sing, because their movement was a spiritual movement, and it was infused with spiritual music. Ain't gonna let nobody turn me around, turn me around, turn me around. Ain't gonna let nobody turn me around. I'm gonna keep on walking, keep on talking, marching forth to freedom land.

We're marching forth to Jannah, and we're not going to let anybody turn us around. And that's the attitude that you have to have. And that's a strong believer. No one's going to turn us around. Trump or no one else.

We're not going to turn around. We're going to keep on walking, and we're going to keep on talking, and making dawah, and defending our faith, and standing up for our faith, and let people know who we are and what we believe in. And we're going to march forth to freedom land. We're going to march forth to Jannah. Because real freedom's in Jannah. This world is abode of trials and tribulations.

Finding Joy in the Journey

That's why we can smile. We can keep it all in perspective. We struggle, we work hard, and then we go and have a halal party. Otherwise, you're like, subhanallah, you'd be too depressed. We're having a halal party, I ain't going. Why? Brothers and sisters, smile.

This is the dunya. This is the dunya. This is the abode of trials and tribulations. You work hard, you overcome, as Imam Suhaib said. You have that small victory. Have a big party for the small victory. Halal party.

The Levels of Strength

So, strong in their faith, strong in their resolve, strong in their knowledge, intellectually strong, strong in their soul and in their heart, spiritually strong. And the least level of strength is the strength of the body.

Because that physical strength isn't used to worship Allah. If that physical strength isn't used to protect the weak, if that physical strength isn't used to do things that are beneficial to our fellow believers and our fellow human beings on this planet, it's of no benefit. No benefit whatsoever.

So that's the lowest level of strength. And that's, unfortunately, that's the one most people work on the hardest. So, a brother is in the gym, he's lifting weights, he's doing pull-ups and chin-ups and all kinds of ups.

And forgetting that, okay, that's great, that's wonderful, but if you don't translate those chin-ups into something that's going to elevate you with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, you're wasting your time. You could stay home and

become a couch potato. And maybe you'll be better off because you can read more and study more and dhikr more and read more Quran.

Why the Strong Believer is Better

So that's the lowest level. And the weak believer, the strong believer is better because if you were to use grammatical terminology, the faith of the strong believer and the knowledge of the strong believer and the resolve of the strong believer is muta'di. It transfers to others.

As they say, someone lacking something can't give it to someone else. So a person who has a surplus of strength can help someone else. If they're drowning, you can reach in the water, you can pull them out.

But if you don't have a surplus of strength, you might be able to save yourself. So the weak believer can save himself or herself, but they don't have the spiritual energy to touch the lives of others. They might not have the physical strength to physically assist someone who's in a desperate situation, which is a laudable act, sharaan.

So in these ways, their faith might be, it's there and it's present, but it might be easily challenged. Whereas the faith of a strong believer, you can't challenge it. You cannot challenge it. It is unshakable. And that's why the strong believer is better, but the weak believer is loved by Allah. The strong believer, ahabbu, is more beloved.

But the weak believer is beloved to Allah.

The Beauty of Islam

And this is the beauty of Islam. We don't look down on those who might not be as blessed as we are. We don't look down on people of weak faith. We try to inspire them with our strong faith, not with our words. We don't look down on people who might be struggling spiritually.

We try to provide the spiritual energy. It's all about energy that can uplift them and can inspire them to be better and to try and endeavor, to endeavor to get closer to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Seeking What Benefits You

So if we know the strong believer is better, then what does the Prophet tell us?

(Sahih Muslim 2664)

Seek assiduously for those things, to attain those things that benefit you, those things that help to make you strong.

If you find yourself, your faith isn't where you want it to be. Your level of spirituality isn't where you would like it to be. Your attachment to the Quran isn't what you would like it to be. Don't just sit there and lament your condition. Read more Quran. Study more tafsir to create a stronger bond with the Quran.

Take more time to remember Allah so that you systematically build yourself up and build yourself up one subhanallah, one alhamdulillah, one la ilaha illallah, one la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah at a time, step by

step by step.

The Natural Growth of Faith

This is the beauty of Islam. The growth is dino fitra. It's a religion compatible with nature. The natural state of things. You never see the tallest tree in the forest. You never see a redwood tree grow. You never see the tree in front of your house grow. But what happens? You graduate high school, you go away to college, you come back at the end of the year and the tree is twice the size it was before you left.

But if you sat there minute by minute, there, it just sprouted a leaf. You'll never see that happen. It's very slow and it's gradual, but it's sure. That which comes slowly is taken away very slowly. That which comes suddenly might dissipate in an instant. So we're not looking for this emotional moment of spiritual growth.

Just, ha, I got it. You probably got tricked by somebody if that's the case. No, you gradually build yourself up. You don't even notice it, but your friends notice it. You notice Ahmed, he's a lot more patient. You notice Fatima, she doesn't get agitated like she used to. Subhanallah, you can see she's really growing. She's maturing. That's the kind of growth that results in a strong believer.

Relying on Allah

So we seek out those things which strengthen us. And put your trust in Allah. Because we realize no matter how strong we are we're weak.

"And mankind was created weak."

Our nature is that we're weak. And our true strength only comes through Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Our true strength only comes through Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

And when we rely on Allah we're relying on the source of all strength.

"There is no power and no strength except with Allah."

And if we're relying on the source of all strength we will be strong, but we'll be strong through Allah as Imam Nawawi says in his wird. Those of you familiar with the wird of Imam Nawawi.

With Allah, with the name of Allah, and relying on Allah, and trusting in Allah, and realizing everything comes from Allah, and ultimately returns to Allah, and relying on Allah, and being enveloped by the mercy and grace of Allah, and understanding there's no strength, there's no power but Allah.

It's All About Allah

It's about Allah, brothers and sisters. It's not about us. And far too many of us are weak because we've made it about us. And we rely on ourselves. And we should understand that is a formula for disaster.

Many of us are depressed now. We're depressed because we're relying on ourselves. And we see we don't have the wherewithal to beat back all these negative forces. We don't have the wherewithal to stop these attacks on Islam. We don't have the wherewithal to deter these asinine people who claim to be Muslims from jumping in a truck and running someone over.

And we have to go to work the next day. And we can't stop these fools from periodically murdering people. And so we become despondent. And we become depressed. And we enter into this funk. And we don't understand that this is a result of our relying on ourselves and thinking our actions can change the situation.

The Wisdom of Ibn Ata'illah

The first aphorism in Ibn Ata'illah's book of wisdom, Al-Hikam Al-Ata'iyya, the very first one, he describes our condition. And he mentions this one first because this, if we don't get beyond this step, our journey to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is going to be extremely difficult. An indication that a person is relying on their actions is a lessening of hope when they experience a setback.

So things don't happen. There's a setback. But if we're relying on Allah, we understand that setback is just a test. It's a test from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And if we are relying on Allah and trusting in Allah, we know the next round could well be the victory. And so we're not depressed.

We understand that that setback is a growth opportunity. That setback is an opportunity to learn something about ourselves. That setback is an opportunity for us to display good etiquette, good adab in our dealing with Allah, and that can be the key to the subsequent victory.

Never Depressed with Allah

So we have to rely on Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Then we're never depressed, we're never saddened because we know it's from Allah, it's to Allah, it's with Allah. And it's all about Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

And we're just means towards the attainments of ends in the creation of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And so we accept the part that Allah doesn't say we just give up, no. Do everything in your power to benefit yourself, to make yourself strong.

As Allah tells us in the Quran:

"Prepare whatever strength you possibly can."

And then trust in Allah, and not in that strength. And understand the strength came from Allah. If we do attain it, don't be incapable, don't be incompetent, don't be people who just don't try, don't be people who make excuses,

but be people who give it everything they have, and be people who are confident that what they have is enough because they're relying on Allah, and Allah ta'ala has unlimited power.

Humility Leads to Elevation

Be people who are confident that Allah will empower those who surrender to Him.

(Sahih Muslim 2588)

"No one humbles themselves for the sake of Allah, except that Allah elevates them."

And if we're elevated by Allah, we'll get pretty high. If we try to elevate ourselves, I mean, I could get higher than most of you, I could maybe push myself up about seven feet, that's it. But with Allah, not even the sky is the limit because there are no physical limitations on the power of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Don't Say "If Only"

(Sahih Muslim 2664)

And if something afflicts you:

(Sahih Muslim 2664)

"Don't say if only I had done such and such."

Because that's doing what? Relying on my actions. I didn't pass the test, if only I studied two more hours a night. When you're studying like seven hours a night, you have to sleep sometimes. If only I studied two more hours a night, then you would have been totally incoherent. You wouldn't have been able to understand the thing.

So, thank Allah that you studied what you did study and that you got some sleep like a sensible person. And Allah, just for a wisdom he understands, didn't bless you to succeed. But don't say, if I would have done such and such, because you doing such and such isn't the regulator of the outcome. Allah's decree is the regulator of the outcome. And so, if the outcome wasn't favorable, it just wasn't favorable.

What is Truly Favorable?

And what does favorable mean? I used to play football in high school. I wanted to go to the NFL. That was my whole life. I was running and training and working in the summer, working out, reading about it, looking at film, everything. And then I ripped my shoulder out, my senior year, fifth game, my senior year. And at the time, it was the worst thing that happened to me.

It was the worst thing at the time. But then, a few years down the road, I realized that was the event in my life that put me on the path to Islam. And so, at that point, I realized that the worst thing that I thought had ever happened to me was in reality the best thing that ever happened to me.

Trust in Allah's Decree

So, we might say, if I would have done this or that, how do we know if this was better than that? Or if that were better than this? We just say:

(Sahih Muslim 2664)

"Allah decreed something. What Allah decreed came to pass."

There's wisdom in His decree. And this is where the faith of the strong believer comes into play. Because the strong believer with strong faith accepts that readily. Accepts that readily. I understand there's a wisdom I don't understand today, but perhaps tomorrow I'll understand it. Or next week, or next month, or next year. I will understand the wisdom in that.

I will understand the wisdom in that, and then I'll be good with it. So, we can save ourselves a lot of trouble. I'm good with it right now when it happens. I'm good with it right now because my faith tells me Allah is wise, Al-Hakeem. That Allah is just, Al-Adl Al-Mutlaq. Allah is absolute justice. That Allah is merciful, Al-Raheem. Allah is compassionate, Al-Ra'oof. That Allah is knowledgeable, Al-Aleem.

Allah Knows What's Best

So, Allah knows what's best for me. Allah is merciful to me. Allah has my best interest at heart. So, I'm good with it right now when my faith is strong. When my faith is weak, I'm miserable. And that's why we strive to have strong faith, brothers and sisters.

We strive to be strong believers. And we're confident in ourselves, in our religion, in Allah, in our Lord.

(Sunan Abi Dawud 1529)

"I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, and with Islam as my religion, and with Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, as my Messenger and my Prophet."

And I'm good, I'm good with all of that. Because Allah has been good to me. When we step back and look at it, in our lowest moment, we have to admit Allah has been good to us.

Good Etiquette with Allah

So, we should have good etiquette, good adab with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Strive to be strong, brothers and sisters. Don't let anything deter you. Don't let anything turn you back. And if we're marching that road with

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, if we're marching that road relying on Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, if we're marching that road, that difficult road, knowing that Allah is wise and Allah is just, then we'll keep marching that road right into Jannah.

May Allah ta'ala bless all of us to continue on our respective paths right into