Shielding our Hearts- Facebook, Twitter, & “Me” Generation

Shielding Our Hearts

Opening Greetings and Praise

As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu. Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim. Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alameen. Wa salatu wa salamu ala Sayyidil Mursaleen, Sayyidina Muhammadin wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa sallama tasliman kathira.

As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu. Alhamdulillah, it's a great honor, great pleasure to be here this evening. So many wonderful people, so many beautiful faces. And people who are seeking answers and direction, and trying to do something positive with their lives.

The Real Problem: Distance from Allah's Remembrance

Alhamdulillah, as Dr. Mahmood was saying, the problem isn't necessarily Facebook or Twitter or MySpace, Twitter, Tweeter. I thought I saw a puddy tat. Tweeter bird, Twitty bird, whatever his name is. MySpace, MyFace, television. The problem is not those things in and of themselves.

The problem is that collectively, increasingly, they're turning us as a community away from the remembrance of Allah. That's the problem. And when we turn away from the remembrance of Allah, our hearts become hard.

And when our hearts become hard, then the impact of these various media begins, the negative impact begins to increase exponentially. Because we're using it, it's hardening our hearts. Because it's turning us away from the remembrance of Allah.

Our hearts become hard and we get more deeply involved. And we start to do things or say things we normally wouldn't say. We start to hurl insults and abuses.

The Danger of Careless Words

We start to hit the send button without reflecting, even for a moment, of the consequences of those words. Our Prophet informed us that the son, and it could be the daughter of Adam, speaks a word, not realizing fully the implication of that word. And because of that word, he or she is flung into the depths of hell, greater than the distance between the East and the West.

So, we have to realize we might be able to find some benefit from these various media. We might be able to communicate a crisis situation. But as a community, the ultimate benefit that we will have is found in the Book of Allah.

Neglecting the Sunnah of Friday

Today is Friday, don't raise your hand, it was Friday. How many of us read Surah Al-Kahf? One of the Sunan for Friday. How many of us made abundant salawat on our Prophet? One of the Sunan for Friday.

How many of us read our Hizb from the Qur'an? How many of us engaged in any of the awrad or the litanies, even the prophetic ones, the ma'thurat of our Prophet? How many of us started our day invoking the blessings of Allah for our day? How many of us ask for Allah's protection this morning?

(Morning supplication)

How many of us?

The Journey of the Soul

It takes time. It takes time. And when we realize it takes time to save ourselves from hell, when we realize it takes time to refine and elevate our souls, so that we're no longer that (النَّفْسُ الْأَمَّارَةُ بِالسُّوءِ - an-nafs al-ammarah bis-su') but we begin to elevate to the (النَّفْسُ الدَّوَّامَةُ - an-nafs al-lawwamah) we begin to question what we're doing.

We begin to re-examine our lives. We begin to do good deeds and even when we fall into bad deeds to rebuke ourselves and to question our behavior. And through that struggle we rise to the ranks of the (النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ - an-nafs al-mutma'innah). It takes work and it takes time.

No Time for Nonsense

And when we realize that it takes time, we don't have time for nonsense. We might have time to post something on the internet related to our business, our course of study, but we don't have time to waste time seeking out frivolous friends who aren't our friends in reality. They're our enemies.

We don't have time to trade abuses and insults with each other. We don't have time to spend hour after hour after hour just surfing the net, not knowing where the wave of facade, what beach of perdition is going to wash us up on. We don't have time for that, brothers and sisters.

The Path to Greatness

And I'm sure if I were to ask this question, which I will ask, since I mentioned it. Do you think we'll become a great community? A community that will impact on the state of this nation at a time when this nation is in desperate need of direction, is in desperate need of guidance, is in desperate need of someone to present a different narrative to counter the rising voices of racism and xenophobia and economic exploitation of human degradation. Do you think we will be a community who raise that voice if generally we're spending 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 hours a day involved in these various media? Or do you think if we spend 3, 4, 5, 6 hours a day reciting and studying the book of Allah, engaging in our litanies, beseeching Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, praying at night when the people are asleep, do you think we'll be a great community? I know we'll be a great community because those are the things that made past communities great.

Those are the actions that made past communities great. And we have to decide what kind of community do we want to be. Do we want to be a community of Muslim Bart Simpsons and Muslim Urkels? I can't think of any recent people.

I blew up my TV in 1987. But is that who we want? Muslim 50 cents or whoever, I'll guess, 50 cents done. Muslim Lil' Wayne.

See we got Lil' Wayne. Is that what we want? Or do we want to be Muslims who are trying to rise up and be to the level of Abu Bakr and Umar, Uthman Ali, Mus'ab bin Umair. Da'ees who called to Allah with seriousness.

These are the questions we have to ask ourselves. What kind of community do we want to be? And as young people, what do I want to be doing for the rest of my life?

Avoiding Blind Imitation

Do I want to be following every fad that comes along? I talk with Muslims who are wearing baseball caps backwards with the labels still on the lid underneath and the price tag hanging off. Maybe they don't do this anymore. I don't know. It's been a couple years. Things change.

And I say, you're only doing that because you saw some idiot on television do it. No, no, that's my style. How is it your style when you weren't doing it until you saw that idiot that you swear you didn't see doing it, doing it? That's not your style. That's Spalding's style. Because Spalding's making the baseball caps. You're buying $50 a whop. That's not your style.

Pants hanging off your rear end. Yo, that's my style. Yo, why you hating on me? Like that.

Because you're looking like an idiot and I don't want to see my Muslim brother looking like an idiot. That's why I'm loving on you like that. I'm not hating on you.

If I was hating on you, I'd just keep on being an idiot. Lower him another two inches. You know? See how long your underwear are. If you have on boxer shorts or the skimpy type. I mean, since you, I mean, if you're advertising something, I'll feel a lot. Be careful the neighborhoods you walk into. You might attract the wrong kind of attention. Be pulling those pants up real fast. Yo, man, why you looking at me like that? I'm not into that.

Moving right along.

Choose Your Company Wisely

No, those are the kinds of questions we have to ask brothers and sisters. Do you want to imitate a bunch of fools? As Dr. Mahmoud mentioned.

(الْمَرْءُ عَلَى دِينِ خَلِيلِهِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ أَحَدُكُمْ مَنْ يُخَالِلُ - al-mar'u 'ala dini khaleelihi falyanzur ahadukum man yukhalil)

(Sunan Abu Dawud 4833, Sunan al-Tirmidhi 2378)

A person's on the religion of his companion or her companion. Let every one of you consider well the company you keep. You sit down on the couch and invite all kinds of profligates into our house.

Just turn on the television. They're in the living room with us. You might as well have them right there. And then we start using their language. And Muslims walking around, nigger this, nigger that. Yeah, let me call my nigger up.

Astaghfirullah. People are killed because of that word. That word has a history. We're not worried about history. Because we're lost in space. And because we're lost in space, we just blow whichever way the wind blows.

The Language of Shaytan

So if the wind says, just use this word or use that word or use profanity. There was a time and there's still a time in this country, no one who was serious about religion used profanity. Because profanity was associated with the devil, with shaitan, with Satan.

That language, just say what you want to say. That's from shaitan. Say what you want to say. People had to learn certain things. They had to learn certain things.

Shaitan taught people and his dupes how to split people up.

The Love Between Spouses

Because the love between a man and woman is powerful. It takes skill to separate them. And usually people are arguing with each other. They still love each other. Because the love is that strong. I just don't know what happened. We're just fighting all the time. And I love him so much. I don't know why we're screaming at each other and fighting. And I hit him with the flying pen. And I love him so much. Yeah, I don't know what happened.

I really love this sister. But, you know, I don't know what happened. I know what happened.

Your heart became hard. You forgot who you are. You forgot the great blessing Allah bestowed upon you by bringing you together with that brother or that sister.

And then Shaitan came. And he agitated you. And he's skilled. He's a skilled agitator. Because he had two good teachers. Harut and Marut.

اشْتَرَاهُ مَا لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَاقٍ

وَمَارُوتَ

People have to be taught things. And when we turn on these media, we're being educated. We're being educated by forces we don't often times understand.

But behind them, if it's negative, you can bet Shaitan is in the mix somewhere. And we have to protect ourselves from Shaitan. We have to protect ourselves.

Protecting Hearts Through Remembrance

And we protect ourselves through the remembrance of Allah. If being distanced from Allah hardens our hearts.

مِّنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ

The distance, the time between when the messenger came and the time they live in. When they first took the shahadah and the time they find themselves in. When they first joined the MSA and were really fired up. And now the time they find themselves are.

And their hearts became hard.

And then many of them become corrupt profligates. This is what's happening through a lot of these media. And we stop it.

By the remembrance of Allah.

Those who believe in their hearts find comfort and are soothed by the remembrance of Allah. Does the remembrance of Allah bring comfort to their hearts?

Do they not study and reflect on the Quran? Are their hearts sealed up and locked up in boxes? Chained and locked up? We have to unleash our hearts and we unleash our hearts by getting serious about this religion. We have to be serious. This isn't a joke.

Life is Not Fun - Life is Struggle

One of the gravest consequences of these media collectively and they have their good uses. But one of the gravest consequences of these media is that they advance the idea that life is fun. I want to go on Facebook and have some fun.

You know I watch television, that musical video, it portrays so much fun. So much fun. Life isn't fun. That's a lie that shaitan is telling people. Why? To make us unprepared for life. And when we're unprepared for life then we're unprepared for death.

Because life is preparation for death. And shaitan wants us to be unprepared for death. Therefore he preoccupies us in ways that render us unprepared for life because he wants a lot of company in hell. He wants a lot of company in hell. Life isn't fun. Life is a struggle.

Those who struggle in our ways.

The Difficulties of Life

When you assist the weak, you find satisfaction. When you extend a helping hand to the needy, you find satisfaction. When you bring a smile to the face of your depressed brother or sister, you find satisfaction in yourself.

Those are lies that have been told. That we'll find satisfaction serving ourselves. We'll find satisfaction seeking fun in this world. Satisfaction is in serving others. Satisfaction is in making it easier for other people.

Satisfaction is found in bringing a smile to the face of others.

The Example of the Prophet

That's why our Prophet, he was constantly serving others in his home. He was in the service of his family. He was in the service of his ummah. He was in the service of those who were serving him. And at the end of all of it, his concern when everyone, because of the circumstances, and the circumstances being the horror of the resurrection, they're back to that me generation. Nafsi, nafsi.

What is our Prophet saying? Ummati, ummati. My nation, my nation. He still, even when circumstances have reduced the most generous, charitable, selfless people to thinking about ourselves, our Prophet is thinking about his ummah.

He is our example. He is our example. And when we follow his example, we don't have this faith crisis. When we follow his example, we're not deceived and deluded by all of these trends and movements and fashions that pass through this world.

The Need for Consistency

We have the thabat. We have consistency. We have consistency, brothers and sisters. And this world is in desperate need of people who have consistency. People aren't flakes, who don't flake out on you. We're trying to find someone consistent.

We have to start with ourselves. Start with ourselves and then we will attract people who are like why, who reflect our values.

Two Groups at the End

In conclusion, I want to say this. Brothers and sisters, reflect on the nature of this life. And reflect on what do we want to hear at the end of it all. Allah Ta'ala tells us in the Quran that at the end of everything, there's two groups.

In one group, there are permanent people and temporary people.

There's going to be a group in paradise and there's going to be a group in hell. And what we do right now is going to determine which group we're going to be in.

Death Comes Suddenly

The kind of life we lead during our time in this life. And we don't know when any of us can pass away. We had tragic news yesterday. Some of you in Chicago might know brother Ubaidullah, convert. Brother Will, beautiful brother. He worked with Iman, with Rami Nashashibi. He's been studying in Egypt, a diligent student of knowledge. His 25 year old wife dropped dead yesterday on the sidewalk. 25 years old. Her time was up. None of us know when our time is up.

We can't assume oh, I'm going to live to be 80 years old, so when I get 60, I'm going to get serious about this life and about this and I'm going to go out during that last 20 years. It's going to be the home stretch. Man, I got my kufi ready. It's in the closet right now. I got like special preservatives on it so it can last for the next 40 years. So when I get there, it's going to be nice. Take it out. Bismillah. Got my hajj reservations because I got everything out of my system by then, so I'll be ready for hajj. None of us are guaranteed we're going to live tomorrow.

So we have to make sure we're doing everything in our power and capability to get right with Allah today. And I'm not trying to depress you. Like I said, this, you work for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. You work for your soul. The salvation of your soul. You work for the service of others. You'll find fulfillingness and bliss unimaginable.

Three Keys to Success

In conclusion, because I see the notes being written. That's either one or two notes. Imam Suhaib is in here. You can take more time or alright, let's cut it. Let's have Q&A. So we'll try to preempt that. The first is three things. One hadith mentions.

Or the first in terms of bliss. There's a hadith of our Prophet. Beautiful hadith. It's not in the major collections. But it's an acceptable narration. He said:

(Hadith - Mentioned in various collections including Al-Mu'jam al-Awsat by al-Tabarani)

So he said, expose yourselves to the gentle breezes of your Lord's mercy, the gentle breezes of His mercy. He touches with them whomsoever He chooses from His servants.

Exposing Ourselves to Allah's Mercy

Many of you, I know some of the young brothers here, you play basketball, right? In the summertime when the weather's hot. And your daddy's rich and your mama, yeah. And so you're out there sweating. It's like 95 degrees in Chicago. Kobe knows about that. If your nickname's Kobe, you have to play basketball. So, you're out there sweating and it's 95 degrees, 100% humidity, and you think you're gonna drop.

And then that breeze blows in off the lake and you just stand there, right? You stretch your arms out and you soak it up, right? Gets on your t-shirt and so the sweat now becomes a source of making you even more cool and you feel blissful.

Allah Ta'ala has breezes of His mercy more blissful than that. And how do we expose themselves? How do we go like that? And expose ourselves to those breezes through our prayer, our recitation of the Qur'an, the litanies we recite, studying aspects of the religion. And while we're doing that, one of those breezes might touch us.

And Ibn Rajab, who mentions this hadith in his book, he says:

So he says, one who is touched by one of those breezes experiences a bliss that's so intense they're never saddened for the rest of eternity. Bismillah. Expose yourselves, brothers and sisters. Expose ourselves to the gentle breezes of Allah Ta'ala's mercy.

The Three Commands

The second, Allah Ta'ala or the Prophet mentions:

(Hadith - Sunan al-Tirmidhi 1987, Musnad Ahmad 21354)

Be mindful of Allah wherever you are. That's the essence of taqwa. Be mindful of Allah's commandments and prohibitions.

Wherever we are, not just at the Isna conference where there's 30,000 Muslims, it's easy to go and join the prayer. Wherever we are, when we go back home, when we're traveling, when we're with Muslims, when we're with other folks, wherever we are, try to be mindful of Allah Ta'ala's commandments and prohibitions. That's the essence of taqwa.

And that involves, those involve the rights that are owed to Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala.

And any misdeed you do, follow it up with a good deed. Being weightier will wipe it out.

Following Sin with Good Deeds

If you slip into sin, don't despair. Go and do something good. Because that sin is one against you. The good is at least 10 for you.

700 for you.

Many times over that.

So don't despair, just go do a good deed, to wipe out that bad deed. And this is the instruction of our Prophet. Any misdeed you do, follow it up with a good deed. Being weightier will wipe it out.

تَمْحُهَا

And that involves the rights we owe to our soul. We don't want to condemn our soul to eternal damnation. We don't want our soul to meet Allah carrying a mountain of sin on our back. We eliminate that through repentance.

Good Character with People

And deal with people with good character. Yourself on the basis of good character.

And again, that's something serious. Good character isn't being a clown with people. Good character isn't insulting people, putting people down, playing the dozens.

Good character is being truthful. Good character is having integrity. Good character is assisting people. Good character is lending a helping hand. And good character, our Prophet, he joked sometimes, we're human beings. And sometimes it's desirable to tell a joke.

You see your brothers, sisters depressed. You want to cheer their spirits up. You want to make them more depressed. We're Muslims. We're serious people. Imam Zayed said, life isn't fun. Astaghfirullah. Now you're really depressed, aren't you? No, we're human. But our life isn't a joke.

Our life isn't just one stretch, continuous stretch of fun and thrill-seeking, punctuated by a few moments of seriousness. Our life is a serious endeavor, punctuated by a few moments of lightheartedness, a few moments of joviality. And then we move on with the seriousness of life.

And so, but we treat people with good character.

The Ultimate Call

And then finally the verse of Allah, we mentioned at