Let me ask myself and you a question. What would we pay to get the blessing of Allahﷻ and a promise of His Forgiveness when we meet Him?

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىْءٍ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوْفِ وَٱلْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ

ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَـٰبَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ

أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَٰتٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُهْتَدُونَ

Baqara 2: 155-157   And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sabirin (the patient). Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: Truly! To Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return. They are those on whom are the Salawat (blessings) from their Rabb, and (they are those who) receive His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided ones.

My brothers and sisters, we are witness to the terrible devastation of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, which have also affected Lebanon and Jordan. As Allahﷻ promised us, He will test us. He tests people in different ways as He mentioned. For some, the test is very personal, catastrophic, devastating. For others like us, it is a test of our compassion and our Yaqeen in the Aakhira. I got news that my teacher, Shaikh Abdullah Al-Thalaj’s wife, lost her parents, sister, brother-in-law and their two children, three generations. All died when the building they lived in, collapsed. May Allahﷻ grant them Shahada and Jannatul Firdous without Hisaab. The reaction of Shaikh Abdullah and his wife is a reflection of the wealth of Islam. He said to me, “Wallahi Shaikh Yawar, what Allahﷻ will give them is much better than what they had in the Dunya. So, Alhamdulillah we accept the Qadr of Allahﷻ and ask for His Mercy and Forgiveness for them and us.” My brothers and sisters, how can we thank Allahﷻ for this Deen except by practicing it and truly working for the Day when we will meet Him. For those, Allahﷻ said:

مَآ أَصَابَ مِن مُّصِيبَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَن يُؤْمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ يَهْدِ قَلْبَهُۥ وَٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

Taghabun 64: 11   No calamity befalls, but with the Leave [Qadr] of Allah, and whosoever believes in Allah, He guides his heart [understand His Qadr and accept it with equanimity], and Allah is the All-Knower of everything.

I saw this in practice today when I spoke to my friend. I request you to please make dua for him and his wife and family. My brothers and sisters, Allahﷻ sends us reminders every day about the one reality that we seem to ignore and that is our meeting with Him. Every time we hear about the death of anyone or participate in a Janaza, it is a reminder to us that one day, it will be me that people will be talking about and praying for. And that day can be today. It can be right now. It is a sign of intelligence to prepare for something which is totally certain and not to be caught unawares. But when we look at our lives, what do we see? Do we see someone – I mean ourselves – who is busy preparing for the Aakhira or someone who doesn’t really believe in the Aakhira? Actions are the only and most certain proof of belief. Let’s ask, ‘What do my actions show?’

Let us reflect as we look at the horrific scenes of destruction in Turkey and Syria. Thousands killed. Thousands injured and thousands homeless in the harsh winter. Everyone lost everything. May Allahﷻ have mercy on them and on us all and keep us safe from all calamities. It is at times like this that we realize exactly how fragile we and our lives are. We live on a globe of liquid fire of molten rock. Try to melt a rock and you will see what I mean.

Which choice is more important? Where to go on a vacation or what career to enter? Which choice is more important? Who to employ or who to marry? Why? A wrong vacation choice means some money and maybe two weeks gone down the drain. But a wrong career choice means what? You can employ someone and regret that and you can fire them. But if you marry the wrong person then what? Yes, you can divorce them, but what is the price of that? The importance of the choice depends on the consequences of it. What will be the payoff or price of the choice and how long will that last? I remind myself and you to choose wisely because the choice that I am going to talk to you about is forever. Diamonds are not forever, our choices are. So, choose wisely.

Choosing well is so critical that Allahﷻ didn’t leave us to do it on our own. He didn’t force us but He guided us and said:

لَآ إِكْرَاهَ فِى ٱلدِّينِ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ ٱلرُّشْدُ مِنَ ٱلْغَىِّ فَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِٱلطَّـٰغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدِ ٱسْتَمْسَكَ بِٱلْعُرْوَةِ ٱلْوُثْقَىٰ لَا ٱنفِصَامَ لَهَا وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

Baqara 2: 256    There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break. And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.

Islam is an active choice that we need to make. You don’t become Muslim because of your race, color, nationality, tribe, or name. We become Muslim when we choose obedience to Allahﷻ over obedience to our desires. It is really as simple as that. Islam teaches us that success is proportional to obedience. Obedience to the orders of Allahﷻ in the way that His Messenger Muhammadﷺ  showed us. The best example of that is Salah. Allahﷻ ordered us to establish Salah. Rasoolullahﷺ showed us how to do that. This is the fundamental connection between the Qur’an and Sunnah and the way in which the Sunnah supports the Qur’an. The Sunnah is the Field Book for the Qur’an. That is why Allahﷻ caused it to be protected and its ways to be practiced in the world generation after generation.

The fundamental principle in Islam is Taqwa. Taqwa is the result of a process which begins with enquiry. We ask, ‘Who is Allahﷻ?’ Then when we learn about Allahﷻ, our hearts fill with His Glory and Magnificence (Khashiyya) and with gratitude (Shukr). This is the meter. If you think you know Allahﷻ see what is in your heart with respect to Allahﷻ. This will be reflected in our actions. Those who have Khashiyyatullah automatically obey Allahﷻ. They don’t make excuses, they don’t try to find loopholes, they don’t go Fatwa shopping. They ask, ‘What did Rasoolullahﷺ do in this case?’ And they do the same. This condition, where we obey Allahﷻ because we are in His awe and we love Him more than anyone and anything else, is Taqwa. For the one who has it, Allahﷻ promised guidance, protection, and support. Taqwa is a condition of Hidaya. Allahﷻ called His Book – Guidance for the Muttaqoon. We are coming to a month that is dedicated to making us Muttaqoon.

We ask Allahﷻ to give us Ramadan Al-Mubarak in good health, Iman and with time to maximize its benefits. It is the framework of the relationship of the believer with Allahﷻ, which is based on knowing His Rabb, feeling the awe of His Majesty and Grace, and so fearing His displeasure and hoping for His forgiveness; being grateful to Him for His blessings (Shukr) and therefore loving Him. This is the relationship between the “head” (information, rules, laws) and the “heart’ (awe, gratitude, love). It is the relationship between Ilm (Knowledge) and Ifraan (Understanding). It is the relationship between knowing about and knowing.

Everything successful has careful preparation behind it. Without that preparation, there can be no success. A good and easy way to understand the importance of preparation is to think of a farmer who has the best seed. What is the first thing he does? He prepares the soil because he knows that toxic soil will kill the seed. He detoxes the soil, treats it for pathogens, adjusts the pH value and organic content, digs irrigation channels, makes fences, and secures boundaries. Only when all this is done, will be plant the seed. The best seed is the Book of Allahﷻ and the teaching of His Messengerﷺ. But if we want that to take root in our lives and enrich us with the fragrance of its flowers and shade us with its branches and bless us with its fruit, we must prepare the soil to receive it. Then when we plant it, it will take root and change our lives. Without that, it will remain dry words alone, and we will not feel its blessing in our lives. That soil and garden is our heart.

Sahl ibnʿAbd Allah ibn Yunus, Abu Muhammad al-Tustari (d. 283) ® who Al-Dhahabi called Shaykh al-Arifin (Master of the Knowers) says that when he was three years old, he would wake up at night to watch his uncle Muhammad ibn al-Sawwar ® pray. He spent his early years with his uncle and Dhu al-Nun al-Misri ® whom he met during Hajj. Al-Qushayri ® narrates from ʿUmar ibn Wasil al-Basri ® that Sahl ® said, “My uncle once told me, “Remember Allahﷻ Who created you.” I asked, “How should I remember him?” He replied, “Say in your heart, whenever you are alone at night, three times, without moving your tongue: Allahﷻ is with me; Allahﷻ is looking at me; Allahﷻ is watching me.” This is the meaning of Tarbiyya. Ask, if this is something we do for our children. Ask, why not?

Why say it without moving your tongue? Because then it is your heart speaking. That is when you start to feel the power of the words. What does it mean to feel, Allahﷻ is with me; Allahﷻ is looking at me; Allahﷻ is watching me? It means tears of gratitude and love for Allahﷻ in our eyes when nobody is watching. It means total freedom from all fears. It means complete acceptance and happiness with whatever Allahﷻ decreed for us. Ridha bil Qadha. It means to focus on only one thing i.e., how can we please Allahﷻ? Nothing else matters. It means to fear and be ashamed of committing any sin, no matter how ‘small’, Shaytaan tell us it is. When I am aware that Allahﷻ is watching, I am aware of who Allahﷻ is. Allahu Akbar. So, no disobedience of Allahﷻ can be considered small. It means that if I commit any sin, no matter the reason, I will immediately seek Allahﷻ’s pardon and seek to have that sin wiped off my slate.

What is the meaning of Allahu Akbar? I don’t mean the translation. I mean meaning. What does it mean to me? What does it do to me? Let us ask that.

It is necessary for us to have the Aqeeda that Allahﷻ is Al-Akbar. But what does that mean? It means that if we are afraid, safety is with Al-Akbar. And if we need anything seek out Al-Akbar (The Greatest). And if we need to trust someone and rely on him, then turn to Al-Akbar. And when we need to ask, we ask Al-Akbar. When we have access to Al-Akbar why would we ask anyone else? If you ask others, then ask if you really believe that Allahﷻ is Al-Akbar. When we want a pillar to rely on and lean against, then the strongest support and pillar is Al-Akbar, Allahu Subhana. Because when every ‘great’ thing is put against Him, it humbles itself and diminishes until it is nothing. So, what are we afraid of? When something happens to us that you are afraid of, that causes us anxiety, depression, stress, and panic and we turn right and left searching for influential people to help us while we are heedless of Al-Akbar. Instead do what the Sahaba did. Call on Him, Allahu Akbar and beg Him for protection and help.

Allahﷻ said in the Hadith Qudsi: On the authority of Abu Hurairah (R) who said that Rasoolullahﷺ said: Allahﷻ  said: Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, (my Wali) I shall be at war with him. My slave draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My slave continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory (Nafl) works so that I love him. When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant it to him. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful slave: he hates death and I hate hurting him.

Allahﷻ said in another Hadith Qudsi: Narrated Abu Huraira (R) Rasoolullahﷺ said, “Allahﷻ says: ‘I am just as My slave thinks I am, (I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him) and I am with him if He remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I too, remember him in Myself; and if he remembers Me in a group of people, I remember him in a group that is better than they; and if he comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him; and if he comes one cubit nearer to Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.'

Therefore, if we want Allahﷻ to approach us, we need to approach Him first. So, who has the key to be close to Allahﷻ? We have the key. What is this arrogance that we don't submit to Allahﷻ? Allahﷻ has relieved us of most of the effort. He is saying, “If you want me to remember you, remember Me. I am at your service. If you want me to approach you an arm's length, approach me an inch. If you want me to approach you by multiple arm's lengths, approach me by one arm's length. If you want me to run to you, I will run. Just walk in my direction and I will come running to you. So, the key is in whose hand? Our’s.

If we want to meet someone powerful to help us in some worldly matter, we must first ask for an appointment, right? You can't just walk in. Either they accept or reject the request. If they accept, then they decide the following: Boundaries, Time, and Place of the meeting.

1. Boundary: What will be the boundaries of the discussion. You may want to tell them your life story, but they are not interested in listening to it. You may want some monetary or other kind of help, but they, not you, decide how much they will give you. Will you get their full attention? Usually, no.

2. Time – How much time do they have for you? They decide that, not you. They are the ones who will end the meeting. Not you. After 2 minutes, the man of high status will stand up which means your meeting has ended, even if your matter is not resolved or you have not been able to say all that you had planned to say. That doesn’t matter. If he decides it is over, your meeting is over, and you got whatever you got. This is how humans rule over other humans. This is the dynamic of our world. Big fish eat small fish.

3. Place – You must go to wherever they want to you go if you want to meet them. And you must go at the time that is convenient for them. There are plenty of instances of the high and mighty among humans who take pride in having meetings in the middle of the night. One of the billionaires in India, G.D. Birla whenever he traveled, used to have a relay of senior managers from whichever company he was visiting, on call in the lobby of wherever he was staying, 24x7. I asked one of them who considered it a great honor to be on call, the reason for this. He said in a hushed tone, “In case he needs something.” I said to him, “He has a phone next to his bed.

To begin let me make dua for Shaikh Muhammad Metwalli al-Sha'rawi to whose inspiration I owe today’s Khutba. May Allahﷻ grant him the best of the best in Jannatul Firdous. What I find the most impressive and endearing about him is his love for Allahﷻ, his pride in being Abdullah, and his relationship with Allahﷻ which is visible in every word he speaks. I ask Allahﷻ for this for myself and all of you. I want to remind myself and you about the greatest honor that Allahﷻ bestowed upon us, the honor of being His slaves, his Ibaad. Why is that an honor? It is an honor because Allahﷻ said about the best of all creation, His beloved Messenger Muhammadﷺ:

سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِۦ لَيْلًا مِّنَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ إِلَى ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْأَقْصَا ٱلَّذِى بَـٰرَكْنَا حَوْلَهُۥ لِنُرِيَهُۥ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِنَآ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ

Isra 17: 1   Glorified (and Exalted) be He (Allah) Who took His slave (Muhammadﷺ) for a journey by night from Al-Masjid-al-Haram (Makkah) to the farthest mosque (Al Aqsa), the neighborhood of which We have blessed, in order that We might show him (Muhammadﷺ) Our Ayat (signs). Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.

Allahﷻ addressed Rasoolullahﷺ not as His Rasool, but as His Abd (slave). That is the highest of all honors that any human being can be given, which Allahﷻ gave to His beloved Messengerﷺ.

Umar bin Al-Khattab (R) narrated that Rasoolullahﷺ said: ‘Whoever performs Wudu' and does it well, then says: "Ashhadu an la ilaha ill-Allah was ashhadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluh (I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allahﷻ and I bear witness that Muhammadﷺ is his slave and Messenger)," eight gates of Jannah will be opened for him, and he may enter through whichever one he wishes.”

Let us thank Allahﷻ that He gave us the guidance to recognize that we are His Ibaad (slaves), to appreciate that honor, to thank Him for it and for keeping us in the Ummah of His beloved Messengerﷺ.

The best indicator of any relationship is the attention we give it. How focused are we when we are with that person? Do other thoughts and feelings distract us from the one we are with? When we are with someone we love, child, parent, spouse, anyone, we are totally engaged. We look into their eyes, we listen to them, nothing can distract us. Not even our phones. Our attention is an indicator, a metric of our love. It is really that simple. But what happens when we are with Allahﷻ? When we are in Salah? Let me tell you a true story. I quote from Benjamin Grundy’s tweet:  

“In September 2002, Tibetan monk Mingyur Rinpoche flew 18-hrs over 3 days to reach a brain imaging lab in Madison WI run by neuroscientist Richie Davidson. He was taken to the EEG room to have his brain waves measured during meditation. The resulting scans shocked everyone. The protocol had Mingyur alternate between 1 minute of meditation on compassion and 30 seconds of a neutral resting period. He would have to do this 4 times in rapid succession to ensure confidence in any effect measured. But the scientists had doubts that this would work. Davidson, a meditator himself, knew that it takes time to settle the mind, much longer than just a few minutes. Surely it would be impossible for Mingyur to enter these states so quickly. He would need to achieve an inner quiet almost instantaneously for the experiment to work. With all eyes on the EEG monitor, Mingyur began the meditation. Suddenly there was a huge burst of electrical activity on the display! All assumed he must have moved and tugged on the sensors, a mere artifact. But strangely, this electrical burst lasted exactly 60 seconds. Also strange, the giant spikes diminished but were still present during his 30 seconds resting period.

We spoke about writing down our purpose in life, last Friday. Keeping the Purpose Statement in front of you ask yourself, “What are the three things that I need to do in order of priority to go forward?” Focus on the first thing in your list. When you finish it, go to the next. Not before. If you get interrupted, return, and complete that first task. Never skip a task on your priority list, no matter what the reason is. Eliminate the reasons that take you away from your priorities. Focus is the art of ignoring fluff. Multi-tasking is another word for distraction. When you focus on one thing, you must consciously IGNORE everything else. Go to YouTube and look up videos of leopards or lions hunting. See what concentration means. Leopards and lions learn the value of concentration early because without it, they starve. Humans discover the problem with not having concentration when at the end of their lives, they look back and see all that they could have achieved, if only. The saddest phrase in any language is, ‘If only’. Believe me, you don’t want to go there. It is in your hands, right now. So, learn to concentrate. That is the secret of success in everything in life. Winners concentrate on one task until it is completed. Losers are butterflies flitting from flower to flower until they die, leaving nothing behind. The difference between winners and losers is concentration. If you have the concentration of a monkey, then life will only give you peanuts.

Thanks to the internet and our gadgets we forget that only the means to access information have multiplied and changed. The Law of Learning has not changed. Like the Law of Gravity, it's a fundamental law. It never changes. The Law of Learning is that learning is a factor of sincerity, concentration, and perseverance. No matter what the means you use to access information, it turns into knowledge only after deep reflection, thoughtful practice, and conceptualizing the lessons. Then when it is applied over time, a long time, and the lessons are constantly learned, it flowers into wisdom. We confuse information with knowledge and don't even think about wisdom. That's why we make the same mistakes over and over and suffer needlessly. Forget gadgets and develop concentration.

The world’s No. 1, YouTuber, MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) makes stunt videos. I tried to watch one which was for 10 minutes. At the 5th minute, I couldn’t take it anymore. It consisted of shots of a train running through a brick wall and then in another shot through 6 tractor trailers. Then a shot of a junk car being dropped from a height into a tank full of foam pellets. And a remote-controlled car trying to leap over 6 school buses. All the while with MrBeast screaming into the mic and telling those who are perhaps blind, what is happening. I am sure all this will amuse a 2- or 3-year-old but since I am a long way from there, I left. However, he has 112 million followers who help him to make $30 million/year. Granted that he gives a lot of money to charities, but I am speaking about the value for time for the viewers who watch those videos. He can do this because he is not like his followers. He makes the videos, which needs intense concentration, focus on quality, ruthless discipline, and the ability to stay in the game to the end. He makes the videos for people whose attention span is equal to that of goldfish and monkeys. Without their willingness to donate their lives (time) to his videos, MrBeast would be a poor man. Thank God for slaves and slavish minds. Ditto, TikTok. Remember that you are on the wrong side of the screen. On this side you help others to succeed. If you want to succeed, I mean really succeed, not just talk about it, you need to get behind the screen and do something that is worth recording. Something worthwhile.

After you watch a MrBeast video ask yourself what you gained.

In life only overcomers are rewarded. Allahﷻ is the only one who rewards effort, but not this world. In this world you get rewarded for results only. Allahﷻ said about effort in Dunya and Aakhira:

وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ

Najm 53: 39   And that man can have nothing but what he does (good or bad).

Overcomers are rated by the magnitude of the challenge they overcame. The bigger the challenge, the greater the honor. Mount Everest is 8 kilometers high. If I walk 10 kilometers and claim that I should be given an award because I walked more than Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay who were perhaps the first people to scale the peak of Everest, people will laugh at me. If I try to argue and say that they and I, both walked on earth, people will laugh even louder. Because it is not the distance on earth but the angle of the earth which makes their feat memorable and inspirational. If they had tried to climb but failed to reach the peak, nobody would have remembered. If they had gone up in a helicopter and been dropped on the peak, it wouldn't count as ‘scaling the mountain’. The difficulty of the task is what makes it honorable and worthwhile. So, the first thing to ask yourself is, ‘What is my internal conversation with myself?’ To listen to that, you must switch off the external noise that we have willingly inflicted on ourselves. You can listen to your heart, or you can listen to your phone. You can’t do both. What are you telling yourself? Are you saying, ‘I can succeed’? Or ‘There’s no point in trying because I will surely fail.’ Both statements are not fact. They are hopes. But for you, both can come true, depending on which one you want to use most often. My friend Dr. Fridolin Stary tells me that in German, there is a saying, “Hope dies last.” We must never allow hope to die. We must continue to hope and to work to make that hope a reality. So, ask what you are saying to yourself inside. That’s where it begins.

Our internal conversation depends on our connection with Allahﷻ because it is based on Tawakkul. Tawakkul is an outcome of Taqwa and Taqwa is the result of the love (Hubb) of Allahﷻ. The more we love Allahﷻ, the more we fear to displease Him (Taqwa) and the more we rely on Him (Tawakkul). Allahﷻ described the stages and said:

إِنَّمَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ ٱللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتُهُۥ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَـٰنًا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ

Anfal 8: 2   The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, their hearts shiver (with the awe) when His Ayaat (Qur’an) are recited unto them, they (Ayaat) increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Rabb.

Ask yourself what must have been going on in the heart of Rasoolullahﷺ when he stood on Safa and called his people to Islam. What sustained and supported him was his connection with Allahﷻ. Allahﷻ was real to Him.

Ibn Abbas (R) narrated that when Rasoolullahﷺ used to awake for Tahajjud he would say: Allahumma lakal-hamd. Anta qaiyimus-samawati wal-ardi wa man fihinna. Walakal-hamd Laka mulkus-samawati wal-ardi wa man fihinna. Walakal-hamd anta nurus-samawati wal-ard. Walakal-hamd an-tal-haq. Wa wa’du-kal-haq wa liqa’uka Haq. Wa qawluka Haq wal-jannatu Haq wan-naaru Haq. Wan-nabiyoona Haq Wa Muhammadun, sallal-lahu’alaihi wasallama Haq. Was-sa’atu Haq. Allahumma laka aslamtu wabika amantu, wa ‘Alaika tawakkaltu wa ilaika anabtu. Wa bika kha-samtu wa ilaika hakamtu. Faghfir li ma qaddamtu wama akh-khartu wama as-rartu wama ‘a-lantu. An-tal-muqaddimu wa an-tal-mu akh-khir. Laa ilaha ila ant. [Bukhari]

O Allah! All praise and all thanks for you. You are the Establisher of the Heavens and the Earth,

There is a misunderstanding among some people that it is not necessary for a Muslim living in a land which has a non-Muslim government, to obey the laws of the land, because these are “man-made” and not Divine and because the country is not an Islamic Khilafa. That belief is totally false. The first thing to note is what Allahﷻ said in His Book. He said:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَوْفُوا۟ بِٱلْعُقُودِ

Ma’aida 5:1   O you who believe! Fulfill (your) obligations (oaths, promises).

Any Ayah that begins with a direct address is a Hukm (command) from Allahﷻ. Allahﷻ is commanding us, those who believe in Him, to honor our covenants and fulfill our promises and contracts, no matter who we contracted with.  When we live in any country, no matter for what duration, we enter into an oath or obligation that we will be entitled to enjoy all that the country offers, its freedoms, privileges, benefits, and opportunities, in return for which we will obey the laws of the land and never do anything detrimental to the welfare of that land or its people. This covenant applies no matter what your visa status is. For this we are accountable to Allahﷻ.

`Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (R) narrated that Rasoolullahﷺ said: “There are four (characteristics), whoever has them is a hypocrite, and whoever has one of the four has one characteristic of hypocrisy unless he gives it up: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; when he makes a pledge he betrays it; and when he disputes he resorts to foul language.” (Bukhari & Muslim)

It is a religious obligation for a Muslim to keep his promises, behave truthfully, and respect other people’s rights. Allahﷻ said:

وَأَوْفُوا بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ إِذَا عَاهَدتُّمْ وَلَا تَنقُضُوا الْأَيْمَانَ بَعْدَ تَوْكِيدِهَا وَقَدْ جَعَلْتُمُ اللَّهَ عَلَيْكُمْ كَفِيلًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ

Nahl 16: 91    Fulfill the covenant of Allah when you have taken it, and do not break oaths after their confirmation while you have made Allah a witness over you. Verily, Allah knows what you do.

It is forbidden (Haraam) for a Muslim to betray anyone to whom he has given a pledge or promise, no matter how small or big we may think it is. For example, someone tells us something in confidence and we listen to that person and promise to keep his secret. Then we go to someone else and say, “I am saying this only to you” and we tell him what the other person told us in confidence. May Allahﷻ save us from ourselves, some people are like CNN on two legs. We don’t consider our action to be anything serious but believe me, this is an enormous sin which can result in severe punishment and humiliation in the Hereafter. Trust is the basis of Izzah (prestige, honor). Trust is the result when we honor contracts and stand by our word.                Ibn Umar (R) reported that Rasoolullahﷺ said:

إِذَا جَمَعَ اللَّهُ الأَوَّلِينَ وَالآخِرِينَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يُرْفَعُ لِكُلِّ غَادِرٍ لِوَاءٌ فَقِيلَ هَذِهِ غَدْرَةُ فُلاَنِ بْنِ فُلاَنٍ

When Allah gathers the earlier and later generations on the Day of Resurrection, He will raise a banner for every treacherous person and it will be announced that this is the treachery of this person, the son of this person. (Bukhari: Muttafaqun Alayhi)

The general rule is that a Muslim should obey those in authority as long as they do not command us to commit sins.

Ibn Umar (R) reported that Rasoolullahﷺ said, “Listening to and obeying the leader is an obligation as long as he does not ...

Allahﷻ sent us Islam to make us successful in this life and the Hereafter. In this and subsequent lectures, I want to share with you some key lessons for us to follow to become successful. It is only at the finish line that you know who won the race. Not before. This life is a race and every one of us is running in it. This Khutba and a number of them going forward are about how you can win that race. Remember that all that I can do is to share with you the lessons I learnt in my life. To use them or not is your choice.

To win any race you must know the rules. What makes a winner and what will disqualify you? You can be the fastest person on the planet, but you can win only if you run in the right direction. That may sound like stating the obvious, but it is the most common reason most people lose the race, because they are running away from the finish line. What is the right direction? It is the direction that will take you to the goal. Only those who reach the goal are winners. Even those who don’t reach the goal, but try their best to do so, can hope for a ‘consolation prize’. But what about those who don’t even try or worse do the opposite of what it takes to reach the goal?  

We have two lives. One that we live here on Planet Earth. And the other that we will live in the Hereafter – the Aakhira. We cannot write our destiny in this life because we have been given limited choice. But in the Aakhira – the life in the Hereafter – we have total freedom to choose what we want. Those decisions are based on the choices we make in this life. What is the goal? How can we win and what can disqualify us? This is critical to know.

The Qur’an in its lucid and concise way defines the goal.

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ ٱلنَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ وَمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلَّا مَتَـٰعُ ٱلْغُرُورِ

A’al Imraan 3: 185  Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is moved away from the Fire and admitted to Jannah, he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception (a deceiving thing).

There are four matters which are stated in this Ayah.

*

Let’s take each of these and look at ourselves in the light of the Ayah.

* Everyone, without exception, will die

If there is one thing on which the whole world is agreed upon, it is that we will all die one day. There are all kinds of theories and philosophies about what will or will not happen after death, ranging from, ‘we will become plant food and push up the grass’ to reincarnation as another human or animal. Only the Qur’an tells us with certainty what will happen because its author is the One Who Never Dies – Allahﷻ. Only the one who never dies can tell us what happens after we die, because He is there to see it. He told us that we will be resurrected and brought back to Him and be held accountable for what we chose to do or not do in this life. This is a heads-up to all intelligent people saying, ‘Watch it, because you are being watched. You can’t hide. And you will have to give account for it.’ This life is a time to choose. Death is not the cessation of life but cessation of choice. Death opens the door to another life and shuts the door on choice. So, let’s choose wisely. This life operates on the principle of cause and effect. If we want to change an effect, we must address the cause. The interesting thing about it is that each cause has two effects. An interim, temporary one in this life and a permanent one in the Hereafter. If I smile,

As you are aware we have started our After School program and have received a wonderful response. That shows that you are concerned about your children. This is an excellent thing, given that our children are our investments in this life and the Aakhira. Therefore, let me speak to you about some essentials to raising and growing your investments, i.e., your children.

The first and most important instruction is from Allahﷻ who said:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ قُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلَـٰٓئِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌ شِدَادٌ لَّا يَعْصُونَ ٱللَّهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ

Tahreem 66: 6    O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a Fire (Jahannam) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allah but do that which they are commanded.

This is our primary responsibility as parents which supercedes everything else, to protect our children from the Fire of Jahannam. That responsibility is so important that Allahﷻ called children a test (Fitna) and warned us:

وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّمَآ أَمْوَٰلُكُمْ وَأَوْلَـٰدُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عِندَهُۥٓ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ

Anfal 8: 28    And know that your possessions and your children are but a trail and that surely with Allah is a mighty reward.

إِنَّمَآ أَمْوَٰلُكُمْ وَأَوْلَـٰدُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُۥٓ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ

Taghabun 64: 15   Your wealth and your children are only a trial, whereas Allah! With Him is a great reward (Paradise)

Allahﷻ even called our spouses and children our enemies and said:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَٰجِكُمْ وَأَوْلَـٰدِكُمْ عَدُوًّا لَّكُمْ فَٱحْذَرُوهُمْ وَإِن تَعْفُوا۟ وَتَصْفَحُوا۟ وَتَغْفِرُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Taghabun 64: 14   O you who believe! Verily, among your spouses and your children there are enemies for you (i.e., may stop you from the obedience of Allah), therefore beware of them! But if you pardon (them) and overlook, and forgive (their faults), then verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

All these Ayaat underline the importance of raising pious children who are a credit to their parents and a means of Sadaqa Jaariya for them. If we raise children who are highly successful in this life and the beloved of Allahﷻ, then we have done our job as parents well, and can look forward to the Sadaqa Jaariya of that when our life here ends. The contrary is equally true. Let us ask what we are doing and where our focus and emphasis is, with respect to our children. If we want the best for our children, which every parent does, then let’s ask ourselves if our choices and decisions reflect that. There is no mystery in Islam. We have been told what is good and what is not. The choice is ours and we will pay. Our children are our Sadaqa Jaariya.

In our materialistic orientation we confuse learning a trade or profession with education. As someone put is, “The reality is that if a child can do advanced math, speak 3 languages, and receive top grades, but can’t manage their emotions, practice conflict resolution, or handle stress, none of that other stuff really matters.”

Imam Ghazali in his book, ‘Revival of the Religious Sciences (Ihya `Ulum al-Deen)’, warns against feeding our children Haraam, as it will physically become a part of them as they grow and become permeated into the very fiber of the child. So, eating Halaal is a very critical part of our religion.