God tells us in the Qur’an that the origin of the human story began with the binary—Adam and Eve. God then assigned us nations and tribes in order that we might come to know one another and distinguish ourselves through virtue. Don’t miss this important Qur’anic lesson that Shaykh Hamza focuses on in this week’s Sacred Text Message taken from the 13th verse of the 49th chapter of the Noble Qur’an. Hear how these Qur’anic truths are as relevant today as they were over 1400 years ago.

Part 1: Quran and the Content of Character

In this age of material excess and spiritual privation, grounding ourselves in divine guidance has never been more critical. The Sacred Text Messages podcast with Hamza Yusuf provides an antidote to the modern madness by reconnecting us with God and His Messenger ﷺ . Listen to timeless wisdoms from sacred sources and rediscover Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.

This podcast with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf is a Sandala Media production. http://www.sandala.org

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For many, the new year signifies new beginnings and a chance for a lifestyle reset. For many Muslims, however, there is confusion regarding how we should respond to the modern-day new year greetings and celebrations. In this insightful episode, Shaykh Hamza broadens the discussion with insights from great scholars of the past, such as Imam al-Juwayni, on the importance of time-keeping and calendars. Reflecting on the orderly motions of the sun and the moon allows us to see God's mercy and wisdom in providing us with a means, through these celestial bodies, to measure time and regulate both our worldly and devotional affairs. For the believer, the new year brings opportunities for expressing gratitude to our Creator, sharing our blessings, and doing other good work. In that spirit, can we say, “Happy New Year”? About the Sacred Text Messages podcast: In this age of material excess and spiritual privation, grounding ourselves in divine guidance has never been more critical. The Sacred Text Messages podcast with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf provides an antidote to the modern madness by reconnecting us with God and His Messenger ﷺ. Listen to timeless wisdoms from sacred sources and rediscover Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. Read more about Hamza Yusuf. Visit us online at Sandala.org.

Happy New Year?

The company you keep leads to your success or failure depending upon what type of companionship you choose. Abū Musā al-Ashʿarī narrated a beautiful hadith of the Prophet Muhammad where he likened one's company to either a seller of musk or a blacksmith. The seller of musk will leave you with perfume or a pleasant fragrance, whereas the blacksmith may cause burns and leave you with malodor. Expounding on this important prophetic parable, our scholars identified eight types of people that you can spend time with. Two bestow gifts, and the other six can result in a loss of one's precious time in vain pursuits and vacuous recreation. Tune in and listen to Shaykh Hamza as he discusses the sacred texts that counsel us on the importance of judiciously choosing our company. The Book of Proverbs (13:20-25) Keep company with the wise and you will become wise. If you make friends with stupid people, you will be ruined.Trouble follows sinners everywhere, but righteous people will be rewarded with good things. Good people will have wealth to leave to their grandchildren, but the wealth of sinners will go to the righteous. Unused fields could yield plenty of food for the poor, but unjust people keep them from being farmed.If you don't punish your children, you don't love them. If you do love them, you will correct them. The righteous have enough to eat, but the wicked are always hungry. 
 About the Sacred Text Messages podcast: In this age of material excess and spiritual privation, grounding ourselves in divine guidance has never been more critical. The Sacred Text Messages podcast with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf provides an antidote to the modern madness by reconnecting us with God and His Messenger ﷺ. Listen to timeless wisdoms from sacred sources and rediscover Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. Read more about Hamza Yusuf. Visit us online at Sandala.org.

The Company You Keep Determines the Rewards You Reap

Season 4 of Sacred Text Messages continues with an episode that warns of the Devil's favorite discourse, ghībah (backbiting). Today, the online and social media platforms allow for this discourse to spread like never before and are nearly impossible to erase from the virtual world. God commands us in sura al-Ḥujurāt to avoid mockery, one of the worst forms of backbiting, and He likens ghībah to eating the dead flesh of your brother. Shaykh Hamza expounds on these verses and reminds us that our journey toward virtuous character starts with restraining our tongue. One of our greatest hadith scholars, Imam al-Bukhārī, known for his truthfulness and upright character, would often recite these lines of poetic advice: "Have a vast character with people, and don't be like a dog that growls at the people." Tune in and learn to be aware of that inner "growling dog." About the Sacred Text Messages podcast: In this age of material excess and spiritual privation, grounding ourselves in divine guidance has never been more critical. The Sacred Text Messages podcast with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf provides an antidote to the modern madness by reconnecting us with God and His Messenger ﷺ. Listen to timeless wisdoms from sacred sources and rediscover Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. Read more about Hamza Yusuf. Visit us online at Sandala.org.

Be Aware of the Dog: Imam al-Bukhari’s Advice

One of the most common debate points against Muslims centers around the Qur'an's ten recitations (qirā’āt) that have been codified and preserved by qualified scholars since the time of the Prophet’s companions. Detractors often use the linguistic variations as means to confound Muslims into doubting the immaculate authenticity of God's Book. In this powerful episode, Shaykh Hamza clears the confusion by unequivocally proving that the secret of the Qur'an's pristine preservation lies in God's assertion that it is an oral Book. Slight variations in pronunciation and even some of the words exist, but all the variations have been validated by our scholars and wondrously enhance the meanings—and hence the miracle—of the Qur’an. These sacred words have been preserved in the hearts of men and women since the time of their revelation. The guardian (ḥāfiẓ) of the Qur'an is the one who can not only recite from memory but also write the entire Book from memory. Today, you will find many of these guardians, throughout the world, who can flawlessly write out the muṣḥaf in its exact order. No matter what the devil's minions may try to use to stun the hearts of believers, it is the prophetic defibrillator that stabilizes us in these times of confusion. Tune in, and get a dose of spiritual cardioversion!

In the Prophetic Emergency Room: Treating Variantitis

Sacred Text Messages returns in the blessed month of Rabi' al-Awwal with a profound discussion on a prescient hadith related in Imam al-Bayhaqi's collection: “The Messenger of God ﷺ is reported to have said, ‘The hearts rust, and they rust like iron will rust when exposed to water.' The Companions asked, 'How do we remove that rust?' He ﷺ replied, 'By much remembrance of death and recitation of the Qur’an.'" In modern terminology, rust is commonly referred to as oxidation, a phenomenon that has both physical and spiritual manifestations. Recent health fads have focused on anti-oxidant rich diets and supplements that prevent free radicals wreaking havoc on our vital cells and organs. But what about our spiritual organ, the heart? When we're blind to the corruptive forces on our soul, the oxidative process of the spiritual heart leaves us blind to the prophetic light. Our spiritual doctor, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, left us with an unfailing prescription. Tune in and learn to antioxidize! About the Sacred Text Messages podcast: In this age of material excess and spiritual privation, grounding ourselves in divine guidance has never been more critical. The Sacred Text Messages podcast with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf provides an antidote to the modern madness by reconnecting us with God and His Messenger ﷺ. Listen to timeless wisdoms from sacred sources and rediscover Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. Read more about Hamza Yusuf. Visit us online at Sandala.org.

Part 1: Quran and the Content of Character

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