Auto-generated transcript: As-salamu alaykum. My dear respected brothers, sisters, elders, what is unity? I know all of us talk about it. I can probably say that almost every Muslim, if not every Muslim, if you ask him today anywhere in the world, what is the number one problem of this Ummah, he will say lack… Continue reading What is Unity

A dear friend told me, ‘You have given us an analysis of our situation. I agree. Now give us action points going forward. What must we do?’ So, here is what I believe we must do to take back the reins of our destiny from the hands of those we have given them to. Believe me, we are all in the Game. If you are not playing your own game, you are a player in someone else's game. In the first case, you make the rules, you call the shots, and you win. In the second, you are a pawn and will be sacrificed for the benefit of the owner of the game. You are dispensable, to be used and discarded. Looking at our, Muslim, situation today globally, tell me which scenario looks familiar. Having said that, let me assure you that things are far from hopeless. There is great hope, even certainty of success, but provided we make the right choices. Like any game, it needs preparation, understanding of the situation, a play strategy, flexibility to change, and commitment to the goal at all costs. With that we can win. Without it, get ready for slavery.



If you read history, you will realize that there are forks in the road of destiny of nations. What happens after that fork depends on which branch you choose to walk on. I can give you examples from the history of different nations, but we don’t have time for that here today, so I will suffice to point out that we are standing at a fork in our destiny as the Ummah of Muhammad and our choice will affect our future generations, who will bless us or not for what we did. In the life of every person, man or woman, opens a window when they have the opportunity to make a difference. Once the window shuts our life is over, even if we remain alive because to live is not merely to draw breath. Our window is open now. What we choose to do will be our legacy. Choose wisely because we will be judged by our choice.



The best guidance is the life of Muhammad in which you can clearly see the sense of destiny that he lived with. He took decisions that colored centuries and never allowed exigencies to force him to take short-term or short-sighted decisions. He never sacrificed the principle for immediate gain at the cost of long-term results. For example, he didn’t accept the conversion of the people of Ta’aif when they put the condition that they would pray but not pay Zakat. He ruled that the one who separated Salah from Zakat was not Muslim. This ruling guided Abu Bakr Siddique (R) years later, when he faced the crisis after Rasoolullahﷺ passed away and Abu Bakr (R) was his Khalifa.



When Rasoolullahﷺ came to Madina, there were three things he did first. He started construction of his masjid, he formed the Ummah of Faith, and he formalized the Covenant which laid down the rules of interaction between the different groups who lived in Yathrib. Each of these was a generational project. The masjid was not simply a place to pray but was the epicenter of the community. A place where everything that was a collective need was addressed. Starting with Salah (prayer), which is the most important of all needs; our connection with Allahﷻ. But all collective matters where addressed in the masjid. Al-Masjid An-Nabawi Ash-Shareef was the place for Salah, the ‘Office’ of Rasoolullahﷺ, the Court of Law, the Madrassa, the communication center, the Command Center, even on occasion, a temporary prison. It was the nerve center of the community. If anyone wanted to know what was happening in Madina, they would know if they came to the masjid. The masjid was alive, open, populated and buzzing with activity all day long. The masjid was the place where the Ummah collected as one Ummah and you could feel the Brotherhood of Faith. Today we build Masaajid and give them sectarian names.



The second thing Rasoolullahﷺ did was to form the Ummah Muslima – the Brotherhood of Muslims, where he paired one Muhajir with one Ansari creati...

The Connection Between Taqwa and Tawakkul



Opening



In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, ask His help, ask His forgiveness, and rely on Him. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls and from the evil of our deeds. Whosoever Allah guides, there is no one to misguide him. We bear witness that there is no god but Allah, He is One, and has no partner. We bear witness that Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and His messenger.



A Reminder of Our Mortality



I begin with a personal experience that occurred this morning - a powerful wake-up call. One of my closest friends of nearly fifty years, who lived in Oakwood, Chicago, passed away at 3 AM. I had hoped to meet him after completing my work here, but Allah's decree came first. Let us make dua for him:



Allahumma aflahu wa arhamahu wa aafihi wa afwanahu wa kareem nuzulahu wa wasi muzikallahu wa ghusilhu il ma'i wa saj wa al barat wa naqihi min al qataya kama qayt al thawwil abiyatun min al danas Allahumma adhukilhu fi jannatil firdausil ala bidoon hisab wa a'idhu hu wa a'ifiz hu min adhabi al qabri wa min al naar



Understanding Taqwa



Allah SWT commands us in the Quran:



يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ



"Ya ayyuhalladheena amanu taqullaha haqta tukatih, wa la tamutunna illa wa antum muslimun."



"O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam." [3:102]



What is taqwa? Is it merely fear? The English translation often presents it as "fear Allah as He should be feared." However, taqwa is not simply fear - it is much deeper than that. Fear is a negative emotion; what you fear, you tend to hate. But Allah SWT says about the believers that they love Him ashad (most intensely).



The Relationship Between Love and Taqwa



Taqwa is the fear of disappointing the One whom we love the most. The more we love Allah, the more we fear disobeying Him. This is not out of terror, but out of deep love and respect. This brings us to a crucial question: How can we love someone we don't know?



Knowing Allah SWT



We come to know Allah in two primary ways:



1. Through His Self-Introduction



Allah SWT introduces Himself through:




* Ayatul Kursi



* Suratul Ikhlas



* His Beautiful Names and Attributes




When we reflect on His glory and majesty, our hearts fill with khashiyah (reverent awe).



2. Through Gratitude (Shukr)



We recognize Allah by reflecting on His countless blessings:




* The earth beneath our feet



* The mountains that stabilize



* Our sleep and waking



* Our sustenance



* Our families



* The rain and crops




The Test of Faith



Allah SWT provides a framework in Surah Al-Anfal:



إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُهُ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ



"The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses are recited unto them, they increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord...

The election is over, and America has decided who gets the most powerful job in the country. That is why I thought it is important to put it in perspective.
قُلِ ٱللَّهُمَّ مَـٰلِكَ ٱلْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِى ٱلْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتَنزِعُ ٱلْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَآءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَآءُ بِيَدِكَ ٱلْخَيْرُ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
A’al Imraan 3: 26 Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “O Allahﷻ! Lord over all authorities! You give authority to whoever You please and remove it from who You please; You honor whoever You please and disgrace who You please—all good is in Your Hands. Surely You ˹alone˺ are Most Capable of everything.

The earth belongs to the One who created the earth and everything it contains, the One who owns the heavens and everything that is in them and everything between the two, the One who created and sustains all that we know and all that we don’t know, the One to Whom is our return – He is Allahﷻ and He is the Only One we worship.
وهو الذي يملك الأرض وما فيها، وله ما في السماوات وما بينهما وما في العالمين. الذي خلق ويدبر كل ما نعلم وما لا نعلم، الواحد الأحد. فهو الذي إليه مرجعنا - هو الله - الذي لا نعبده إلا هو.
He introduced Himself and reminded us: Ayatul Kursi/Hashr/Ikhlaas. Someone sent me a TikTok interview where the interviewer asked a senior priest for advice to young priests. He said, ‘Tell them to forget seminary and all their seminary degrees. Tell them to read the Bible and pray a lot. Tell them that unless they develop closeness to God they can’t achieve anything. And the only way to get close to anyone is to spend time with them. So, pray a lot.’ Now, tell me if this applies to us or not in the same away?

So, let us remember the reality and the reality is that Allahﷻ is our Rabb and to Him is our return. As far as we are concerned, only what Allahﷻ wants will happen and if we have Allahﷻ's pleasure on our side, Allahﷻ will keep us safe. This is an opportunity to realign our focus and to repair our Aqeeda and remember that it’s only and only Allahﷻ who can do anything. Our real test is not this or any election. Our real test is when we meet Malakul Mawth. That’s what we need to prepare for. So, we say Alhamdulillah and we turn to Allahﷻ.

Allahﷻ told us the stories of His Anbiya to prove this point that only what Allahﷻ wants to happen, can happen. And that Allahﷻ protects His people wherever they may be in whatever condition, provided they behave like His people. Allahﷻ told us the story of Ibrahim (AS) and all that led to his being thrown into the fire. As he sat in the cup of the trebuchet about to be thrown into the fire, Jibreel (AS) comes to him and asks if he needs any help from him. I can see the smile on his face as he says, ‘Thank you, nothing from you.’ Jibreel (AS) goes to Allahﷻ and reports his conversation (which Allahﷻ already knows) and begs for His help. Allahﷻ says, ‘Tell him that I sent you and that I want to know what he wants from me.’ Ibrahim (AS) replies, ‘My Rabb doesn’t need to ask. I want whatever He wants.’ This conversation is my imagination based on the Hadith, but it shows the essence of the state of the Muslim. Ibrahim (AS) said this because he had said before this something that His Rabb told us about.
إِذْ قَالَ لَهُۥ رَبُّهُۥٓ أَسْلِمْ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
Baqara 2: 131 When his Rabb ordered him, “Submit ˹to My Will˺,” he responded, “I submit to the Rabb of all worlds.”

This is the position, the stance, the status of the Muslim. I have submitted. Not I will submit. I have submitted. When the Muslim submits, Allahﷻ takes direct charge of his affairs. Allahﷻ ordered:
قُلْنَا يَـٰنَارُ كُونِى بَرْدًا وَسَلَـٰمًا عَلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ
Anbiya 21: 69 We ordered, “O fire! Be cool and safe for Ibrahim!”
No intermediaries. No Jibreel (AS). Nobody. Allahﷻ orders, ‘O fire! Become cool and safe for Ibrahim.

We must define ourselves in life because all our attitudes and actions, what gives us meaning, depends on who we are. Allahﷻ made the laws that run this universe, including our world. They include the laws of physics which we call natural laws, but those are not the only ones. There are others, equally powerful, non-negotiable and inescapable, that govern and determine the success, influence, and happiness of human life. Those who learn those laws and operate according to them, can have as much success, influence and happiness as they wish.

Are we Spectators or Players? The difference is skin in the game. Spectators can watch, scream encouragement or abuse, wear T-shirts and caps, and discuss the game, but they have no impact on the outcome. They don’t decide who wins or loses the game, because they have no skin in the game. They don’t bleed for the cause. They don’t invest time, money, sweat and tears to help their side win. They just scream from the stands. That is our situation today. We don’t want to invest. We don’t want to bear inconvenience. We don’t want to stand in the street in rain or sunshine to make our voices heard. We want someone else to do it for us. We want someone else to lose their job, get doxed, get brutalized by the police, even go to jail for our cause. But we don’t even want to be seen with them. Yet we want our cause to win. Well, all I can say to you is, ‘Good luck’. Because you are going to need a lot of it. Allahﷻ created a world of cause and effect. Those who benefit from a rise in share price are shareholders in that firm. Not those who read the Financial Times but have no money in the firm. Invest in yourself, in your family and in your society if you want influence.

If you want power, start contributing. It is like a tweet by someone against BDS and the boycott campaign. It said, “I want to boycott everything made by Muslims. Can someone please send out a list?” Remember, we came to give. Not to take. Our teacher taught us, and we were supposed to teach the world. But we forgot the teacher and his teachings and started learning from others. We didn’t even have the sense to ask, ‘Who am I learning from? What is his interest in me? Why would he teach me anything to benefit me?’

In the life of every man and woman comes a time when a window opens, and they have a unique opportunity to make an impact and influence others. To succeed we need to anticipate, prepare for the opening and act with courage when our window opens. Our window is open now. Once the window is shut, our life is over, even if we remain alive. To live is not merely to draw breath. That’s to survive. To live is to create a legacy of honor.

We hear two statements from well-meaning but confused people regarding politics. ‘I am not interested in politics’ and ‘Politics is dirty.’ Well, guess what? As someone said, ‘You may not be interested in politics, but politics is interested in you.’ It is like a deer saying, ‘I am not interested in the wolf.’ If the deer wants to survive and thrive, there is only one way; get interested in the wolf to influence him in its favor. That is what we must do with politics. Become interested, contribute, participate and become influential. As for politics being dirty, that is true as a description of the current state. But that doesn't mean that it must necessarily remain that way.

Anything dirty remains dirty for one reason only and that is because those affected by the dirt choose to remain with the dirt. If those affected by dirty politics do what they do when they encounter dirt in anything else, the dirt will go the same way. So, let us complete that statement, ‘Politics is dirty’ and add, ‘but we are going to clean it.’ Believe me, it will happen. It is waiting to be cleaned. That cleaning can’t happen without us getting our hands dirty. But once we start washing, both the fabric of politics and our hands, will become clean.

We are living through difficult times. Some of us are directly in difficulty. Others are watching difficult things happen to those they love. To truly understand hardship and relief, we must understand the source of both and that is Allahﷻ. Who is Allahﷻ and what does He want for us? Nobody can introduce Allahﷻ better than He introduced Himself. He said:



Baqara 2: 255   Allah! There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him, the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining. Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belong whatever is in the heavens and whatever is the earth. Who could possibly intercede with Him without His permission? He ˹fully˺ knows what is ahead of them and what is behind them, but no one can grasp any of His knowledge—except what He wills ˹to reveal˺. His Seat encompasses the heavens and the earth, and the preservation of both does not tire Him. For He is the Most High, the Greatest.



Hashr 59: 22-24   He is Allah—there is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him: Knower of the seen and unseen. He is the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful. He is Allah—there is no god except Him: the King, the Most Holy, the All-Perfect, the Source of Serenity, the Watcher ˹of all˺, the Almighty, the Supreme in Might, the Majestic. Glorified is Allah far above what they associate with Him ˹in worship˺! He is Allah: the Creator, the Inventor, the Shaper. He ˹alone˺ has the Most Beautiful Names. Whatever is in the heavens and the earth ˹constantly˺ glorifies Him. And He is the Almighty, All-Wise.



Ikhlaas 112: 1-4   Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “He is Allah—One ˹and Indivisible˺; Allah—the Sustainer ˹needed by all˺. He has never had offspring, nor was He born. (And there is none comparable to Him.”)



About what He wants for us, He said in the Ayaat related to fasting:




يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُمُ ٱلْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ ٱلْعُسْرَ




Baqara 2:185   Allah intends ease for you, not hardship,



So, why then are there trails and hardships in life? To understand this, we must understand that in life, appearance is deceptive. Many times, behind the apparently negative, great positivity is hidden. We know that one of the most severe if not the most severe pain that a human being can suffer is the pain of childbirth. Why then do women have children? Not only have them, but want them, pray to have them and go to all sorts of lengths for children? Because when the mother holds her baby in her arms, she forgets the pain.



The Qur’an tell us story after story of the Anbiya (Prophets) who faced not just hardships but each apparently total and terminal yet were victorious. Only when you know the whole story can you see the pattern and sequence, where the hardship and danger were signs that Allahﷻ was in control and that whatever was happening was according to His plan. Allahﷻ told us the story of Yusuf (AS) in the well and slavery and jail. Ibrahim (AS) in the catapult, Rasoolullahﷺ in Ta'aif, Musa (AS) between the sea and Pharaoh's army and others. And we know how each of those stories ended.



The Qur’an tells us stories not for entertainment or history lessons, but as a means of interpreting the events of our own lives. So, let us see today's scenes of apparent difficulties and disasters in this light. We're influenced by the apparent and the immediate and don't remember that it's part of a sequence. It's like the electrician cleaning the copper wire and rubbing it and scraping it so that current can flow through it properly. It's the pain of weightlifting, or hard aerobic exercise but without that a good looking and functioning body is impossible. The lesson is that no matter what the difficulty, no matter what the apparent loss, if it takes me to Jannah,

Living is about making choices- the choice to be a ‘victim’ of circumstances or to do something about circumstances and be their ‘master’. We are free to choose – to be ‘victims’ or ‘masters’ – but the choices have different payoffs. Both stances are subject to the same givens of society, environment, organization etc. But have very different implications in terms of our development and happiness. ‘Victims’ complain about adversity, think of excuses, blame others, lose hope and perish. ‘Victims’ can be individuals, groups, communities or nations. The ‘victim stance’ is the same – complain and blame others. ‘Victims’ search for scapegoats; for someone to blame. They invent conspiracy theories. They have a ‘siege’ mentality, complaining that the only reason they are in a mess is because everyone in the world is out to get them. They don’t stop to think that no matter who they blame, their problems still exist and that it is they and not whoever they blame, that is suffering. Problems need solutions. Not scapegoats. These are the chains in the mind, which must be broken if we want to progress.



‘Masters’ on the other hand are people who when faced with difficulty and adversity, first look at themselves to see how and why they came to be in that situation, own their responsibility and then look for solutions to resolve that situation. They have the courage to try new ways and so they win even if they fail. “Masters’ recognize that whatever happens to them is at least in part, if not wholly, a result of the choices that they made, consciously or unconsciously. The result of what they chose to do or chose not to do. Consequently, if we recognize that we created the problem, then it follows logically that we can also create its solution. A ‘master’ never says, ‘I can’t’.  She/he says, ‘I haven’t found a solution yet!’ – and in that, is a world of difference.  The key question to ask therefore is, ‘What do I need to do to be a ‘Master’? What is the investment that I need to succeed? Free fall and flight feel the same in the beginning. But it is the end which spells the difference between life and death. One lands safely. The other crashes and burns. Ignoring the law of aerodynamics does not change the law or its result.



Take the story of Yusuf (AS) which has a political angle to it which is almost never mentioned. Let me delve into that for a bit. His story is about how to live in a society with norms and values totally foreign and even antagonistic to your own, but to become hugely influential without changing your own ethics and values in any way. Yusuf (AS) went from being a slave and a prisoner, to becoming the Prime Minister in the government of the Pharoah Sesostris I of Egypt. Sesostris I, was the ruler of Egypt when Yusuf (AS) was sold as a slave in about 1681 B.C. He decided to appoint Yusuf (AS) as the vizier to superintend the gathering of the grain during the seven years of plenty and gave him extraordinary powers to do it. ‘You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.’ (Gen. 41:40). The point that I want to make is that when Yusuf (AS) gained his freedom, he didn’t leave Egypt and return to Shaam, where he had come from but offered his services to the king of Egypt despite the differences in their beliefs. As a result he was able to change the lives of his family and his people who came to live in Egypt. He could do this for one reason alone: contribution. He showed the Pharaoh how he could be critically useful to Egypt. The result was massive power. Power comes with territory. Contribution defines territory. You want power, contribute. As much as you contribute, will you become powerful.



As of the last data available, Muslim representation in the USA is less than 2%. This small percentage means that,

When you study the Seerah, ask yourself what the fundamental nature of the message of Rasoolullahﷺ was, which resulted in such overwhelming opposition to begin with and then total transformation of society. In my study of the Seerah, and I have written two books on this, the reason for the extent and severity of opposition was that the Quraysh realized what would happen if people accepted his message. The opposition was not to the theological content of the message but to the political change that it would create. The message of Islam is and was a call to total societal change. A change of the bases of social and political action and norms. Therefore, a change of social and political hierarchies and power structures. Islam is about action. Not about talking.



Power comes with territory. Contribution defines territory. The world respects and listens to contributors and uses consumers. When Muslims slipped from being net contributors to consumers, they became a commodity to be used. Which brings us to our present state, where despite being one in four, we are like foam on the flood. Without weight or value, to be ignored, exploited, and discarded at will. Allahﷻ said that He sent us for the benefit of people to teach them how to live a life of virtue and goodness, compassion, and justice. Allahﷻ’s book is witness. Allahﷻ declared:




كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ




A’al Imraan 3: 110    You are the best community ever raised for humanity—you encourage good, forbid evil, and believe in Allah.



Remember you can only change what you own. You can live in a rented house and complain until you die about all that is wrong with that house and what needs to be done. You will be totally right but totally helpless because you don’t own the house. Same thing with the society you live in. Until you start thinking of it as your society, you can’t change anything. Here’s a self-test. Ask, how many people complain about the political system in this country? Then ask how many of them register and go to vote? Ask, how many complain about schools? Then ask how many stand for elections to school boards? Ask, how many complain about local administration? Then ask how many volunteer on committees? How many volunteer to work in the Fire Service and the Police? Ask, how many complain about Muslim refugee children coming here through Christian and Jewish Refugee Assistance programs which are State funded and then going into non-Muslim foster homes? Then ask why there is no Muslim Family Service organization and why Muslims don’t volunteer as foster parents?



Those who seriously want change, don’t blame others, but ask themselves, ‘What can I do?’ That is what Islam teaches us. To do something. Not to simply complain. Problems need solutions, not complaints. In the life of every man and woman comes a time when a window opens, and they have a unique opportunity to make an impact. To succeed we need to anticipate, prepare and act with courage. Our window is open now. When the window shuts, our life is over, even if we remain alive. Because to live is not merely to draw breath but to leave behind a legacy of honor.



For Muslim society, to use TA terminology, the Parent-Child Ego state was (and is) the preferred state of being and all attempts to develop the Adult Ego state are repressed. It creates in us a tendency to blame others for our situation, be it local or global. Listen to our conversations and you will almost never hear statements owning responsibility for our problems. The rule of life is that only owners can change what they own. If you don’t own it, you can’t change it. So, if we don’t take ownership of our problems,

Charity is a zero-sum game because we see charity as giving. All giving is to lose something. When you give, you are saying that you didn’t receive anything in return. That is why if you give $1000 in charity, you say, “I gave $1000.” But when you buy Tesla shares for $1000 you don’t say, “I gave Elon Musk or Wall Street or NASDAC or whatever, $1000.” You say, “I invested $1000 in Tesla.” That’s because you expect a return on your investment. You didn’t GIVE. You INVESTED. Anything that you expect a return on is an investment, not charity. Therefore, what do we say about spending in the path of Allahﷻ? Ask, because this is real retirement planning.



Allahﷻ created us for a purpose and told us what that purpose is. He said:




وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِمَآ أُرِيدُ مِنْهُم مِّن رِّزْقٍ وَمَآ أُرِيدُ أَن يُطْعِمُونِإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلرَّزَّاقُ ذُو ٱلْقُوَّةِ ٱلْمَتِينُ




Zariyaat 51: 58   I did not create jinn and humans except to worship Me. I seek no provision from them, nor do I need them to feed Me. Indeed, Allah ˹alone˺ is the Supreme Provider—Owner of all Power, Ever Mighty.



Allahﷻ commanded us to rush to the prayer and leave our work for this. After the prayer, He permitted us to search for sustenance. Not before. Not instead of. But AFTER completing the prayer. Command to leave everything and rush to pray. And after that, permission to search. Permission implies that what we have been permitted to search for is already there.




يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا نُودِىَ لِلصَّلَوٰةِ مِن يَوْمِ ٱلْجُمُعَةِ فَٱسْعَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ وَذَرُوا۟ ٱلْبَيْعَ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَفَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةُ فَٱنتَشِرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ




Jumu'a 62:9-10   O believers! When the call to prayer is made on Friday, then proceed ˹diligently˺ to the remembrance of Allah and leave ˹your˺ business. That is best for you, if only you knew. Once the prayer is over, disperse throughout the land and seek the bounty of Allah. And remember Allah often so you may be successful.



The command to leave ٱلْبَيْعَ - selling (where you see profit) is not restricted to the Friday prayer but applies to all prayers. Allahﷻ did not use the word شراء (buying) which is also part of business but (sale) باع and ordered us to leave that for prayer - the implication is to leave something which is profitable for something else in which there is much more profit.



Allahﷻ told us to search for sustenance, not to create it. If we are alive our sustenance has already been created but we have the choice of getting it from a Halal source or a Haraam source, which is an open book test because we have also been told the consequences of getting it from either of the sources. If we pick the right source, not only will our investment be protected but we will be rewarded for making that choice. But if we fall into the trap of Shaytaan and choose from the wrong place, then not only will we lose everything, but we may also be punished for choosing the wrong way when the correct way had already been shown to us. That is why the example of the bird in the nest which searches for its sustenance. It doesn't make its food. It searches for what Allahﷻ has already provided and finds it.  



Allahﷻ ordered us to spend in charity more than 66 times in the Qur’an but did not ask us to accumulate wealth or to save for a 'rainy day', even once. That is because He is the Provider and we trust Him and rely on Him, and not on our effort, our smarts or accumulated wealth. This is not a prohibition on saving or earning.

Driving transformational change is the most difficult of tasks, but the most rewarding. If we take the two Ahadith that are quoted on this subject, in one Rasoolullahﷺ said: وَإِنَّمَا بُعِثْتُ مُعَلِّمًا and in the other: بُعِثْتُ لِأُتَمِّمَ حُسْنَ الْأَخْلَاقِ



We can say from these two that he was sent as a teacher to transform society. Allahﷻ called the teacher – Rasoolullahﷺ His blessing on the people. We write books to be read. Allahﷻ’s Book came to be taught. Not simply to be read and understood according to the capacity of the reader. The Book was sent to the teacher. The teacher to the people, to teach them to live the Book.




تَبَارَكَ ٱلَّذِى نَزَّلَ ٱلْفُرْقَانَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِۦ لِيَكُونَ لِلْعَـٰلَمِينَ نَذِيرًا




Furqan 25: 1   Blessed is the One Who sent down the Standard to His servant, so that he may be a warner to the whole world.



Which explains the role and critical importance of the teacher as the medium between the message and the recipient...it was a verbal message. Without the Messengerﷺ we cannot understand the message. There is no Sahabi on record who claimed to understand the Qur’an on his own without the agency of Rasoolullahﷺ. For example, Aboo Bakr (RA) one time said, "What earth would give me place to live and what sky would shade me if I should speak about the Qur’an with my opinion or by something I do not know." `Umar ibn al Khattaab (RA), also said, "Beware of using your opinion in religious matters." Ibn `Abbaas (RA), the one who Rasoolullahﷺ  made dua, for him to understand the Qur’an, to get the understanding of the Deen, and to be given by Allahﷻ the Ta’weel or the understanding of the Qur’an, he also said, "All that there is to follow and obey is the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messengerﷺ. Whoever makes any statement after these two according to his opinion, then I do not know if you'll find it among his good deeds or among his sins."  This is the style of Ibn `Abbaas (RA), meaning that even if what you did looks like something good, you will find it among your sins.



This humility and turning to the teacher with humbleness are fundamental conditions of learning. That is why Allahﷻ gave Rasoolullahﷺ four related tasks which are a Teacher’s Checklist. Tilawatil Qur’an, Tazkiyyatun Nafs, Taaleem ul Quran, Hikma. Inform, Purify, Explain, Wisdom. This is the key to teaching anything. WHAT > PREPARE > HOW > WHY.



That is why in our tradition of scholarship whenever any scholar is mentioned, they don’t ask how many followers he/she has but who their teachers are. Followers, especially in today’s world of virtual followers, mean nothing and add no value to you. On the contrary, popularity is a big test of Ikhlaas and a slide into Ar-Riya (Shirk) for the unwary, when the person starts believing what people say about him. That is why I advise myself to look in the mirror. It is teachers who add real value. A person without teachers in Deen remains ignorant. The teacher is critical to learning. That is how the Sahaba are distinguished, and recognized and blessed because of their teacher, Rasoolullahﷺ and not vice versa.



We recognize the importance of the teacher in all bodies of knowledge that impact lives. Nobody becomes a pilot or surgeon or physician by reading books on aerodynamics or surgery, pharmacology or physiology. Reading is important but to qualify, the student must practice under the guidance of a teacher until the teacher is satisfied. Not the student. But when it comes to sacred knowledge that impacts not only the life of this world but much more importantly, the Aakhira, we imagine that reading some books, watching some videos, some pseudo-intellectual discussion, we have become experts and set ourselves up as teachers.

There are two ways to guide anyone. One is to give them a map and leave it to them to follow it. The other is to send a guide with the map, who teaches them how to read the map and guides them on the right path, course correcting as necessary, so that they can never be lost. In corporate consulting, we recommend a course of action and then run a pilot program as Proof of Concept to demonstrate the benefits of following our recommendation. That not only builds credibility in the new way but also prevents costly mistakes from being made. Allahﷻ chose that method, when He decided to give the world a new way of life for the last time.



That is why Allahﷻ taught us to make dua for guidance to the Path – Siratal Mustaqeem and not to the destination, Jannah. The Path of those who He blessed and not those who incurred His anger or became misguided. That is the dua we make at least 17 times a day when we recite Sura Al Fatiha in every Salah – Ihdinas Siratal Mustaqeem. Allahﷻ accepted this dua and said:




هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُۥ بِٱلْهُدَىٰ وَدِينِ ٱلْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلدِّينِ كُلِّهِۦ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ شَهِيدًا




Fath 48:28    He is the One Who has sent His Messenger with ˹right˺ guidance and the religion of truth, making it prevail over all others. And sufficient is Allah as a Witness.



The question to ask is, ‘Allahﷻ accepted my dua and sent His Messengerﷺ. But am I following him or someone else?’ Let us ask before we’re asked.



Allahﷻ not only accepted our dua but He also told us what the result of following His Messengerﷺ would be. The way of Muhammadﷺ, Islam would become the most preferred and prevalent way of life on earth. Today we wonder at how certain negative and harmful lifestyles and choices have become so prevalent and powerful when just a few years ago they were despised and kept hidden. That is the power of living your choice with confidence. No matter what it is, if you do it with confidence, the world will follow you. If this is possible with negative things, how much more with positive ones. But when the ignorant are confident and the knowledgeable are diffident and apologetic, ignorance will prevail. Remember that when the truth must be spoken, silence is culpable. Rasoolullahﷺ and all those who followed him in excellence demonstrated this and will be our witnesses.



Everything we have in this world, from the air we breathe, produced by trees we cut, to gravity which cancels the centrifugal force of the spinning of the earth and saves us from flying off into space; to water which came from outer space and is the most ancient substance on earth, essential to survival of all living things, locked into a perpetual cycle of self-purification and renewal; to the Northern Lights, evidence of the shield that Allahﷻ placed to protect us from solar flares, a single one of which would be enough to reduce us and our arrogance to ash. From love in the heart, to courage, to Imaan which makes those who have lost limbs and families in Gaza, ask questions related to the Fiqh of Wudhu and the permissibility of adopting an orphan who not only doesn’t have parents, but who has nobody in the world. From the food we eat to our health and wealth, families and friends, power and authority, to happiness and the equanimity to face grief. For Tahajjud and His descent to the lowest heaven and offer to accept our dua, and even more for the Tawfeeq to get up and pray and ask Him to forgive us. And most of all for His Mercy and Forgiveness, His Generosity and Grace, His Glory and Majesty and the faculty to recognize it as such and fall in Sujood and say, SubhanAllah and Allahu Akbar instead of saying, WOW or OMG. Every single one of them, all that I mentioned and all those I cannot possibly mention, or even count,

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلَـٰٓئِكَتَهُۥ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِىِّ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ صَلُّوا۟ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا۟ تَسْلِيمًا




Ahzab 33: 56   Indeed, Allah showers His blessings upon the Prophet, and His angels pray for him. O believers! Invoke Allah’s blessings upon him and salute him with worthy greetings of peace.



He is the one who Allahﷻ praised and blessed and the Malaika send blessings upon him. And Allahﷻ ordered all Muslims until the end of time to do the same. What can be more honorable than that? Allahﷻ promised:




وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمْ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ




Anfaal 8: 33   But Allah would never punish them while you ˹O Prophet˺ were in their midst. Nor would He ever punish them if they prayed for forgiveness.



To have Rasoolullahﷺ with us means to follow him. Remember that even when he was physically present, his Companions were only those who believed in him and followed him. Not those who were physically in his presence but didn’t believe in him. Not even those who believed him but didn’t follow him. Allahﷻ reiterated the position of Rasoolullahﷺ and said:




لَقَدْ مَنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ يَتْلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا۟ مِن قَبْلُ لَفِى ضَلَـٰلٍ مُّبِينٍ




A’al Imraan 3: 164   Indeed, Allah has done the believers a ˹great˺ favour by raising a messenger from among them—reciting to them His revelations, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and wisdom. For indeed they had previously been clearly astray.



We ask Allahﷻ to navigate us to Jannah at least 17 times a day. Allahﷻ granted our dua and gave us Rasoolullahﷺ and told us to follow his way. But then do we follow that direction or some other. That direction is called Sunnah. We asked for it. Allahﷻ gave it. Let us not get deceived by anyone or anything and leave the Sunnah because that is the only way to Jannah. Allahﷻ told us that the life of this world is deception. The truth, reality, hides behind what is apparent. That is what we must see. Allahﷻ warned us that the life of this world is deception. So, we must question everything we see or experience and understand its reality. That is why we have the dua asking Allahﷻ to show us the reality behind things.




 اَللّٰهُمَّ اَرِنَا الْحَقَّ حَقًّا وَّ ارْزُقْنَا اتِّبَاعَهٗ وَ اَرِنَا الْبَاطِلَ بَاطِلًا وَّ ارْزُقْنَا اجْتِنَابَهٗ




O Allah! show us the truth as true and inspire us to follow it. Show us falsehood as falsehood and inspire us to abstain from it.



Allahﷻ in His Infinite Mercy didn’t leave us guessing and inventing our own ways to deal with the Matrix – the Ultimate Deception. He sent a guide and an entire pilot program as proof of concept that Islam works in all times. That is why Allahﷻ caused the Sunnah to be preserved with such integrity. We owe a debt of gratitude to all those who through the ages, starting from the Sahaba, preserved the minutest details of the life, ways, teachings, likes, and dislikes of Rasoolullahﷺ for the benefit of all, to learn and follow.



This gave rise to an entire body of knowledge, Ilm-ur-Rijaal, that has no parallel. There is no history that has been preserved with such rigor and passion. May Allahﷻ enable us to benefit from the treasure of the life of Rasoolullahﷺ which He blessed us with. That is why Allahﷻ declared that he is the best example to follow in all aspects of life.

To reach a goal, we must have a goal. That seems self-evident but just see if you have a written down lifegoal. If you don’t, then ask yourself what you are working and living for? Just to eat, drink, satisfy desires and die, is what animals do. To live for a purpose is not what most humans do, but what all humans are supposed to do. The truth is that for most humans, there is little to distinguish them from other mammals other than that they are the only ones who wear pants and show their teeth when they are happy. So, please invest some time in yourself and write down a lifegoal that excites and energizes you. Something you believe is worth dedicating your life to. That is where the rest of your life will begin. Either live by default. Or live purposefully. The choice is yours. The result will be yours. Choose wisely. Because to live is not merely to draw breath. They say, ‘You only live once.’ That is not true. You live every day. So, live deliberately and consciously. Live for a purpose. Live to please Allahﷻ. Live to leave a legacy of honor.



For the second piece of the puzzle, Allahﷻ defined parameters of success.




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   Every soul will taste death. And you will only receive your full reward on the Day of Judgment. Whoever is spared from the Fire and is admitted into Jannah will ˹indeed˺ triumph, whereas the life of this world is no more than the delusion of enjoyment.



Nothing can be clearer than this. Allahﷻ mentioned three things:




* Everyone will die and be called to account and rewarded or punished.



* Success means to be protected from punishment and be granted Jannah.



* The life of this world is deception.




Let us begin with the first statement of Allahﷻ - Every soul will taste death. Ask, ‘Does this apply to me? When will it happen for me?’ Sounds like a dumb question, but believe me, it is the most important question you will ever answer. And once you answer it, your life ahead will be crystal clear. If I truly believe in the core of my being, not just intellectually, that I can die at any time and will have to answer to Allahﷻ, then I will remember that, at every decision point and will never do anything that I know, displeases Him. Let us remember that when we stand before Allahﷻ, it is our bodies which will speak and bear witness for or against us. Allahﷻ said:




ٱلْيَوْمَ نَخْتِمُ عَلَىٰٓ أَفْوَٰهِهِمْ وَتُكَلِّمُنَآ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَتَشْهَدُ أَرْجُلُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ




Ya Seen 36: 65  On this Day We will seal their mouths, their hands will speak to Us, and their feet will testify to what they used to commit.



Look at your right hand and imagine it speaking. What is it saying? Then do the same with your left hand, your right and left feet, your eyes, ears, skin. If they are all saying good things, Alhamdulillah. But if not, the time to change that is now. Allahﷻ gave us Istighfaar and Tawba until the end. But when that end comes, the door will be shut. Let us not wait until then.



See the mercy of Allahﷻ. He said about repentance and returning to Him:




إِن تَجْتَنِبُوا۟ كَبَآئِرَ مَا تُنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ نُكَفِّرْ عَنكُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ وَنُدْخِلْكُم مُّدْخَلًا كَرِيمًا




Nisa 4: 31   If you avoid the major sins forbidden to you, We will absolve you of your ˹lesser˺ misdeeds and admit you into a place of honor.

Perspective is the ability to hold two pictures simultaneously in your mind – where you are and where you want to be. Without this, it is impossible to give any directions. Physically, mentally or spiritually, we need awareness of where we are and where we need to be, to be able to chart out a roadmap for development. Only with perspective can we say what investment we need to make to reach our chosen destination. That is why we need the three skills I mentioned in my last Khutba: Reflection, Introspection, and Abstract Conceptualization. These are critical life skills which must be learned. All of them need an attention span longer than that of a monkey or goldfish, which is the average duration of TikTok and YouTube Shorts. So, either pick the most successful goldfish or monkey you know as your role model or develop the ability to focus attention on worthwhile goals long enough to achieve them. It is our life. It is our call. Because it is our Aakhira.



Our species, Homo-sapiens have been on earth for about 300,000 years but when did civilization begin? In a 2020 article in Forbes, Remy Blumenfeld writes, “Years ago, the anthropologist Margaret Mead was asked by a student what she considered to be the first sign of civilization in a culture. The student expected Mead to talk about clay pots, tools for hunting, grinding stones, or religious artifacts. But no. Mead said that the first evidence of civilization was a 15,000-year-old healed fractured femur at an archaeological site. The femur is the longest bone in the body and connects the knee to the hip. In the wild a broken femur is a sure death sentence.



A broken femur that healed is evidence that someone had taken time to stay with the one who fell, bound up the wound, carried the person to safety and tended the person through recovery. Helping someone else through difficulty is where civilization starts.” Looking at our current state of what we like to call ‘civilization’, where we have not only legitimized but sanctified fulfilling of personal desires, and where the highest ROI is in endless war and human life and suffering has no value at all, I wonder what Margaret Mead would have said. If caring for someone is the mark of civilization, what would you call the deliberate annihilation of people?



Passing over centuries like you would pass over days we come to about 5000 years ago when we find the first writing, Mesopotamian cuneiform script, invented in Sumer, present-day Iraq, c. 3200 BCE, and can be traced to the present-day alphabet. Writing is crucial because that is what distinguishes us from animals and enables us to build on the work of previous generations. All creatures have languages, they communicate, they have life experiences, they remember some of them for a long time, even teach some of them to their offspring, but none of them have the critical tool to transcend the time and generational barrier so that their experience can be recalled, relived and learned from. That tool is writing. In the 300,000 years that our species have existed on earth we only know what happened to them from about 5000 years ago. That is why reading is so important. When we read, we see that all success has been the result of collaboration and mutual consideration.



Our modern society here in America and all over the world, however, is primarily based on individualism. In the words of one of my dear friends, “Individualism as a philosophy draws from all corners of the lower nafs. It is hedonistic, myopic, egoistic, arrogant, selfish, self-preserving all masquerading as positive elements for “self-realization”. Human society is built on cooperative control of individuals for the greater good. No wonder that the social order has unraveled within a couple of generations since the idea went mainstream.”

We are living the parable of the boiled frog. That is why we must get ourselves educated – not merely trained to make a living. Just ask yourself which books you have read in the past one year and you have the answer. Without reading and skills of reflective observation, introspection and abstract conceptualization you are totally open to being manipulated to believe and act the way those in power want you to act. Only real education can save us from being mentally enslaved and manipulated by the puppet masters for their benefit. There are two things that distinguish the enslaved from the free. The willingness to take responsibility for oneself and to focus on contribution and not consumption. In one word – Participation. Rasoolullahﷺ mentioned this in the Hadith where he defined the Ummah.



Al-Nu’man ibn Bashir (RA) reported: Rasoolullahﷺ said, “The example of the believers in their affection, mercy, and compassion for each other is that of a body. When any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever.” [Muttafaqun Alaihi, Bukhari, Muslim]



We Muslims as an Ummah counting backwards from post WW2 nation states to the Khilafa Rashida which was our first experience of statehood for Muslims, have lived in Empire in one form or another. One ruler with absolute power. People must obey. No participation in decision making. Change of leadership, almost always violently. Fratricide was the norm and declared legal by Suleiman Al Qanooni. Yet another reason to study history.



Our history is the history of conquest and its economics – though actual conquests stopped over 300 years ago but the hangover remains. Our Muslim country economics has gone the same way – we have replaced state income from spoils of war to oil revenues. Local people never had to produce or show enterprise. They were on the dole and remain that way. Our wealthy countries are bank accounts, not economies. We compete in building structures, not minds. Ask how many of our speakers talk about conquests, wars, bravery, and how many about social work, industry, creating products or services? We live in the past, as if the present doesn’t exist.



I believe that we must wake up and get out of our Empire mindset and realize that it was a glorious phase in our history, but it is over. Today we must draw inspiration from the use of knowledge, technology, systems and markets. We must learn a whole new set of skills and contribute in new ways to be viewed as productive and contributing members of society. Power and influence are derivatives of contribution, not consumption. We must actively learn from our great history by interpreting it in the modern context. It is not about regression but about progress standing on the shoulders of giants.



I submit to you that most of what is happening to us today is because of our isolationist, myopic, and insular attitudes. We live as if there is nobody else in the world. Let me give you some metrics. Ask: How many of us greet people first and how many ask for a Fatwa about whether it is permissible to say wa alaikum salam to a non-Muslim who greeted you with Salam? How many of us speak the language of the country fluently enough to be able to represent ourselves in public fora? How many of us sit on school and other boards, and are in local government? How many of us volunteer in public programs for different social causes? How many of us volunteer in protests against different social evils like drugs, racism, gun violence, global warming, wars and nuclear weapons? How many of us participated in Black Lives Matter marches? How many of us participated even in the pro-Palestine protests and how many debated whether it is Halaal or Haraam to protest? How many of us vote and how many debate about voting? How many of us have local people as friends?

Islam is the name of the relationship between our Creator, Allahﷻ and us. The Kalima Shahada is an affirmation of that relationship and the one who accepts it is a Muslim. To accept this relationship means to believe it in your heart, state that with your tongue, and act upon it with your limbs. That is the definition of Iman – Faith. Not merely to know, but to believe and submit our will and obey. That’s why the first and foremost demonstration of that is Salah which is evidence of our Iman. That is also why the first question that we will be asked in the grave will be: Who is your Rabb? The angels will not ask who the Rabb of the Universe is. They will ask, ‘Who is YOUR Rabb?’ Did we accept Allahﷻ Rabbul A'alameen as our Rabb? Rabbi Allahﷻ.



Allahﷻ mentioned a differentiating characteristic of the Believers and said:




وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِّلَّهِ




Baqara 2: 165   But the Believers love Allahﷻ with great intensity



The question is, can you love someone you don’t know? But how can we know Allahﷻ when we can’t see Him? We know Allahﷻ by reflecting on His bounties. Allahﷻ indicated this connection with gratitude in Al Fatiha




ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ




Fatiha 1: 2   All praise and thanks are for Allah—Rabb of all worlds



The very first thing that we must thank Allahﷻ for is for introducing Himself to us, for honoring us with His Word, for honoring us with His Messengerﷺ and for honoring us with guidance to Himself and Jannah.



The biggest need of humankind is not money or political or military power or anything else but guidance to the way of justice, compassion, charity, concern for one another and when we die, Jannah. That is why Allahﷻ sent all His Messengers and Prophets who were the best of all human beings with the greatest of all gifts – guidance to the path of steadfastness. That is why Allahﷻ taught us to ask for guidance 17 times every day in Sura Al Fatiha. This is what we must thank Allahﷻ for, above all else. For guidance to Him. Sadly, for many of us, we take blessings for granted and do not express gratitude for them and spend our time complaining about any hardship that comes our way. Allahﷻ reminded us always to have an attitude of gratitude.




وَءَاتَىٰكُم مِّن كُلِّ مَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُ وَإِن تَعُدُّوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَآ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَظَلُومٌ كَفَّارٌ




Ibrahim 14: 34    And He has granted you all that you asked Him for. If you tried to count Allah’s blessings, you would never be able to number them. Indeed, humankind is truly unfair, ˹totally˺ ungrateful.



The Qur’an encourages us to reflect on the creation and learn to see the Glory and Magnificence of Allahﷻ reflected in it and to thank and glorify His praise. This produces joy in the heart that is unequalled and unsurpassed.




قُل لَّوْ كَانَ ٱلْبَحْرُ مِدَادًا لِّكَلِمَـٰتِ رَبِّى لَنَفِدَ ٱلْبَحْرُ قَبْلَ أَن تَنفَدَ كَلِمَـٰتُ رَبِّى وَلَوْ جِئْنَا بِمِثْلِهِۦ مَدَدًا




Kahf 18: 109    Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “If the ocean were ink for ˹writing˺ the Words of my Rabb, it would certainly run out before the Words of my Rabb were finished, even if We refilled it with its equal.”



Allahﷻ reminded us to be conscious of His blessings and to thank Him and said that for those who are thankful, He would increase His blessings.




وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِى لَشَدِيدٌ




Ibrahim 14: 7    And ˹remember˺ when your ...

My brothers and sisters, Allahﷺ  sent his Kalaam (Word, Speech) so that we would reflect on it and change our lives to make them obedient to Him. In that lies our success both in this life and the next. Allahﷺ said in the Qur’an:




لَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ كِتَابًا فِيهِ ذِكْرُكُمْ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ




Anbiya 21:10  Indeed, We have sent down for you (O mankind) a Book, (the Qur'an) in which there is Dhikrukum, (your Reminder or an honor for you). Will you not then understand?



We know that Allahﷺ didn’t mention anyone by name. But Allahﷺ mentioned groups of people and their qualities and He mentioned what would happen to people with those qualities. We must ask, ‘Which group do I belong to? Is that good? If not, what must I change in my life to be in the group that will go to Jannah?’ Allahﷺ gave the pen in our hands to write our destiny. We can choose where we want to go. So, choose wisely.



The choice is a no-brainer, but the test is in living the kind of life that will take us to Jannah. For on the Day of Judgment, it is our actions that will speak, not our tongues.




الْيَوْمَ نَخْتِمُ عَلَى أَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَتُكَلِّمُنَا أَيْدِيهِمْ وَتَشْهَدُ أَرْجُلُهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ




Ya Seen 36: 65. This Day, We shall seal up their mouths, and their hands will speak to Us, and their legs will bear witness to what they used to earn.



An exercise in contemplation for Tazkiyyatun Nafs is to look at our right hand and imagine it speaking. What do we hear it saying? Do we like what we are hearing? If not, what do we want to do about that? Let’s do the same with our left hand and our feet, eyes, ears and whole body. What do we hear each part saying to Allahﷺ about how we used it? This is the way to approach the Qur’an. Literally as a guide to action. And act on it immediately



Allahﷺ mentioned one group and their ending as a metric for us. He said:




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



ٱلَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ



أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ حَقًّا لَّهُمْ دَرَجَـٰتٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ




Anfaal 8:2-4    The ˹true˺ believers are only those whose hearts tremble at the remembrance of Allah, whose faith increases when His revelations are recited to them, and who put their trust in their Rabb. ˹They are˺ those who establish prayer and donate from what We have provided for them. It is they who are the true believers. They will have elevated ranks, forgiveness, and an honorable provision from their Rabb.



Five critical characteristics; three internal and two external. A heart that is responsive to Allahﷺ and to His Word. A heart that sees the signs of Allahﷺ in His creation and this increases its faith. And a body that submits in obedience and exerts itself in worship of Allahﷺ and in charity with the intention to please Allahﷺ alone. This is the metric to evaluate ourselves.



Allahﷺ said about the value of a responsive heart on the Day of Judgment:




يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ





إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى ٱللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ




Shua’ara 26:88-89   the Day when neither wealth nor children will be of any benefit. Only those who come before Allah with a pure heart ˹will be saved˺.”



The single most reliable sign of true feeling is action.

The purpose of education is to civilize the individual. To connect the human being to his Creator, so that he recognizes Him, has a relationship with Him, strives to please Him, relies on His Mercy, and looks forward to His Forgiveness. The purpose of education is to give the child ethics, values, and morals which are timeless and fundamental and the confidence to live his life by those values. Without this it is not education. To learn a skill to make a living, no matter what that skill is, is ‘training’. Not ‘education’. They’re as different as chalk and cheese. Flying a plane, driving a 16-wheeler, designing software, operating on someone’s heart or brain, building a table, fixing an air conditioner or kitchen sink, and countless more are all essential skills. We need all of them. But they’re all training, not education. Education begins with ethics, morals, and values. That is the ‘WHY’, which drives the ‘HOW’ in the world. We must teach those who know ‘HOW’, to ask ‘WHY’, so that technology and resources are used for the right causes.



This is what Rasoolullahﷺ did in Makkah. He changed people’s thinking and decision-making criteria. When they changed their focus from this life to the Aakhira, their speech and actions changed, and society was transformed. Just ask how our society would be different if we defined economic well-being not by the number of billionaires but the absence of poverty. That is why GDP is such a misleading number. Instead, if we look at disposable household income or buying power we will get a far more accurate picture of our society. Rasoolullahﷺ gave us proof of concept. Ours to implement it.



We need education, which is relevant, current, and rooted in the foundation of Islam. Education in which those being educated are fully involved in all decision making because it is their future which is at stake. Education which prepares them for a world about which we really know nothing and so the only thing we can give them are tools and the framework of ethical and moral values to use them effectively. We must be coaches who teach them how to play the game but when they are playing, we can only watch from the sidelines and if we did a good job, then we can rejoice in seeing how well they learned the lessons and apply them to be victorious. To succeed, we need to educate ourselves and learn how to be good coaches. This is the generation gap thanks to which many parents have been reduced to being ATM machines which provide funds for what their children want to do. They can’t guide the children because they don’t understand their world, have no communication with them, and the children don’t look up to them as guides and mentors. I am not talking about showing respect. I am talking about actual respect which will make the child come to the parent as first port of call, when he/she needs guidance. Not just money.



Allahﷺ defined for us the meaning of education and the way to do it.




إِنَّ فِى خَلْقِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱخْتِلَـٰفِ ٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ لِّأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ



ٱلَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ قِيَـٰمًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِى خَلْقِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَـٰذَا بَـٰطِلًا سُبْحَـٰنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ




A’al Imraan 3:190-191    Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the day and night there are signs for people of intelligence. ˹They are˺ those who remember Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth ˹and say, “Our Rabb! You did not create this in vain. Glory be to You! Protect us from the torment of the Fire.



Please note that in this Ayah, Allahﷺ described people of intelligence.

The Qur’an commands us to be patient, to have Sabr and promises help to those who have patience. Allahﷻ taught us how to face difficulty and said:




فَٱذْكُرُونِىٓ أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لِى وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ



يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱسْتَعِينُوا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ




Baqara 2: 152-3   Remember Me; I will remember you. And thank Me, and never be ungrateful. O believers! Seek comfort in patience and prayer. Allah is truly with those who are patient.



The concept of Sabr or patience in Islam is very interesting. Sabr doesn’t mean to simply pray and do nothing and expect help to come from outside including from Divine intervention. Sabr means to do our best and use every means at our disposal, exert our full effort and strength and then to turn towards Allahﷻ and seek His help to enable our efforts to succeed. That is Tawakkul. I call it the Tawheed of the heart. To illustrate with an example, it is like wiring up a new house, making sure that you did everything correctly, following all protocols and safety procedures and then connecting it to the transformer and turning the switch on. It is a combination of two things. Wiring everything up correctly and then connecting to the power source. It is also about the sequence. The wiring before the connection. That is why Sabr (maximum effort) comes before Salah. And Salah is essential after making the effort so that you don’t fall into the trap of the self-made man. Living in an imaginary world where you think that your success is your own and that you don’t owe anything to anyone. That is arrogance and arrogance leads only to Jahannam. We owe our success to all those around us, who Allahﷻ put there for our benefit and inspired them with love and respect for us to take the time and trouble to invest their own time, energy, money, experience and knowledge for us to succeed. Islam tells us that we need to acknowledge that and thank them and thank Allahﷻ. An excellent book to read in this context is ‘Outliers’, by statistician Malcolm Gladwell who shows how we owe our success to our circumstances far more than we may like to think. Gratitude saves us from arrogance.




عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ‏ لاَ يَشْكُرُ اللَّهَ مَنْ لاَ يَشْكُرُ النَّاسَ




Abu Huraira (R) reported: Rasoolullahﷺ  said, “Whoever does not thank people has not thanked Allahﷻ.”



We ask but Allahﷻ gives at the right time. When we look at the wisdom of timing of Allahﷻ’s help, we see His Hand in it. The help may come through material means but Allahﷻ sends it in a way where it becomes clear that it was not material means but the command of Allahﷻ which was working.



Take the case of Musa (AS). Allahﷻ could have saved him in multiple ways. But He commanded Musa (AS)’s mother to throw him into the Nile. He said:




وَأَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰٓ أَنْ أَرْضِعِيهِ فَإِذَا خِفْتِ عَلَيْهِ فَأَلْقِيهِ فِى ٱلْيَمِّ وَلَا تَخَافِى وَلَا تَحْزَنِىٓ إِنَّا رَآدُّوهُ إِلَيْكِ وَجَاعِلُوهُ مِنَ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ




Qasas 28: 7     We inspired the mother of Moses: “Nurse him, but when you fear for him, put him then into the river, and do not fear or grieve. We will certainly return him to you and make him one of the messengers.”



Allahﷻ told us about this whole journey where instead of hiding him or his identity, Allahﷻ caused him to be directed into the palace of Firawn, and not only literally be in his hands, but be recognized as that child of the Bani Israeel who it was predicted would destroy the Pharaonic Empire of Egypt. The Pharoah’s astrologers identified him and a...

The month of Muharram is a great and blessed month. It is the first month of the Hijri year and is one of the sacred months about which Allahﷻ says:




إِنَّ عِدَّةَ ٱلشُّهُورِ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِى كِتَـٰبِ ٱللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ مِنْهَآ أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ




Tawbah 9: 36  “Verily, the number of months with Allahﷻ is twelve months (in a year), so was it ordained by Allahﷻ on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are Sacred, (i.e. the 1st, the 7t , the 11th and the 12th months of the Islamic calendar). That is the right religion…” 



Abu Bakrah (R) narrated that Rasoolullahﷺ said: “… The year is twelve months, of which four are sacred: three consecutive months, Dhu al-Qa‘dah, Dhu al-Hijjah and al-Muharram, and Rajab which comes between Jumada and Sha‘ban.” (Bukhari) 



Allama Ibn Katheer (RA), regarding this Ayah, explains, “Allahﷻ has chosen elites from His creation: from among the angels He chose Messengers, from among mankind He chose Messengers, from among speech He chose remembrance of Himself (Dhikr), from among spaces on earth He chose the mosques, from among the months He chose Ramadan and the sacred months. So, venerate that which has been chosen by Allahﷻ, because people of understanding and wisdom, respect that which has been chosen by Him”. (Tafseer Ibn Katheer)



Abu Hurairah (R) said that Rasoolullahﷺ said, “The best fast after Ramadan is in the month of Muharram.” (Muslim)



Rasoolullahﷺ encouraged fasting during the month of Muharram, particularly on the 10th day, called Ashoora, as a means of seeking Allahﷻ's mercy and forgiveness. In Fiqh As-Sunnah, Sheikh Sayyed Sabiq  (RA) states: Abu Hurairah (R) reported, “I asked Rasoolullahﷺ, ‘Which Prayer is the best after the Fardh Prayers?’ He said: ‘Prayer during the middle of the night.’ I asked: ‘Which fasting is the best after that of Ramadan?’ He said, ‘The month of Allahﷻ that you call Muharram’.” (Ahmad, Muslim, and Abu Dawud)



Rasoolullahﷺ  said, “Fasting the day of Ashoora (has great merit), I hope that Allahﷻ will accept it as an expiation for (sins in) the previous year.” (Muslim)



Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (RA) said, “When Rasoolullahﷺ  fasted on the day of Ashoora and told the people to fast, they said, “Ya Rasoolullahﷺ  this is a day that is venerated by the Jews and Christians.” Rasoolullahﷺ  said, “Next year, if Allahﷻ wills, we will fast on the 9th day (also).” But by the time the following year came, Rasoolullahﷺ had passed away.  (Muslim). So let us fast on 9th and 10th.



Rasoolullahﷺ said, “One who generously spends on his family on the day of ‘Ashoora, Allahﷻ  will be generous on him for the entire year.” (Tabarani)



Regarding this, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (RA) narrates that Sufyan Ibn Uyayna (RA) said, “I have practiced this (spending on the family) for fifty or sixty years and have found nothing but good in it.” (Lata’if al-Ma‘arif)



The day of 'Ashoora was known to the Quraysh and to Rasoolullahﷺ in Makkah, and the Quraysh used to venerate it and fast on that day. It is believed that Nuh (AS)’s ship reached land on Mount Judi, and Musa (AS) led his people out of the slavery of Firawn on the day of Ashoora. The Quraysh venerated this day and considered it holy and used to change the cover of the Ka’aba on 10th of Muharram and would fast and pray specially on that day. Rasoolullahﷺ fasted it with them during his life in Makkah.




روى الشيخان عن عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت: كانت قريش تصوم عاشوراء في الجاهلية، وكان رسول الله صلى ال...