A Life Of Devotion Brother 4 2 2012 At Sisters Of Sunnah

He stepped inside his home he was so when

an angel came what words from scenes was still

saying read read, but he could not read amazing words that is

what hamdulillah wa salatu salam ala rasulillah Allahi wa sahbihi as marine Salaam Alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu it's really an honor and a pleasure to be here today and hamdulillah speaking to all the sisters Mashallah that are logging in from all over the place, when the lights roll blessing have a lot to be able to spend any time talking about a lot speaking about his messenger, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and being in the coal company, but nevertheless, being in the company of believers, and particularly those people who will hamdulillah I feel very blessed to be able to call them you know, students of knowledge. You know, we we live in a time where there's

so much going on, there's so much going on, people have so many different things going on in their lives. And, you know, life can be very difficult at times. I was in New York City this past Saturday, there was a conference for youth there. And in some parts of the world, some places where people live, life can often be so challenging, so demanding that we had to go two miles not travel more than two miles to where the conference was being held. And I think it took us at least about 20 minutes to travel the distance and find parking and be able to find our way inside. I was just reflecting and thinking that Pamela you know, I mean, to a certain extent, people probably do makes

more excuses. And what's necessary if people really wanted to, they could make time but a lot of times honestly, like being from Dallas, Texas, where we park wherever we need to, and there's big, wide open roads with four or five lanes across. I really empathize with the people. They're thinking that, you know, even in this situation, these circumstances where people have so much difficulty, so much adversity and so many challenges, when they're still able to make time to learn and to attend a beneficial program and to pray to Allah subhanho wa Taala properly on time, it really is a sign of devotion and dedication. So sisters, especially, you know, I mean, I know it seems kind of cliche,

and it seems like the politically correct thing to say. But so Hannah, I, I always tell people every opportunity I get that sisters, and particularly the mothers in our communities are really the superheroes of our communities. They're amazing people. And they're a huge source of inspiration. I often tell people, I learned emaan I learned faith, I learned how to believe from my mother. She was my first teacher, she was my first shake. Hmm. And, you know, I remember growing up reading on with her every single morning after selecting fudger praying with her five times a day as a child. And, you know, under law, I had the blessing and the opportunity to memorize I put on a long time ago and

my younger brother is also half of the put on the law. My mother often says that, you know, she memorized up on twice. Because when we were memorizing the Quran, it was our mom who was doing the real hard work. She was sitting with us every single day making sure that we learned making sure that we knew our lessons making sure that we memorize. And once we were done, she was the one for years and years afterwards, who would make us sit down and sit with us and make sure that we reviewed our memorization every single day, during the month of Ramadan, my father and my mother, they would take turns and eventually when both of us who were leading turabi prayers, they would

both split duties and one of them would go with me and one of them would go with my brother and they would drive us to massage it if there wasn't a place to leave a lot to tell are we close to our home they should drive us 45 minutes each way to be able to go to a place where we could leave the tarawih prayers and really put you know the start putting down your arm to the benefit of the community. So sisters who make time

you know and get together like this to learn about their Deen it's it's really a remarkable thing and hamdulillah and it's a total blessing and y'all are a huge source of inspiration, motivation to to myself and to people all over the place and hamdulillah

so today's topic was devotion to Allah.

Now, typically speaking,

I'm not sure maybe some of the sisters have come across maybe some of the work that I've done.

I like focused topics. I like very specific topics, because you actually learn something. For educational programs, at least, you know, occasionally at conferences, or Msh, or youth gatherings, we have more general topics, which are meant to be more motivational or inspirational in nature. But whenever it's an opportunity for a little bit more of an educational setting an educational format, I like specific, very, very focused topics, because it allows you to learn something a little bit more again, focused and substantial.

So this topic seems like a really broad topic, it seems almost like a general topic, devotion to a lie, it almost seems like it has that very generic broad type of feel to it.

But I wanted to address this topic in a very specific focused way. It seems like a very broad topic, but I feel that it has a very specific application in our lives today.

As as you know, Muslims in 21st century and I don't want to specifically say Muslims living in America, because the sister when she

is have here, she told me that there are sisters logging and logging in from all over the place. So but generally speaking, a Muslim in Western society, a Muslim in the 21st century, there are some very, very specific, unique challenges that we are facing, and that when we talk about devotion to a law, it has a very specific application and a very specific issue.

The issue is this.

We live probably in one of the most materialistic, even though there are different points throughout human history where it was a very similar dilemma. And a similar problem. Nevertheless, we do live in one of the most materialistic one of the most egocentric, one of the most self obsessed times throughout human history. I mean, if you look at and of course, I have a detailed talk online, on YouTube about this, that the sisters are more than welcome to go and take a look at for more balanced discourse. You know, and I know sisters of pseudoknot does, it does some great work on Facebook and through social media. That's how all the sisters get

to know about these programs, but we Facebook is also in social media is also very interesting observation of, of human behavior today, in the modern context in the modern world,

that a lot of times most most of the time,

own ego and one's own insecurities, and one's own

egos egocentric, you know, tendencies, it's just manifesting itself out there online, where people have picture after picture after picture of themselves. And it's not just like a candid picture, it's not just a picture like with my family at the occasion of that, Mashallah, we were celebrating the blessings of Allah at the occasion of April 5, or something like that. No, it's somebody actually taking a camera and looking into a camera themselves, and then making a face and posing and then taking a picture. That's what's going on. I see I see the lol there in the chat box. So it's somebody, you know, standing in a mirror, taking a picture of themselves in the mirror, not

realizing that we can see that they're taking a picture of themselves in the mirror. And it's, it's it's a it's such a ridiculous looking thing. And so and and people will pay very close attention to who liked the picture who did not like the picture yet, so that I can make sure who to like someone else's picture next time and not to like someone's picture next time. You know, I have a Twitter account that I use to try to keep in touch with people that I come across and that I personally meet and occasionally maybe put out some

some beneficial information for people.

And on Twitter, there's a very interesting dynamic. You can keep a track of who follows you and who doesn't. And people will only follow somebody who actually follows them. But if they follow them, and they see that they didn't follow them back yet, then they stopped following them. I don't know if that made sense. Anybody if you're on Twitter that makes sense to so

that's the type of world that's the culture that we live in today.

Now, in this type of a society and this type of a culture where it's so self obsessed and self focused, and it's all about me and manifesting myself out there in the world, then the things that preoccupy our time, our vanity, the things that preoccupy our time are making money, and then spending money. That's what people don't realize. Just as much time as people spend making money, they spend just as much time spending money. If you don't believe me go to a mall on the weekend. I have the very humble life and complain

I have the test from a las panatela I should say that my house where it's located, there are two main streets that lead to my house,

the neighborhood that I live in, and on the end of both of those streets, not even a complete mile down probably half a mile down on both streets. There is a major mall located on both those spots, which I found, I thought was preposterous to begin with, why would they build a mall literally a mile away from another mall.

Until I realized, man, there's no shortage of people who need to shop or who want to shop or who like to shop. Man, both of those malls are completely packed on the weekends. And it's it's so crazy. leaving my house has become a fitna for me, like, I can't even leave my house in a productive fashion. Like, on the weekend, when I'm trying to go anywhere, take my family somewhere, I have to go buy some groceries or I have to go to an Islamic program like I have to go give electronic images, I have to leave 20 minutes earlier than I normally would have to. Because that traffic from my house, from my neighborhood to just the main street because the mall is right there. It takes me

1520 minutes to cross that half a mile or three quarters of a mile. It is ridiculous. The other day, I was home on the weekend. And I forget what it was I think

I completely forget why but I needed to stop by the mall at a one of the shops or one of the stores at the mall to pick up something and Subhanallah I couldn't even find a place to park and once I got inside it was it was crazy. I was bumping into people I was actually like, like panicking. It was it was crazy. I couldn't walk, you know, two steps without bumping into somebody. It was so many people were there. And the whole place has seemed out of control. But you know so so I was talking about the the preoccupations people have

vanity, where people will spend hours and hours and hours on just the way that they specifically need to look. There's nothing wrong with beautifying yourself the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam actually I was I do a weekly C class and the senior class I was mentioning is how even a sham even cathedra many of the classical scholars of Sita, they actually mentioned that the Muhammad Rasul Allah, Allah, Allah, He will tell them, the beloved messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, one of his, one of the blessings of Allah upon him like one of these Marjorie's out one of his prophetic miracles, even as a child was that you know, it mentions that

when children you know, when anybody wakes up in the morning, you know, you have that little bit of gunk right there in the corner of your eyes and your hair is all disheveled and your breath smells really bad. When the Prophet of Allah salatu salam since childhood when he would wake up in the morning, his hair would be completely like, like made like almost like slicked back and nice. He would never have any gunk in his eyes or anything his breath you smell very, very nice.

So this was one of the beauties of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam Abu Talib actually notes this. And he mentioned this about the Prophet of Allah salatu salam but

so but the Prophet says, and I'm used to comb his hair, and he taught us to present themselves and to be presentable and to to take care of ourselves. You know, for the sisters, we all know that it is a responsibility and it's actually

you know, very, very beneficial for sisters to take care of their appearance and make sure especially those sisters that are married, to make sure that they beautified themselves for the sake of their husbands. But FYI, on the other way around, I've done I've been Masuda the loved one who used to say that just as husbands like that their wives have beautified themselves, for their for their husbands. That husband should also beautify themselves, meaning they should also take care of themselves and be presentable for the sake of their wives. And he used to say that I walked like even in his old age used to go walking like exercise every single day, and he would comb his hair

and he would put like, you know, some some olive oil in his beard and things like that, and he would make himself presentable because he said, I want to be presentable for my wife as I like her to be presentable to me, and attractive to me. So it's so this is being presentable. Taking care of one's own appearance is absolutely a part of our theme. But I'm talking about vanity. I'm talking about vanity I'm talking about when you have a Walmart sized store that is dedicated solely to beauty products, and team it's all about the marketing they call it a beauty product. But it's it's it's out of control. It's crazy. When you have aisles upon aisles upon aisles of full of just product

that you can put in your hair to hold it into a certain position. That's that's a, I see. I see the name of the store

There. And that's exactly the story I'm talking about. Because there's one in that mall that is not far from my house, unfortunately. So. But it's, it's, that's the, that's the culture that we live in today. So everybody is so preoccupied with themselves. Like I said, from vanity to working to spending money to socializing, we're busy with so much. And that's definitely a problem. And that's gotten in the way of our devotion, our dedication, it has directly interfered with our relationship with Allah. Because where's that time coming from? Everybody's only got 24 hours in a day, everyone's only got 24 hours in a day. So the time is coming up from somewhere. And more often than

not, it's being taken out from the time that is meant for less power.

And so devotion to a law

is a topic that we need more than anybody else more than ever before. We need to constantly remind ourselves and emphasize to ourselves, the necessity of this, of this issue of devotion, dedication to a law, and, and we have another fitness for those. And again, I'm not denying the presence of these.

These difficulties in other societies or other cultures, I can only speak about that which I'm myself I'm familiar with. So I'm mainly familiar with the American context, because this is where I was born and raised. Um, this is where I live in American society, at least. And this might be applicable elsewhere as well. We have another fitna where there's this very hollow, empty

idea of spirituality. There's this very empty hollow idea of spirituality where

it's, I believe, or I have a relationship with a lot and I know it in my heart. We also have to understand that these are very empty hollow sentiments, ideas, and these are very modern manifestations. And our Deen is very clear on the subject and topic that when I hear Hey Allah Salah halen Fela,

whether it be from the actual Masjid, calling the avant, if you live there, like this is so put a comment about Saudi Arabia, you actually hear the other or whether it's your alarm going off on your phone, or it's whatever it is, or it's the chart, the prayer chart from the masjid, the timings of the event that you have on the wall of your you know, you have a posted you have you stuck to your refrigerator, whatever it is, but when it's time for Hey Allah Salah, hey, Alan foreigner, and I cannot get my

so I cannot pull myself rip myself away for 10 minutes from whatever it is that I'm doing at that time, to be able to go and present myself and pray to Allah subhanaw taala, then that's just lip service to say, oh, but I believe in I have my own relationship with Allah and I have this and I have that. And I believe this and I feel this and I know this and I want that. That's just talk, there's got to be a manifestation has to be some realization of a person's

life something very, very interesting because when we look at the even the other foot or even the other, the other are kind of the dean

hedges only for that person.

hedges own 100 is only for that person who can actually afford it and physically bear it is that God is only for that person who can who can afford it. CRM is only for that person who can physically actually carry through with it, Salah is that one thing that is universally applicable. Meaning even if you can't physically like stand up and pray then you sit down and pray if you can't sit and pray you're lying in bed than you pray lying down in the bed just by moving your eyes and, you know, moving, you know, just moving your head doing whatever it is that you can. But prayer is something that is universal. And so prayer is something that we're never exempt from. And so if I can't, and I

see the question, I know they want to hold the questions till the end, but it's good. I appreciated how much you pray, does that show your level of devotion? Not completely. And that's why it's actually good if we hold the questions till the end. So I can kind of present the whole topic once together, but that it definitely is a sign it no no, don't apologize. It definitely is a sign though. It definitely is a sign. See, it's that same balance. We have the very unfortunate

reality today where some people will pray. But have will not live Islam in any other aspect of their lives, which is what I'm going to be talking about.

There's obviously a problem there. So when we solely identify Salah as a level of as the only indication of devotion to Allah, we're going to have a problem because now we limit the scope of the deen. Now how I treat my family and how I treat my neighbors and how I conduct myself how I do my business has nothing to do with my Deen, I just pray five times a day and then I abused my family and then I'm terrible to my neighbors. And then I cheat people at work. Why? Because I pray five times a day. So I have a relationship with Allah. That's a problem. That's an incomplete realization of the deen. But we you have to understand there's also an opposite extreme. Just this weekend I was

in New York City and New York City is a very interesting place a very diverse place. The whole world comes together there. There's a lot it's almost like a capital of the world in the sense where all types of idea and all types of people and cultures exist in one place. And the it was a youth conference, it was at a high school. It's a high school that is meant solely for the smartest kids all over all across New York City. They gather like all the genius, all the properties together and they they have a school for them. And the conference was being held there. So there are very a lot of very interesting very intelligent kids were studying like graduate level studies as sometimes as

early as high school. And there's a lot of humanistic ideas. Now this is kind of a buzzword humanism, but it's basically the idea that I'm a good person. I do what I need to do all this prayer and all these other rituals and all this stuff is nonsense. There's no need for it. So we we have a balance in the middle of our Deen the Prophet of Allah Salafi Somoza Rahmatullah mean he was the most amazing human being that ever lived. He he cared for people he respected people

in such a way that has never been seen before. The the qualities mentioned mentioned for the Prophet of Allah so a lot of them in the Quran is or Oprah hain la cumbre Suleiman unfussy coma z zona la Hema and it. It is very hard on him once you go through what we are dealing with, when Allah saying oh people what you go through the difficulty you have, it's hard on him, meaning he has so much empathy that he feels your pain. How do you want to add a come, he's very invested into the well being of people the benefit of the people build what meaning are often raw human is very compassionate, and he's very merciful. These are the qualities of the Prophet of Allah salami

center, but he was also the most punctual person about salon.

When either has ever who underemphasized lasala any situation came up, he would pray, when the time of Salah would come, he would immediately get up and go and leave everything else aside. That's that balance in the middle. So the first thing about devotion to Allah subhanaw taala is making sure we invest time into our relationship with Allah, and the best time that we can invest in the most.

The best way to establish that relationship with the line that time that we need to invest into our relationship with Allah

is our Salah is our prayer.

Now, secondly, once we're taking care of that Salah, and I will put everything else aside all my other activities aside for the sake of my Salah.

Now let's talk about so that's when I wanted to generally speak about society today. And the dilemma today is that we have so much going on in our lives that we don't have time for 10 minutes, five times a day, 15 minutes, one hour just to round it off, I cannot spare one hour out of my day. And actually this is because I'm pretty sure these are sisters who Mashallah attend these weekly sessions and are very handler you don't have a good level of the practice of the dean. So that's why I still spend 10 minutes when I speak to youth audiences or I speak to general audiences, I tell them even take five minutes, just pray your father, just pray your foot on it, but start somewhere

because people are just not they have Salah has no place in their lives right now. So but if I can make half an hour to an hour every single day for last panel retana, then my claim of having a relationship with a lot is extremely hollow. It's a very, very empty statement. So that's the first thing.

Now for the more concerned Muslim for the person who is at least has some concern for practicing their Deen and for maintaining your relationship with the law. There's another issue and another problem that we have. And I think many of the sisters here might fall under this category. And so I'd like to talk about this today.

For people who are who actually have some level of concern about their relationship with online or trying to pray everyday and reflect on and learn their Deen in you know, through whatever

avenues or whatever options are available to them, such as this session right here.

There's another very huge struggle and that is Allah subhanaw taala has given us lives that are very demanding

At times, and are very diverse, we have a lot of different things going on in our lives, you know, you know, maybe you're married, and so you have a spouse and you have a marriage to maintain, you have children to take care of, you know, maybe you also have a job and you got to go to work and you have family members. And so there are all these other things are going on in our lives, from work to family, to children, and all these things. And after a certain point in time,

there's a certain guilt that starts to

manifest itself. You know, the, in the Quran in Silicon Valley, Allah says, or molecule Gina, well, internally, I will do that I have not created the human being in the gym except to worship me.

Now, oftentimes, the way that I is understood or the way it explained is that we perceive that word worship means that that only refers to the ritual worship that we perform, such as the five times daily prayer, recitation of the Quran, or the kalar, remembrance of Allah, etc, etc, fasting and Hajj and these things. And so what that automatically means is that anything else that I do in my life, whether I'm spending time with my spouse, or I'm looking after my elderly parents, or I'm taking care of, or I'm sitting and doing homework with my kids, or I'm out there at my job making a lawful halaal income to be able to bring home to my family. When I'm doing these things, there's

like a level of guilt because I'm not worshiping along, I'm not engaged in the worship of a lion. This is time spent away from Allah. And this is hindering this is affecting my spirituality. What we have to understand that aside from the Fatah, like we talked about five times, daily, Salas iconsiam, highridge, excetera. Aside from that, we also have to understand that these other areas of life,

such as family life, business life, even to a certain extent, communal social experiences, all of this is a part and parcel of this way of life that we call Islam. There's room for Islam, there's room in Islam, for all of these things. And Islam incorporates all of these things. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu Sallam was very upset and very angry with those three young Sahaba, who took an oath, once said, I'm going too fast every single day once said, I'm never going to get married, I wanted I'm not going to sleep at nights anymore. He was very, very upset with them.

Because they were changing the perception of the religion, they were changing. They were, they were, they were directly contradicting the scope of the deen that the Prophet of Allah legend reprimanded them. And he said that I am married, and I do sleep. And then I do pray to stand up and pray and I do fast. Some days I don't fast some days. And so the life of a believer is a full experience and Islam allows for that. Islam does not restrict it does not restrict that does not prohibit that. There's absolutely no issue and no problem with it. The profit of the loss a lot he sent me don't want. The other thing I mentioned in the CETA lectures was a lot declares a profit of a loss of

lobbyists and to be swept in hatena. The ultimate role model, the most excellent role model,

the prophet of Allah Salaam could not be the most excellent role model unless and until he had a full lifestyle. The profit or loss of legend was a businessman, the prophet of Allah loves him had family, he had friends, he had relatives, he had community members, he had friends, he had neighbors, he had all of these experiences, he had financial dealings and transactions with people. And that's what made him the ultimate role model was because he lived a full life and he showed us how we can be productive, living a full life. And that's very important for us to understand. So there doesn't need to be guilt about having a family life and doing business or going to work or

having these other experiences. Our whole life is not meant to be spent in sujood. That's not practical that's actually from Allah, you talk a lot and not obligate us to do that.

Rather, the obligation is and this is something a little bit more deeper. But I'd like to present it here to the sisters.

The Quran, one of the greatest tragedies in the Muslim Ummah today is that the Quran and the life of the Prophet sallallahu Sallam are the two sources of our Deen and our religion are looked upon as a set of rulings, a set of finite rulings.

Which is a huge disservice to the book of Allah enter the Sunnah of the messenger salatu salam, and it's a huge disservice to Islam, and it's a huge disservice to the believers and to Muslims. Because what that means is, every single day, the dozens of

scenarios that we are dealing with that are not explicitly directly

Addressing the Quran and the Sunnah, we have no guidance and we have no instruction, we have no direction in regards to those things. Rather than on the book of a line the sin of the prophets, Allah has him to two sources of our Deen. They are a set of soon, they are a set of principles, they are a set of guidelines,

restrictions, limitations guidelines deal with unique scenarios today, interesting situations that are not explicitly directly addressed in the Quran and the Sunnah, we still find guidance here. And because those are principles that we that guide us through even these modern day predicaments that we're dealing with today. And so we have to understand that. So when we live our lives to the fullest extent, and we have family lives, and very good, happy, productive family life, we go to work and we do a very good job of being responsible and being productive at work, and trying to excel at whatever it is that we do. When we have neighbors and friends and community members, we

have a good relationship with them. And we have a good level of interaction with these people. And with these folks, of course, again, our prayer our salon, our relationship with the lies have been compromised by that.

But there doesn't have to be any guilt for me spent in spending time with my family. Why that's a part of my Deen, I just have to look at the Quran I have to look at the book of life to look at the Sunnah of the messenger salami sent, take the principles in the guidelines from there and employ them within that area of my life.

And that automatically becomes an act of a bother in worship. That's why Allah says I created the human being solely to worship me. I did not create the human being in the gym except, but that they worship me. And that is being spent in the worship of Allah. That's why the Prophet of Allah solos and the Sahaba to kill him or the Allahu anhu, may Allah be pleased with them, he told his companions, that physical intimacy with one spouse is an act of reward and active, what's an active reward is an act of reward is an act of worship, it's an act of a bother. It's an act that is pleasing to Allah.

And the Sahaba as we would express today, this habit were like a messenger of Allah, how can that be an active reward, physical intimacy with one spouse,

and the profit of Alexa lies in presented some very interesting, you know, ideas. He said that if somebody was to go and engage in physical intimacy outside of marriage, would that be a sin? Yes, are they doing it in marriage is an act of reward. But the fact of the matter is that something that is a physical right to one spouse upon a person, but if they employ again the command of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu Sallam within that physical right, fulfilling the physical right of one spouse, and which is which is which is an act of pleasure and enjoyment, even for the individual, then they are rewarded by that for a loss they are rewarded for that by Allah subhanaw

taala. And it's an act of worship an act of reward exactly, very bad. And so what we have to understand this devotion to Allah, devotion to Allah, is to live life to its fullest in the sense of first and foremost making time for last panel retana He's the first one we have a relationship with and I'll share something with you. I'm gonna be a long one who used to say, men can only select the movie unfunny lady her idea.

Whoever will be irresponsible about the prayer will be even more irresponsible about everything else in his or her life. Why from Elisa fee save on their RV for case a coup de Faden lady because somebody who cannot be good to his Lord and His master his Rob Allah?

How could that person ever be good to anybody else? Somebody can be good to Allah, how could they be good to anybody else?

That's why I'm about the one who used to regularly write letters. So all the people that he used to appoint as leaders and Ameen and Hogan like oh, ma and GM in different areas and regions like governors and mayors that he's appointed for the different areas in the Muslim

industry laugh at that time in the Muslim lands. One of the things used to tell them in the letters was in a hammer, in a hammer, moody Kumar envy, a salon, that the thing that I am the most concerned about what you're doing, like my biggest assessment of how well you're doing your job is your prayer in your salon.

Because if you will take care of your salon means you take care of your relationship with the law, you will take care of the creation of a law.

But if you don't take care of your salon, I can't trust you to take care of the creation of the law because you don't care about a law. You don't make time for a law, how are you going to make time for the creation of the law. So begins there. But then secondly, in the other areas of our lives since there's our family lives and our working lives and our professional lives and business lives, we devotion to Allah is to be

conscious and to be cognizant of a law,

to be honest, to be trustworthy, to be loving, to be caring, to be compassionate, to be forgiving, to be merciful. That is, what is devotion to a law, that I'm good to my family, and I fulfill their rights to the best of my ability, then at work, I will not take in a single dishonest Penny, I will not touch it. That's a devotion to alarm. You know, the Sahaba rhodiola Juan, whom the companions of the Prophet are amazing people, they lived a life of devotion, they lived a life of devotions, panela, you know, especially the sisters who live in majority non Muslim societies like like the United States. It's something that I as much as I can I try to remind myself and remind my brothers

and sisters, you know, Dawa is, is a very multifaceted effort. And so websites and billboards and pamphlets, and books and radio and all that stuff. It's a facet of the effort, but it's, these are smaller, these are side efforts. The main effort that we have for our is the way we live our lives. You have to represent us on through our lives. Because either your loved one will just travel, sometimes they will travel for business, they would just do business with people do just go and start living in a neighborhood, you just start go and just set up a camp and live in an area amongst the people. And they wouldn't have to like overtly preach to them. They even though the Sahaba. What

they were do is they were natural. Your natural diaries, they were natural collars, inviters to the way of Allah and to the, to the deen of Allah. But they didn't have to be very just like, they they didn't have to be very forceful and just verbal into Dawa, they would just do business with people, they would just live in a neighborhood. And the people after a day or two of this a few days of interacting with them will notice there's something very unique about these people. There's almost something admirable and there's something amazing about these people in the way they live their lives.

And the profit of a loss. And this is something that profitable us a lot of something I've taught them had instilled within them because he thought through example, he thought taught to his own personal example. And the people would eventually come to the Sahaba or the Allahu Allah Mondays to say Who are you people? What's so unique and different about you because there's something different about you. And these two words, which translate to about three words in English. They will take kulu mithuna

kono nationala which translates to be like us. That's it. That was a dow

that was a dow.

Today, I have to ramble on for 45 minutes for an hour to be able to talk about what what Islam is and try to give it to people. So how about would say three words, be like us, that's it.

And they would convert entire nations and countries with three words. Because their life and their actions spoke so loud.

That we as quote unquote I don't like a lot of labels because I think they get incorrectly applied but what's typically called is practicing or I like to use the word concerned Muslim city. People that are somewhat more concerned about their Deen and are trying to practice their Deen and learn their Deen and teach their Deen.

We need to be living an exemplary lifestyle at least making the effort to do so. Our family lives should be a role model for people. The way we do business should blow people's minds. like who are you? What's wrong with you? Why wouldn't you make an extra buck? Why wouldn't you just do to do that? Why wouldn't you just kind of you know slip one by this guy.

Like what is wrong with you? Who are you?

We need to be exemplary people. Our neighbors need to just not fear us not to be terrified of us. And if somebody's irrational and their fear you can't help that I mean sometimes are just crazy irrational people What are you going to do but they need to be impressed by us. You know again, I I only say this to remind myself and as a lesson and as daddy to me I'ma what might be now material because I had this as Allah commands as my granddad, talk about and mentioned the blessings of Allah. And I don't mean to be boastful, but but grateful when I say this.

I learned so much from my parents, they and this kind of ties back into our topic. My parents.

They understood, and I learned this from them, they understood that their devotion to Allah wasn't solely what they would do on speaking of what she did what they would do on a set Giada

their devotion to Allah wasn't just what they did on this agenda. Their relationship with Allah wasn't only

Be when they picked up a book or read Hadeeth or read Koran that that was their only devotion to Allah. But they understood that being good parents and setting a good example and spending time with me and teaching me Was there a Baba and their devotion and their relationship with Allah. That was a part of it.

I told you that I learned how to believe and I learned faith in you, man from my mom.

I also feel like I learned a flop and character from my father, how to be a man and how to be a good Muslim.

We always have had a very good relationship with our neighbors always have, from the time that I was a child, from the time that I was a kid, we've always had a very good strong relationship with our neighbors. And my father would always go out of his way to say hi to them and say hello to them, and how's everything going? Even if they weren't Muslim, invite them into our home and, you know, show them the Islamic lifestyle and let them be impressed by it themselves.

You know, I still remember I thought it was so awkward.

I don't know what type of a background some of y'all might be coming from. But it just seemed kind of awkward.

When my sister got married, I remember very clearly, when my sister got married, my dad actually went over to our neighbor's house. And, you know, they're not Muslim, and they're not from any type. Like, my parents. I was born here in Dallas, Texas, my parents are from Pakistan.

You know, they're not from, they're not Muslim. They're not from a buck Sunday background, nothing like that. So

my dad went over and knocked on our neighbor's door. And he went over there, and he handed them an invitation inviting them to my sister's wedding. And

they were just almost kind of like, oh, okay, cuz we do, you know, we just kind of say hi to them in passing, and this and that. But, you know, it's not like family, and it wasn't a really huge wedding. And you know, we were just kind of having some family and some community members and friends over. But yeah, he just, that's, that's a clock, that's character that's living Islam. And so it's just not preaching it, but it's living it. As you remember, since I was a kid, whenever I would be mowing the lawn. And if the neighbor's lawn was kind of unkept, and hadn't been mowed in some time, my dad would always tell me will always tell me to go over there and knock on the

neighbor's door and ask them sir, or Ma'am, I'm mowing my lawn, would you like me to go ahead and mow your front lawn for you as well, when I'm mowing my own lawn? And they use a lot of times think that oh, maybe, you know, I'm expecting to get paid for it or something like that. And he would tell me to make it very clear to them. And they'd be like,

Oh, sure.

How much are you going to charge and I would say, Oh, nothing, it's just gonna take me an extra 1015 minutes, I'm already more than my allowance, I thought I would help you out as well with your lawn. You always taught me to do that since I was a kid. And

he was always very particular, even when we would have guests over when we were expecting guests even till today, when when he's expecting none of them will end up parking and blocking off the driveway of the neighbor's home. And

so he'll stand up there and direct parking in the neighborhood to make sure nobody's parking in somebody else's spot. Or nobody is rocking off somebody's driveway. It's these little little things, these are a part of our being. And that comes that counts as the our devotion to Allah because we only have one motivation to do that is to please Allah subhanaw taala.

So realizing that devotion to a lie is a very broad has a very broad scope. And it applies in, in every aspect in every facet of our lives. And it's so it's important to realize that and to think of Allah, and to be conscious of Allah subhanaw taala and everything that we do.

Lecture supposed to be I know this is something you probably already told me sister in the email, but I'm kind of absent minded today. Doesn't matter. Fantastic.

Usually, we will usually I'm very, very talkative, and I usually have trouble kind of keeping track of time. I'm usually the speaker at an event or at a conference where I'll tell you a funny story. I was speaking here in Dallas and so the community were at the mercy where I was speaking it's a local Masjid so I know them very personally and the the youth that were volunteering and taking care of the event or kids that I know like I've taught them growing up so that i've i've a good relationship with them. They're like students to me so.

So they sent me the beginning they handed me the card, five minutes left, then they handed me a card three minutes, and they handed me a

card time's up and they put a smiley face so it's not offensive. And then I kind of kept going cuz I,

I, I just I still had something to say I wasn't done yet. So they

Actually handed me a card saying negative three minutes so apparently I don't know which I'm not sure what that means, but apparently I owe them three minutes now so

usually that's what happens is

they I don't really have much more to add for today inshallah I hope to be able to

shala join all again here and be able to speak to the sisters again soon inshallah for a little while, for a few more minutes. inshallah, if anybody's got any questions, and they would like to pose some questions, it'd be my pleasure to see if I can answer any questions that I'm capable of.

Hmm, what would you say was the number one thing that sticks out in your head about how your parents raised you that perhaps some of us could try to implement something that I myself try to implement as a parent today

is

something that I saw my parents doing two things actually, I mentioned two things. One thing was an advice given to me by one of my teachers when my first child was born, and is one of my teachers, one of my shoot for advice on being a good parent. And the advice that he gave me was, whatever it is that you want your child to be in the future, like, you know, when that when you when you sit there and hold your you hold your baby, and you have a child and you look at your child with your hearts is full of love. And you know this, this child means a world to you. And then you have certain ambitions you have certain hopes for this child. And that's, that's a part any anybody who's

a parent knows what I'm talking about. So what he told me was, whatever it is that you want your child to be in the future, you need to start being that today.

So if you want your child to be a good Muslim, be a good Muslim. If you want your child to be half of the Quran, start memorizing whatever little Quran you can memorize today, if you want your child to be honest, and you be honest, if you want your child to pray five times a day.

Even you pray five times a day. So that's number one. And then I definitely see that quality with my own folks, my own parents, and I benefited from that.

The second thing that I did directly learn from my parents was

good parenting. Even if it's the end goal is to make them good Muslims, but that requires good parenting that is the definition of good parenting. good parenting requires time, you have to

else in life, you can only your your business will be successful. If you put invest time into it, your your you physically, if you want to get in shape, you want to have good health, you got to work out, you got to put in an hour, you got to put in 30 minutes, every single day at the gym or go run or go walk outside. And that's how you get into get out. Anything that you want to do memorizing or put on. Well, I, I had to I sat in a classroom for for 10 months for 810 hours a day.

You have to invest time into and parenting is no different. We have to invest time into it with our kids, spend time with them, talk to them, pray with them, read with them. And so be whatever it is that you're trying to teach them to be. Be that yourself. And number two, invest time into spending time with your kids and teaching them.

Can you talk a bit about the importance of some NASA law, for example, when I'm at work being the only listen to don't care about having a meeting that runs in solo time?

Hmm.

So she's asking the question about difficulty in praying at her work and her job.

I'm only saying this because I deal with such a

wide spectrum of believers and Muslims. And I come across people from all walks of life dealing with different things in life. So I only mentioned this because it's a very common predicament. But since I will tell you one thing,

that if you are only praying, you're fired while you're at work.

Yes, somebody should make an effort to pray more

prayer to pray more and pray as much as possible.

But if you are only finding the opportunity in the time, to be able to just pray you're in at work.

I'm going to be really honest with you. And I'm going to tell you, that's still something that is very admirable. And I still have a huge level of respect for what you're doing and what you're able to do 100 law. It's really a challenge. And oftentimes it can be very challenging, but our father it is what his father what is necessary, what is important. And in today's world, when people are at school and people are at work and they're not compromising their phone either, and so they're stepping inside to go play their first prayer. I still have so much respect

and admiration for

Such people so I just want to say that so that you're not accompanied by any guilt. Don't be guilty don't guilt yourself. The second thing about the importance of summoner prayer though that's amazing so masala is something that is amazing. So that's a lot like the Prophet of Allah sallallahu Sallam said that the deficiencies in our follow up which we all know there are deficiencies in our prayer, none of us are perfect. The deficiencies in our photo will be made up for by

it's just, it's just an issue of survival. It's an issue of succeeding and being successful. The Prophet of Allah Allah is someone that's a habido, the Allahu anhu asked him about being close to him in Paradise, an agenda he said that helped me make sure that you are close because he told the process on me to make glad that I'm close to you. Personally, some said I will make draw for you. But the way that you can help me make the offer you to help for you to be closer to me and Jenna and paradise. And the Hereafter is helped me by making more subdued by praying more. And so non negotiable prayer is a part of that. So you definitely want to try to pray your son and your nafil

as much as you can, it will elevate your status in the eyes of Allah, it'll build a palace for you in Paradise, as Heidi tells us, it makes up for the deficiencies within our for it, and it will bring you closer to the Messenger of Allah sallallahu Sallam on the day of judgment and in paradise in sha Allah. But at the same time, I just balanced that out because there's too many people too many good Muslims getting burned out by the pressure, the undue pressure that they can often put on themselves. If you are praying, get your work at your job on time within its proper time.

I can't say it enough how much I respect you and how much I look up to you for doing that. Mashallah. And so don't be accompanied by any guilt whatsoever. inshallah.

The last question is

just a second.

Scroll up.

What if you had said something about someone behind your back a long time ago, but now you end up personal friends again, chewing them up and tell them about being able to be forgiven? What I typically advise with the scholars, right.

Interesting. Okay. So the question was, if you are friends now with someone again, and but you backed by data about them a long time ago, but now y'all are all cool. It's all good. Is there any point in bringing it up again for to be forgiven for that? What the scholars typically write about that the advice that I give to people is, you want to just make a general apology, say, you know what, though, just in the past, because I'm not a perfect person, I have a lot of flaws. I have a lot of shortcomings. In the past. If I ever said anything offensive, or I talked about you, please forgive me for that. I very sincerely honestly ask you to forgive me for that. I would make a

general apology, I would not be specific. You know why? Because if y'all are friends, and everything is good, and you have any hard feelings between you being specific, you might actually end up hurting that person's feelings more by saying informing them of something offensive that you said about them. So I would actually hold off on being specific, but just make a general apology to them. And I guess the last question, a sister told me because I'm 69 years old, I do. I do not I don't have to wear her job. I still wear her job. But there is.

But is there a seminar on this? The Quran talks about this as another messenger salatu salam also speaks about this, that when somebody is what in Arabic, the classical Arabic word for it is Judah, which means very, very old, very, very senior and very, very old.

Then in that situation, at that point in time, that person is no longer obligated to wear hijab still.

Okay, I guess that's a word for it, but I don't want to offend anybody. So I'm not going to mention that word. But uh, it's, it means somebody that's very, very old, very, very senior, grandmotherly, like very old, like, like my grandmother's, you know, who are in their 70s and 80s. And things like that, to the point where, like, that person is considered kind of like a grandmother by everybody in the community. Everybody in the grandma in the community kind of considers them to be there. Their their, their, their grandmother, kind of like their daddy, their nanny their faith, or grandma or whatever they call it, right. So, like a very, very elderly person. Right, exactly. So

But, so, once somebody reaches that,

Okay,

once somebody reaches that age, then it's not really an obligation for them to wear hijab. Still dress modestly, dress respectfully, especially again, we live in such terrible times where people lack just common decency and modesty so you of course want to continue to be respectful to yourself

and you you

Want to dress modestly and respectfully, but the formal requirements of the job then no longer apply to that person? So this is just kind of updating the question. This is only for him. So it's an opportunity to kind of discuss these issues. Since you're saying I am a grandmother but I don't look my age I look 10 years younger. See, that's exactly it.

There's no direct gauge that is provided, it just says somebody that's very, very old. So you kind of have to the process of them about these specific cells is is tough, the Alba, get a photo from your heart. But Elif dockercon, must do if your heart gives you a foot blood, and that's what you should do. Meaning, you have to ask yourself, do you think you should be wearing Hijab? So when you tell me something like, you know, I am a grandmother, and I definitely, you know, I am in that phase of my life, but I look 10 years younger, I still look, you know, a lot younger than what I am my ages, then that obviously means that you feel you should still wear hijab. And if that's what you

feel that you definitely should wear hijab.

And so no. So the question is, is that the US, it's not the US that's coming from the Hadith of the Prophet sallallahu sallam, because the process didn't provide this is actually from the wisdom of the Prophet sallallahu Sallam that he didn't give us very specific definitions about all these different things. But the prophets a lot of the same kind of gave us a general idea when somebody becomes very, very, very, extremely old. Now they don't have to wear hijab anymore. Well, what is very, very, extremely old, he didn't provide an age because it's relative to a person situation. So you have to kind of take that into consideration. But it's like the sister said, she knows a woman

who is over 90. And so where's the job, the tsunami, the Manhattan momineen. And of those hobby odds, the women of the Sahaba or the loved one was that they would continue to wear hijab, even into their old age, because why they saw their hijab as not just a social practice, but they saw their hijab as

the theme of today's subject.

And they're a Baba and an act of worship to them on their hijab was an act of devotion to a exactly the notion, a Baba, that's what they saw their hijab to mean to them. And so they continue to work till their last breath. You have to admire that type of dedication, that type of devotion. So I hope that helps inshallah I will. We're in the Central Time Zone. So it is six o'clock right now. So hamdulillah we're doing okay here. salon wise, there's really no issue but I'm pretty sure maybe in some different time zones it might be some a lot of time plus i also it is past midnight some places and I also

have to get going as well inshallah. So I have to kind of spend some time with the kids got to make sure that I have some have dinner with them and you know, clean them up and put them to bed I try to spend some time with them on the weekdays because I travel a lot on the weekends inshallah. So I asked, I asked you guys for your permission to be able to go inshallah, yes, I will try to come back as soon as possible inshallah. And definitely as much as inshallah, as as soon as I can, I'll try to come back and challah does not come along later on, I request you to remember myself, particularly my family and in your daughter's in your prayers.

Because any and all time that we spend teaching or lecturing or doing these types of programs or activities

that's basically time that we spent away from our family and they're very generous with their time and they allow us to do this so please remember my family and your daughters as well And may Allah subhanaw taala accept from all of us I really enjoyed speaking to everyone today and I hope to be back soon the shuttle which is said I'm on it

kind of spend some time with the kids got to make sure that I have some have dinner with them and you know clean them up and put them to bed I try to spend some time with them on the weekdays because I travel a lot on the weekends inshallah. So I asked I asked you guys for your permission to be able to go and challah Yes, I will try to come back as soon as possible inshallah. And definitely as much as inshallah, as as soon as I can. I'll try to come back and challah does not come along. later on. I request you to remember myself, particularly my family and in your daughter's in your prayers.

Because any and all time that we spend teaching or lecturing or doing these types of programs or activities.

That's basically time that we spent

away from our family and they're very generous with their time and they allow us to do this. So please remember my family and your daughters as well And may Allah subhanaw taala accept from all of us. I really enjoyed speaking to everyone today, and I hope to be back soon inshallah, which is actually like I said, I'm on Equinox