The Pursuit Of Virtue

Mohammed Faqih

Date:

Channel: Mohammed Faqih

File Size: 25.36MB

Episode Notes

Share Page

Transcript ©

AI generated text may display inaccurate or offensive information that doesn’t represent Muslim Central's views. Thus,no part of this transcript may be copied or referenced or transmitted in any way whatsoever.

00:00:09--> 00:00:12

Marina de la Vela mobila

00:00:22--> 00:00:24

wasafi home in Bailey.

00:00:25--> 00:00:29

Bella Risa white dilemma Manasa How the hell

00:00:33--> 00:00:34

yeah.

00:00:38--> 00:00:39

What is

00:00:40--> 00:00:41

the moon

00:00:43--> 00:00:45

NASA Pura Camilleri Holla

00:00:48--> 00:00:49

Holla amin has

00:00:51--> 00:00:55

to do with the polar holiday.

00:00:57--> 00:00:59

in Omaha cara de

00:01:03--> 00:01:06

la hora de de de

00:01:07--> 00:01:08

de como el

00:01:12--> 00:01:12

tema,

00:01:14--> 00:01:15

dear brothers and sisters,

00:01:16--> 00:01:21

I would like to make a quick comment, a reminder for all of us.

00:01:23--> 00:01:25

And I'm of, I'm the first one to,

00:01:27--> 00:01:29

to be in need of this reminder.

00:01:31--> 00:01:37

And then show him or maybe in the upcoming fatwas, we'll, we'll dedicate

00:01:39--> 00:01:41

a whole sermon for this issue.

00:01:43--> 00:01:45

We were told in the Hadith,

00:01:46--> 00:01:50

that a lot of Hamlet Allah says, angels,

00:01:52--> 00:02:03

to the massages on the day of Joomla, there are two angels recording writing down the names of every individual that walks in with the intention of attending the Joomla.

00:02:05--> 00:02:14

Of course, we know that the Joomla is a combination of a sermon or two, to hold words, to sermons, or a sermon of two parts.

00:02:16--> 00:02:16

And to Raka.

00:02:19--> 00:02:46

And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and other you know, in many places, he actually arranged this to attend or to come as early as possible. So the angels write down the name of those individuals who have scrolls, they write down the name of every individual that walks in and sits until the speaker or the 14th, or the Imam takes his stand on the podium

00:02:48--> 00:02:56

and greets people, and that's when they fold their scrolls. And they sit and attend and listen to what he has to say.

00:02:57--> 00:02:59

They sit and they listen.

00:03:01--> 00:03:07

And then the province of a lot is going to put emphasis on the fact that once the sermon begins

00:03:09--> 00:03:15

that one should not be distracted by anything whatsoever and the Prophet gives examples like

00:03:16--> 00:03:43

playing with pebbles, you know pebbles and rocks you know, they used to have sand or soil they didn't have carpets. So the province of a lot isn't told them you don't keep digging and scratching and playing with pebbles and during the football for if you do that, then that will Mr. hasakah level my level of algebra ujima won't count no matter how early that person comes.

00:03:45--> 00:03:51

Not only that, but the Prophet peace be upon them notice that some people may be disturbed by other people so they tell them to be quiet or listen.

00:03:54--> 00:03:58

And the Prophet peace be upon him said that the person that does that

00:04:00--> 00:04:01

right has ruined his own football

00:04:02--> 00:04:05

or his own human. So the process of said

00:04:08--> 00:04:11

he could listen right

00:04:13--> 00:04:16

needless to say that the person that comes walks in and

00:04:17--> 00:04:19

does anything that is not of

00:04:20--> 00:04:24

that has to do with with Salah itself also loses the reward.

00:04:26--> 00:04:38

And of course nowadays there are so many distractions that we have, we have those PDA and smartphones with which people don't make smart choices. And we have pagers and we have all kinds of devices

00:04:40--> 00:04:44

that we are distracted with, in addition to the fact that sometimes people

00:04:46--> 00:04:58

you know, might speak or greet each other during the football. So this is something that I wanted to bring to your attention to two points here. One come to the earliest possible once the football starts. Don't be distracted with anything

00:05:00--> 00:05:28

This point is well known to many of us. Yet we seem to lose the connection. I remember 10 years ago, giving a speech. And the whole, I had to change the topic of my football because I couldn't, I could not deliver the speech, because I was so distracted by the behavior of the congregation. So I stopped, and I changed the topic of the huddle. Altogether, I had my notes with me, I put them back in my pocket, and I started talking about

00:05:31--> 00:05:45

the etiquette of the day of Friday. And while I'm talking about this particular point, a brother walks and greets another brother, who I guess didn't see him for a while. So he gets up and they start giving each other hugs, and they start speaking. So I had to stop

00:05:47--> 00:05:49

staring at them. And I say, Who am I talking to?

00:05:51--> 00:05:55

When I'm talking to myself and everybody else, who's present here.

00:05:58--> 00:06:20

So somehow, we seem to lose the connection. And the problem is, because of the mindset, many of us come to the Friday, because it's an obligation, something that we need to get out of the way, or because it's a tradition, or because we want to hear something entertaining, or something amazing or something new.

00:06:22--> 00:06:36

And if we ever hear something that is relevant, we think is relevant to someone else, not us. We may be sitting there thinking that this message is for the person sitting next to me, and the person behind me and the person in front of me, but not me.

00:06:37--> 00:06:54

And this attitude and this mindset mindset must change, we have to understand that the reminder is meant for a special group of people, and you and I ought to be of those people. Allah subhanho wa Taala says, For the good in the fact that they

00:06:56--> 00:06:59

remind wherever reminder benefits,

00:07:00--> 00:07:17

or whosoever whomsoever benefits from the reminder. So there are times and there are people who will benefit from the reminder, who are those people who benefit from the reminder, Allah subhanho wa Taala says In the end, for that good or that cure for in the crowd,

00:07:19--> 00:07:22

remind for reminder benefits the believers.

00:07:24--> 00:07:34

Reminder benefits the believers, not anyone, but the believers. There is a special group of people. Not everyone will benefit from the reminder.

00:07:36--> 00:07:50

And that's why two individuals might be exposed to the same reminder might experience the same incident might hear the same message. And they interpret it differently. They process it differently and they react to it differently.

00:07:53--> 00:07:56

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam offered his message

00:07:58--> 00:08:00

to his to the members of his household

00:08:02--> 00:08:06

and to his extended family and to his to his tribesmen.

00:08:08--> 00:08:15

The message of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam for instance, was heard and observed by his uncles and his aunts.

00:08:17--> 00:08:19

Take the example of his uncles

00:08:23--> 00:08:31

don't accept the message and they turn away from it. One was too shy and the other one was too arrogant.

00:08:35--> 00:08:41

And Hamza in a burst are they among 100 they accept the message humble themselves.

00:08:43--> 00:08:46

When it comes to them, this is their nephew.

00:08:47--> 00:08:48

calling them to Allah.

00:08:50--> 00:08:53

Both of them are all of them are the sons of Abdulmutallab.

00:08:54--> 00:09:12

They are his uncle's yet reaction was different, the way it was process, it was different. So reminder brothers and sisters benefits the believers and reminder is something that may not necessarily be new, but rather something that you know.

00:09:14--> 00:09:17

And believers benefit from the reminder whenever it comes to them.

00:09:19--> 00:09:24

Now, that leads me to the topic of today's call.

00:09:26--> 00:09:34

We spoke in the past about how there is a need to follow some kind of plan,

00:09:36--> 00:09:45

an agenda, a program to improve ourselves. And we talked I mentioned to you four points that we need to focus on. And then

00:09:46--> 00:09:59

after that football I spoke about the first point which has to do or which had to do with seeking knowledge. And today, I would like to speak about the second point which had to do with the pursuit of virtue.

00:10:02--> 00:10:07

If you examine this very example that I spoke about in the beginning,

00:10:08--> 00:10:11

what is it that makes one person humble himself?

00:10:13--> 00:10:19

What is it that makes one person benefits from it, that's what makes us different from one another.

00:10:21--> 00:10:24

You can have two individuals, identical twins.

00:10:25--> 00:10:32

You can't tell them physically, you can't tell them apart. They look alike. However, they are two different individuals

00:10:34--> 00:10:38

with different traits, different personalities altogether.

00:10:40--> 00:10:43

And that is what we need to attend to and focus on

00:10:46--> 00:10:47

pursuing virtues.

00:10:49--> 00:10:55

examining our personalities and our character, identifying

00:10:56--> 00:10:57

the good

00:10:58--> 00:10:59

the virtues,

00:11:01--> 00:11:03

those noble qualities,

00:11:04--> 00:11:14

and identifying the vices, those shortcomings, those faults that we have, that each and every single one of us has.

00:11:16--> 00:11:19

And that is a lifelong struggle

00:11:20--> 00:11:23

that each and every single one of us has engaged in.

00:11:25--> 00:11:39

And those of us who think that this is a secondary issue, or that their personalities need no improvement, but they don't need anyone to get up and talk to them or preach to them

00:11:40--> 00:11:46

about other manner, mannerism and behavior, they don't need that.

00:11:48--> 00:11:54

They believe that they're above that they're the very people that need this the most.

00:11:57--> 00:12:04

Anytime someone thinks or believes that he or she don't need anyone to tell them how to behave,

00:12:05--> 00:12:08

or that they need to improve.

00:12:09--> 00:12:15

These individuals are the ones that need this reminder the most. And they better humble themselves to

00:12:16--> 00:12:24

character. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says in number two, they will tell me Masada will feel the way

00:12:25--> 00:12:28

I was solely sent

00:12:30--> 00:12:32

to perfect noble mannerism.

00:12:35--> 00:12:36

That's what I was sent for.

00:12:39--> 00:12:41

Add on that which was present,

00:12:43--> 00:12:44

enhance the good

00:12:46--> 00:12:52

identify vices, even those that are culturally accepted.

00:12:54--> 00:12:55

And put them aside, get rid of them,

00:12:56--> 00:13:01

read individuals, families and communities from those devices.

00:13:04--> 00:13:08

If you examine the problems of the world, all these crisis that we have,

00:13:09--> 00:13:13

and you try to come up with the root cause of

00:13:14--> 00:13:17

it will all boil down to immortality.

00:13:20--> 00:13:25

We are living an ethical crisis everywhere.

00:13:27--> 00:13:33

And this issue has to be addressed. And anytime you want to bring or you want to start

00:13:34--> 00:13:36

a revolution or you want to bring a change.

00:13:39--> 00:13:42

Anytime you want to improve and reform yourself,

00:13:43--> 00:13:48

you have to start with yourself. And I believe in the system, the biggest

00:13:50--> 00:13:54

and the best contribution to the world that you have to offer is

00:13:56--> 00:13:59

offering the world a better meet and a better you

00:14:01--> 00:14:02

a better individual

00:14:04--> 00:14:13

and work on this. If you remember I said the first step was to seek knowledge and we talked about the importance of seeking knowledge. And the second step was

00:14:14--> 00:14:20

this issue of mannerism and proving that you see,

00:14:21--> 00:14:22

we are the followers

00:14:25--> 00:14:28

that I will set for this purpose. Now,

00:14:29--> 00:14:30

let me take you back

00:14:32--> 00:14:33

to the time of

00:14:36--> 00:14:41

Abraham, he was so concerned about the future of his offspring.

00:14:43--> 00:14:44

He was concerned

00:14:45--> 00:14:50

and we know that he prayed for his descendants. He prayed for us.

00:14:52--> 00:14:59

He prayed for the tendrils of sweat. He prayed for the descendants of Isaiah. He prayed for us. He was concerned about our

00:15:02--> 00:15:16

A lot of welfare, he was concerned about our prosperity. He was concerned about our future. May Allah is still a piece of blessing upon him out of our product.

00:15:18--> 00:15:24

And one of the worst things that he prayed for was the messenger, a prophet.

00:15:26--> 00:15:30

When he left Ishmael, and with his mother, eight years, in,

00:15:33--> 00:15:35

he prayed for them,

00:15:36--> 00:15:40

and for their descendants, and one of the most specific

00:15:42--> 00:15:47

matters that he prayed for was a messenger to bring out of that like a messenger.

00:15:48--> 00:15:59

And here's what he said, have been all over our board. What I see most people said to them, the messenger from amongst themselves.

00:16:01--> 00:16:03

Yes, do I have

00:16:04--> 00:16:06

to recite your verses to them?

00:16:08--> 00:16:13

Well, you I think the more that you can go ahead and teach them the book and the Wisdom.

00:16:15--> 00:16:20

When there's a team, and presented by them, and purified,

00:16:21--> 00:16:23

send them someone with these,

00:16:25--> 00:16:26

these blessings.

00:16:29--> 00:16:35

These are the three things that you prayed for investment there, whose mission will include

00:16:37--> 00:16:41

that he recites to them the first of all, number one,

00:16:43--> 00:16:56

teach them the book and the Wisdom, number two, and number three, purify them, make them better people. So not only teach them the knowledge, and help them connect Data to Knowledge, but also make them better,

00:17:00--> 00:17:06

more ethical, this is what he prayed for. Now, I love the almighty

00:17:07--> 00:17:08

promises that delivers,

00:17:10--> 00:17:18

and the purpose or the face of the believer that their prayers will be accepted. And when I was accepted that prayer,

00:17:19--> 00:17:20

he gives you

00:17:23--> 00:17:27

either what you asked for, or something more, something better.

00:17:28--> 00:18:02

Something superior. That's what I was. But never would he give you something less than what you have. If you're afraid of a loss of power, that is gracious, and lots of power is full of grace. So what is the most powerful gotta do a lot of answers the prayer of property. After hundreds of years, the prayer is answered. And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says, I am the answer to the prayer of life of my grandfather, my great grandfather.

00:18:07--> 00:18:08

In the last

00:18:10--> 00:18:11

two places,

00:18:13--> 00:18:13

who was ready.

00:18:16--> 00:18:22

He is the one that said to the letter people, a messenger from amongst themselves.

00:18:25--> 00:18:25

To do

00:18:26--> 00:18:33

three things, the same three points, the same three elements from the working class yet

00:18:34--> 00:18:38

to recite these verses, however, the hospitality package changes the order.

00:18:40--> 00:18:42

Number two, which is a key

00:18:43--> 00:18:44

sacrifice.

00:18:46--> 00:18:56

That's a form of profit upon emission. Last loss of habitat emissions is second, and then we write even more detail about him. And then he teaches them the book.

00:19:00--> 00:19:03

Now the order is different. Does that tell you something?

00:19:05--> 00:19:06

in two places in

00:19:07--> 00:19:09

response to that, and it both

00:19:11--> 00:19:14

outputs the order as he recites the verses,

00:19:15--> 00:19:17

he sacrifices or purifies them.

00:19:19--> 00:19:22

And he teaches them in the book in the wisdom.

00:19:23--> 00:19:24

Was this a random

00:19:26--> 00:19:27

issue?

00:19:28--> 00:19:29

Was this an accident?

00:19:31--> 00:19:32

The last half of added

00:19:33--> 00:19:34

this oma

00:19:36--> 00:19:46

something less than what prompted us because obviously it's not the same because the order has changed. And anytime there's a change to the order, there is some kind of significance.

00:19:47--> 00:19:53

There's a wisdom behind it. Or the the must have had a different discipline but something better.

00:19:54--> 00:19:59

There was indeed something there. So lots of ambition.

00:20:01--> 00:20:21

Primary elements of the mission of the Prophet and the messenger or loss or whatever it was, that he came to purifies His sacrifice. That's exactly what the prophet SAW. Selim was able to accomplish with that extraordinary generation that we know, as a habit, different kinds of impossible lobbies.

00:20:54--> 00:20:57

Anyone that resources, the history of the school,

00:20:59--> 00:21:00

and the lack of the possible

00:21:01--> 00:21:15

talents, and particularly out of that history, you will see how Apostle Paul was able, in a matter of years, to take this group of people who work into killing one another robbing

00:21:17--> 00:21:23

a society that was not that they didn't have any good qualities and good customs they did.

00:21:25--> 00:21:28

But if you compare them to the vices and the hills that they have,

00:21:30--> 00:21:31

they needed a messenger,

00:21:32--> 00:21:34

they needed a savior.

00:21:35--> 00:21:38

So the foxhole love, it takes that group of people

00:21:39--> 00:21:42

and matters of year,

00:21:43--> 00:21:49

in a matter of years, what 13 to 23 years.

00:21:50--> 00:21:55

And they become the most single, most organized, most effective

00:21:56--> 00:21:58

generation that was ever brought out.

00:22:02--> 00:22:03

How did he do it?

00:22:06--> 00:22:10

And we have access to that same program, the same agenda that they use?

00:22:13--> 00:22:19

Do we have access to that roadmap, that the problem solver Why isn't a new device?

00:22:22--> 00:22:25

Or was that only a privilege that they haven't we don't have

00:22:26--> 00:22:28

the sap Rosa system we have

00:22:29--> 00:22:38

we have in the province of the law, it will send a letter to us. And he said whoever holds on to them will never go straight.

00:22:40--> 00:22:41

And that is the book of the law.

00:22:42--> 00:22:46

For when I showed them I'm was asked by the second generation of people.

00:22:47--> 00:22:53

The second generation that was the king, they said they asked about the characters,

00:22:54--> 00:22:55

what was the like?

00:22:58--> 00:22:59

summarize it

00:23:00--> 00:23:01

is the words.

00:23:02--> 00:23:03

Canada

00:23:06--> 00:23:11

please fill in the gaps, like least about one way.

00:23:16--> 00:23:25

So I told him I said that the purpose of the law abiding citizens character was the hotel. Meaning he was the embodiment of governor

00:23:27--> 00:23:37

and his actions and his reaction, he was nothing but a reflection of of radical principles and values. That's what the purpose of our values and it was.

00:23:39--> 00:23:41

So now that you think that,

00:23:42--> 00:23:43

yes, we don't have

00:23:44--> 00:23:56

a person, but we when we have this character, we have what inspires us to have, we have the example preserved in his book, in the book of law,

00:23:58--> 00:24:03

it is preserved. And then on top of that, a lot of it was sentences

00:24:04--> 00:24:05

or animals.

00:24:07--> 00:24:12

And I was getting something of a similar value. And that is as soon as tradition.

00:24:13--> 00:24:15

His companions and those

00:24:17--> 00:24:22

noble scholar hours made sure that they preserve from the traditional path for

00:24:23--> 00:24:33

that which we need and they preserve it. So now, not only do we have that we have interpretation, we have the manual of whoever that is as soon as possible.

00:24:36--> 00:24:37

So we have what it takes.

00:24:39--> 00:24:45

We have the knowledge we have the resources. But the question is what we lack broken system, if you remember that

00:24:47--> 00:24:50

analogy with that point that I gave you before.

00:24:51--> 00:24:52

And I said that

00:24:53--> 00:24:55

and the seven habits.

00:24:57--> 00:24:59

The book, how Stephen Covey was talking about habits

00:25:00--> 00:25:03

The second habit is something that you will be able to

00:25:04--> 00:25:13

accomplish or something that you will be able to find at the intersection of knowledge. And the knowledge is sources are available of admission.

00:25:15--> 00:25:18

But you have to have two other components, still.

00:25:20--> 00:25:23

And we have each never seen a lot of statistics.

00:25:25--> 00:25:28

And the third element that is needed was desire.

00:25:30--> 00:25:37

And that's where people fail. So the question is, do we have the desire to go in and watch the evidence

00:25:39--> 00:25:42

and approve and change and become better?

00:25:43--> 00:25:46

Or demeanor, the purpose or the love it was in that setting?

00:25:47--> 00:25:49

And of course, it is an obvious

00:25:50--> 00:25:52

It is, it is an obvious

00:25:53--> 00:25:57

conclusion. The problem is that

00:25:58--> 00:26:08

the most beloved, and the closest of you, to me, on the day of judgment, are not those the promises the closest

00:26:09--> 00:26:10

that have been

00:26:11--> 00:26:18

made to this idea of a piano? And I pause for a second, what did he say? Did he say those who memorize the most?

00:26:19--> 00:26:34

Or those who have the highest of degrees? Or those who have the most wealth? Or those who have the best social status? Or those who are the most popular? Are those who are the most handsome, beautiful? What did he say is?

00:26:36--> 00:26:52

What did he focus on? What's his view on me or anyone else to be the closest to the bumps on our Bibles on the Day of Judgment, and you know, what it needs to be close to the promise of a law abiding citizen, that needs to be within the safety zone,

00:26:55--> 00:27:02

the safety zone, to be in the back of the office will allow you to the center and that special circle of people?

00:27:03--> 00:27:04

What does it take?

00:27:06--> 00:27:08

What kind of person you have to be

00:27:09--> 00:27:11

any kind of lineage,

00:27:13--> 00:27:15

any particular culture or language,

00:27:18--> 00:27:23

who can make it to that zone, the possible law abiding citizen, I have

00:27:25--> 00:27:28

the best view in terms of their manners,

00:27:29--> 00:27:32

the best view in terms of their manners.

00:27:33--> 00:27:37

Great. Now each and every single one of us thinks that he is the best.

00:27:39--> 00:27:58

I don't know some of the things that some people do, I'm a decent person, I must be the best. The problem was, and then another headache, he gives you another criteria. It is not you who determines whether you are the best or not. But rather, you will know that you are the best.

00:27:59--> 00:28:09

If those who are the closest to you, those whom we usually take for granted, those who we know that they will put up with our abuse.

00:28:12--> 00:28:20

The father said the best of you are the best to the members of the household, to their families, and another generation to the women.

00:28:22--> 00:28:23

Those who can demonstrate

00:28:26--> 00:28:44

noble characteristics with one of those who can hold on to their, to their ethical values, and to their moral standards, even with those whom we take for granted, those who we think or we believe will be there, no matter what we do to them, no matter what we say to them.

00:28:48--> 00:28:52

Those who can do that those who are the best to them are the best.

00:28:54--> 00:28:55

And the passive.

00:28:56--> 00:29:01

I have the best of all of you, to my wife or to my women.

00:29:03--> 00:29:04

So this is what determines.

00:29:06--> 00:29:16

And that's why brothers and sisters, you will not I'll say, men, we will not know who we are and what kind of character we have. We get married.

00:29:18--> 00:29:21

And then marriage, marriage comes into your life.

00:29:22--> 00:29:29

If you want to know what kind of character you have, what kind of man you are, whether you're a real man or not, you get married

00:29:31--> 00:29:32

and exactly what yourself.

00:29:33--> 00:29:40

Last but not least, I want to dig into this. You know, we live in a time where people are so obsessed with their books.

00:29:43--> 00:29:44

People you know,

00:29:45--> 00:29:59

lift this part of their bodies and then they inject that part of their body. They do injections and reductions and right trying to look good and try to appeal as if it was kind of validated. So that

00:30:00--> 00:30:10

They would just appeal to one another and impress one another. That is our purpose of this fight or purpose of this life is to impress or to please a loss of habitat.

00:30:11--> 00:30:14

Yes, we put a lot of emphasis on how it looks.

00:30:16--> 00:30:17

We're so

00:30:18--> 00:30:25

we're so obsessed. And I'm not saying, don't be fit that don't have healthy body. This is a different philosophy.

00:31:14--> 00:31:18

There is a special group of people. Not everyone would benefit from the reminder.

00:31:20--> 00:31:34

And that's why two individuals might be exposed to the same reminder might experience the same incident might hear the same message. And they interpret it differently. They process it differently and they react to it differently.

00:31:36--> 00:31:40

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam offered his message

00:31:42--> 00:31:44

to his to the members of his household

00:31:45--> 00:31:49

and to his extended family and to his to his tribesmen.

00:31:52--> 00:31:59

The message of the power some of my money was sent him for instance, was heard and observed by his uncles and his aunts.

00:32:01--> 00:32:03

Take the example of his uncle's

00:32:07--> 00:32:15

donation accept the message. And they turn away from it. One was too shy, and the other one was too arrogant.

00:32:19--> 00:32:25

And Hamza and an ambassador of the Amman humor, they accept the message. humble themselves.

00:32:27--> 00:32:30

When it comes to them, this is their nephew.

00:32:31--> 00:32:37

calling them to Allah. Both of them are all of them are the sons of Abdulmutallab.

00:32:38--> 00:32:56

They are his uncle's yet, reaction was different, the way it was processed, it was different. So reminder, brothers and sisters benefits that believers and reminder is something that may not necessarily be new, but rather something that you know.

00:32:58--> 00:33:01

And believers benefits from the reminder whenever it comes to them.

00:33:03--> 00:33:08

Now, that leads me to the topic of today's call.

00:33:10--> 00:33:18

We spoke in the past about how there is a need to follow some kind of plan

00:33:20--> 00:33:29

and agenda, a program to improve ourselves. And we talked I mentioned to you four points that we need to focus on. And then

00:33:30--> 00:33:44

after that football, I spoke about the first point which has to do or which had to do with seeking knowledge. And today, I would like to speak about the second point which had to do with the pursuit of virtue.

00:33:46--> 00:33:51

If you examine this very example that I spoke about in the beginning,

00:33:52--> 00:33:55

what is it that makes one person humbled himself?

00:33:57--> 00:34:03

What is it that makes one person benefits from it? That's what makes us different from one another.

00:34:05--> 00:34:07

You can have two individuals, identical twins.

00:34:09--> 00:34:16

You can't tell them physically, you can't tell them apart. They look alike. However, they are two different individuals

00:34:18--> 00:34:22

with different traits, different personalities altogether.

00:34:24--> 00:34:27

And that is what we need to attend to and focus on

00:34:30--> 00:34:31

pursuing virtues.

00:34:33--> 00:34:38

examining our personalities and our character, identifying

00:34:40--> 00:34:40

the good

00:34:42--> 00:34:43

the virtues,

00:34:44--> 00:34:47

those noble qualities,

00:34:48--> 00:34:58

and identifying the vices, those shortcomings, those faults that we have that each and every single one of us has.

00:35:00--> 00:35:03

And that is a life long struggle

00:35:04--> 00:35:07

that each and every single one of us has engaged in.

00:35:09--> 00:35:23

And those of us who think that this is a secondary issue, or that their personalities need no improvement, that they don't need anyone to get up and talk to them or preach to them

00:35:24--> 00:35:29

about other manner, mannerism and behavior, they don't need that.

00:35:32--> 00:35:37

They believe that they're above that. They're the very people that need this the most.

00:35:41--> 00:35:48

Anytime someone thinks or believes that he or she don't need anyone to tell them how to behave,

00:35:49--> 00:35:52

or that they need to improve.

00:35:53--> 00:35:59

These individuals are the ones that need this reminder the most. And they better humble themselves to

00:36:00--> 00:36:11

character. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says in number two, they will tell me masala will be required McCallum Allah, I was solely sent

00:36:13--> 00:36:16

to perfect noble mannerism.

00:36:19--> 00:36:20

That's what I was sent for.

00:36:23--> 00:36:25

Add on that which was present,

00:36:27--> 00:36:28

enhance the good

00:36:30--> 00:36:35

identify vices, even those that are culturally accepted.

00:36:38--> 00:36:39

And put them aside, get rid of them.

00:36:40--> 00:36:45

Read individuals, families and communities from those devices.

00:36:47--> 00:36:52

If you examine the problems of the world, all these crises that we have,

00:36:53--> 00:36:57

and you try to come up with the root cause of

00:36:58--> 00:37:01

it will all boil down to immorality.

00:37:04--> 00:37:08

We are living an ethical crisis everywhere.

00:37:10--> 00:37:17

And this issue has to be addressed. And anytime you want to bring or you want to start

00:37:18--> 00:37:20

a revolution or you want to bring a change.

00:37:22--> 00:37:26

Anytime you want to improve and reform, I have to sharpen yourself,

00:37:27--> 00:37:30

you have to start with yourself. And I believe one of

00:37:32--> 00:37:32

the biggest

00:37:33--> 00:37:38

and the best contribution to the world that you like to offer is

00:37:40--> 00:37:43

offer the world a better meet and a better you

00:37:45--> 00:37:46

a better individual

00:37:47--> 00:37:56

and work on this. If you remember I said the first step was to seek knowledge and we talked about the importance of seeking knowledge. And the second step was

00:37:58--> 00:38:00

this issue of mannerism

00:38:02--> 00:38:04

proving that you see,

00:38:05--> 00:38:06

we are the followers

00:38:09--> 00:38:12

that I will set for this purpose. Now

00:38:13--> 00:38:14

let me take you back

00:38:16--> 00:38:17

to the title of

00:38:20--> 00:38:25

ever had. He was so concerned about the future or his offspring.

00:38:27--> 00:38:28

He was concerned.

00:38:29--> 00:38:34

And we know that he prayed for his descendants. He prayed for us.

00:38:36--> 00:38:43

He prayed for the tenants of Smith, he pray for the descendants of Isaiah. He paved roads, he was concerned about our

00:38:46--> 00:38:54

own welfare. He was concerned about our prosperity. He was concerned about our future. We are

00:38:55--> 00:38:59

so piece of blessing upon him out of our product.

00:39:02--> 00:39:07

And one of those things that he prayed for was the messenger, a prophet.

00:39:10--> 00:39:14

When he left Ishmael, and with his mother, eight years, invited,

00:39:17--> 00:39:19

he prayed for them

00:39:20--> 00:39:24

and for their descendants, and one of the most specific

00:39:26--> 00:39:31

matters that he prayed for was a messenger to bring out of that line of messenger.

00:39:32--> 00:39:33

And here's what he said

00:39:35--> 00:39:39

about our board what he

00:39:40--> 00:39:43

said to them the messenger from amongst themselves.

00:39:45--> 00:39:50

Yes, do I even have to recite your verses today?

00:39:52--> 00:39:57

When you need more detail, go ahead and teach them the book and the wisdom.

00:39:59--> 00:39:59

Wisdom

00:40:00--> 00:40:03

As a team, and presented by them and purified,

00:40:05--> 00:40:07

send them someone with these,

00:40:09--> 00:40:10

these lessons.

00:40:12--> 00:40:19

These are the three things that he prayed for investment there, whose mission will include

00:40:21--> 00:40:25

that he recites to them the person below, number one,

00:40:27--> 00:40:34

teach them the book and the Wisdom, number two, and number three, purify them, make them better people. So not only teach them

00:40:35--> 00:40:36

and help them connect,

00:40:37--> 00:40:40

data, knowledge, but also make them better,

00:40:43--> 00:40:50

more ethical, this is what he prayed for. Now, I love the almighty

00:40:51--> 00:40:52

promises that delivers.

00:40:54--> 00:41:02

And the purpose or the fist of the believer that their prayers will be accepted. And when I was accepted the prayer

00:41:03--> 00:41:04

he gives you

00:41:07--> 00:41:11

either what you asked for, or something more, something better,

00:41:12--> 00:41:46

something superior. That's what it was. But never would he give you something less than what you'd have asked for. If you're afraid of a loss of power, balance, gracious, a loss of power pallets full of grace. So what is the most powerful data do a lot of answers the prayer of property bombing after hundreds of years, the prayer is answered. And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says, I am the answer to the prayer of life of my grandfather, my great grandfather,

00:41:51--> 00:41:52

in the last half hour,

00:41:54--> 00:41:55

in two places,

00:41:56--> 00:41:57

whoever the guy,

00:42:00--> 00:42:06

he is the one that said to the letter people, a messenger from amongst themselves

00:42:08--> 00:42:09

to do

00:42:10--> 00:42:17

three things, the same three points, the same three elements from the working class book yet

00:42:18--> 00:42:20

to recite these verses, however,

00:42:22--> 00:42:22

the order

00:42:24--> 00:42:26

number two wings that he

00:42:27--> 00:42:28

sacrificed.

00:42:29--> 00:42:40

That's a form of the founding mission. Last, but it doesn't have animations that second, and then we write even more detail about him. And then he teaches them the book.

00:42:43--> 00:42:47

Now the order is different. Does that tell you something?

00:42:49--> 00:42:50

in two places in

00:42:51--> 00:42:53

response to that, and it

00:42:55--> 00:42:58

puts the order as he recites the verses,

00:42:59--> 00:43:01

he said to find your peer advisor.

00:43:03--> 00:43:05

And he teaches in the book in the wisdom

00:43:07--> 00:43:08

was this a random

00:43:10--> 00:43:10

issue?

00:43:12--> 00:43:13

Was this an accident he

00:43:15--> 00:43:16

did not have a valid

00:43:17--> 00:43:18

this oma

00:43:19--> 00:43:30

something less than one property value pass. Because obviously it's not the same because the order has changed. And anytime there's a change in the order, there's some kind of significance.

00:43:31--> 00:43:37

There's a wisdom behind it, or the loss of habitat to give this woman something better.

00:43:39--> 00:43:39

Eat something better.

00:43:40--> 00:43:41

So let's have a

00:43:44--> 00:44:05

primary element of the mission of the Prophet and the messenger or loss or whatever it is that he needs to purify is his sacrifice. That's exactly what the promise of value seven was able to accomplish with that extraordinary generation that we know as a habit, different kinds of unboxing I love it.

00:44:07--> 00:44:08

I say this is for

00:44:09--> 00:44:10

those who listen.

00:44:32--> 00:44:32

Have you

00:44:35--> 00:44:36

ever had

00:44:38--> 00:44:41

anyone that reads your studies the history of the school

00:44:43--> 00:44:59

and the lack of the possible love it was at Disney palace and particularly out of that history. You will see how the passamaquoddy was able in a matter of years to take this group of people who were into killing one another robbing

00:45:01--> 00:45:07

A society that was not that they didn't have any good qualities and good customs they did.

00:45:09--> 00:45:12

But if you compare them to the vices and the hills that they have

00:45:14--> 00:45:15

they needed a messenger.

00:45:16--> 00:45:17

They needed a savior.

00:45:18--> 00:45:22

So the path of love, it takes that group of people

00:45:23--> 00:45:26

and matters of yours

00:45:27--> 00:45:33

in a matter of years, what, 13 to 23 years.

00:45:34--> 00:45:39

And they become the most civil, most organized, most effective

00:45:40--> 00:45:42

generation that was ever brought up.

00:45:46--> 00:45:47

How did he do it? So a lot of money.

00:45:50--> 00:45:54

And we have access to that same program, same agenda that they use.

00:45:57--> 00:46:03

Do we have access to that roadmap, that the problem so why isn't a new device?

00:46:06--> 00:46:12

Or was that only a privilege that they had? And we don't have? Yes, at rose asst we have,

00:46:13--> 00:46:22

we have in the province of the law, he sent a letter to us. And he said, Whoever holds on to them will never go straight.

00:46:23--> 00:46:25

And that is the book of the law.

00:46:26--> 00:46:30

For when I told him I was asked by the second generation of people,

00:46:31--> 00:46:36

the second generation, they came, they said, they asked by the captain,

00:46:38--> 00:46:39

What was he like?

00:46:42--> 00:46:42

summarize it

00:46:44--> 00:46:45

is the words,

00:46:46--> 00:46:47

Canada,

00:46:50--> 00:46:55

please go forward and fill in the gaps, like least about one way

00:47:00--> 00:47:00

so

00:47:02--> 00:47:02

that the

00:47:04--> 00:47:09

character was the correct meaning he was the embodiment of governor

00:47:11--> 00:47:19

and his actions and his reaction, he was nothing but a reflection of of radical principles, and values. That's what

00:47:20--> 00:47:21

it was.

00:47:23--> 00:47:24

So now that you think that,

00:47:26--> 00:47:27

yes, we don't have

00:47:28--> 00:47:40

a person. But we when we have this character, we have what inspires us to have, we have the example preserved in his book, in the book of Allah.

00:47:42--> 00:47:48

It is preserved. And then on top of that Apostle Paul biosensor, He will teach

00:47:51--> 00:47:56

you something of a similar value, and that is his students tradition.

00:47:57--> 00:47:59

His few titles, and those

00:48:00--> 00:48:05

noble scholars scholar of ours made sure that they preserve from the traditional past

00:48:07--> 00:48:17

that which we need, and they preserve it so that not only do we have that we have the interpretation, we have the manual, that is the suit of the prophecy.

00:48:20--> 00:48:21

So we have what it takes.

00:48:23--> 00:48:29

We have the knowledge, we have the resources. But the question is what we lack rather than the system, if you remember that

00:48:31--> 00:48:34

analogy with that point that I gave you before.

00:48:35--> 00:48:36

And I said that

00:48:37--> 00:48:39

the seven habits,

00:48:40--> 00:48:47

the book, how Stephen Covey was talking about habits, and he said the habit is something that you will be able to

00:48:48--> 00:48:57

accomplish or something that you will be able to find at the intersection of knowledge and the knowledge his sources are available of ammunition.

00:48:58--> 00:49:02

But you have to have two other components still.

00:49:04--> 00:49:07

And we have each never seen a lot of sentences.

00:49:09--> 00:49:12

And the third element that is needed was desire.

00:49:13--> 00:49:21

And that's where people fail. So the question is, do we have the desire to go and approach the world

00:49:22--> 00:49:26

and improve and change and become better?

00:49:27--> 00:49:30

Or do the purpose or the love it was in that setting?

00:49:31--> 00:49:33

And of course, it is an obvious

00:49:34--> 00:49:36

it is it is an obvious

00:49:37--> 00:49:41

conclusion. The problem is that

00:49:42--> 00:49:52

the most beloved, and the closest of you, to me, on the Day of Judgment are not those, the process, the closest

00:49:53--> 00:49:54

that have been

00:49:55--> 00:49:59

made to this idea of a piano and I pause for a second what it is

00:50:00--> 00:50:02

Did he say those who memorize the most?

00:50:03--> 00:50:18

Or those who have the highest of degrees? Or those who have most wealth? Or those who have the best social status? Or those who are the most popular? Or those who are the most handsome, beautiful? What did he say is Auto Center?

00:50:19--> 00:50:36

What did he focus on? What qualifies you or me or anyone else to be the closest to the bottom of our Bibles on the Day of Judgment, and you know what it needs to be close to the promise of a law abiding citizen, that needs to be within the safety zone,

00:50:39--> 00:50:42

the safety zone to be in the band in the foxhole.

00:50:44--> 00:50:45

And that special circle of people,

00:50:47--> 00:50:48

what does it take?

00:50:50--> 00:50:51

What kind of person you have to be

00:50:53--> 00:50:54

any kind of lineage,

00:50:57--> 00:50:59

any particular culture or language,

00:51:02--> 00:51:05

who can make it to that zone, the boxer was

00:51:09--> 00:51:11

the best of you in terms of their manners,

00:51:13--> 00:51:15

the best view in terms of their methods.

00:51:17--> 00:51:21

Great. Now, each and every single one of us thinks that he is the best.

00:51:23--> 00:51:24

I

00:51:25--> 00:51:30

think that some people do, I'm a decent person, I must be the best

00:51:31--> 00:51:42

process of loss and another headache, he gives you another criteria. It is not you who determines whether you're the best or not. But rather, you will know that you're the best.

00:51:43--> 00:51:52

If those who are the closest to you, those who usually take for granted, those who we know that they will put up with our abuse.

00:51:56--> 00:52:04

The father said the best of you are the best to the members of the household, to their families, and another generation to their women.

00:52:06--> 00:52:07

Those who can demonstrate

00:52:10--> 00:52:21

noble characteristics with one of those who can hold on to their, to their ethical values, and to their moral standards, even with those whom we take for granted.

00:52:22--> 00:52:28

What we believe will be there, no matter what we use it, no matter what we say to them.

00:52:32--> 00:52:36

Those who can do that those who are the best to them are the best.

00:52:38--> 00:52:38

And the parts that

00:52:40--> 00:52:45

I am the best of all of you, to my wife or to my women.

00:52:47--> 00:52:48

So this is what determines.

00:52:49--> 00:53:00

And that's why what is this this is you will not know I'll say, men, we will not know who we are and what kind of character we have, do we get married.

00:53:01--> 00:53:04

And then marriage, marriage, because

00:53:06--> 00:53:13

if you want to know what kind of character you have, what kind of man you are, whether you're a man or not, you get married

00:53:15--> 00:53:16

and examine yourself.

00:53:17--> 00:53:24

Last but not least one of the sisters how to deal with this. You know, we live in a time where people are so obsessed with their books.

00:53:27--> 00:53:28

People, you know,

00:53:29--> 00:53:54

lift this part of their bodies and they inject that part of their body. They do ingestion reductions in right trying to look good and try to appeal as if the last panel calibrated so that they would just appeal to one another and impress one another. That is our purpose in this life purpose of this life is to impress or to please a loss of habitat.

00:53:55--> 00:53:58

Yes, we put a lot of emphasis on our lives.

00:54:00--> 00:54:09

We're so obsessed with. We're so obsessed. And I'm not saying don't be fit, don't have healthy body. This is a different philosophy.