The prophet salallahu alihi wasalam said that the example of people upon whom the Revelation Falls are like the different types of lands. Some people are like hard lands that shaped in a way That’s like a rock. The rains is hits it. It doesn’t absorb it. The rock doesn’t absorb it. The surface doesn’t absorb it nor does it benefit anybody or anything else around it. Then the prophet (saw) said but there’s then a surface that’s like it’s hard but it’s bowl-shaped or it’s shaped in a way that I could carry some water but none of the water is absorbed. then he (saw) said there is surface, That’s like soil.

It takes in the water. It absorbs it. And you know if you think about this in terms of benefit, by the way, right? the the bowl shaped surface that carries water right away offers an immediate sense of gratification and benefit to everything but itself. but once the water is gone, it’s just like the first type of land, right? it’s exposed for its bareness and for its hardness, that type of person the prophet (saw) said is like a person who benefits others with the Revelation but does not benefit themselves, meaning for a short while you’re able to get something out of it and you’re able to offer something from it, but the water gets drunk really quick and then there is nothing left to it. You never actually absorbed it you, just gave others something of it to benefit from. but that other person that’s like soil when the soil absorbs the water. That means that first and foremost. The primary beneficiary of that water, of that Revelation is the person themselves.

That it went deep inside of me, it penetrated. The other implication of that is that it’s going to bear fruit and bear vegetation in the long run. So while the surface that carries the water and that’s a hard surface in the short-term gives people an immediate sense of benefit. The soil doesn’t provide immediate benefit put it provides long-term benefits. And that type of benefit is not just to other parties but it starts off with you. You soak it in, your heart gets saturated by it. And subhanallah, you know, what else? That type of vegetation whatever comes out of that, you might be able to break a branch or break a tree. But it’s so deeply rooted in the soil of your heart that even if people are able to get you momentarily. You’ll just grow something else back. When you talk about how you are meant to represent Islam, I recognize the immense pressure upon young people in particular to have to represent Islam, especially when they have not been able at times to absorb it and it’s most beautiful sense. Make sure that as you’re interacting with religion. in a time when people immediately hear and speak; receive and show; make sure that you’re taking some quiet time to actually try to absorb and appreciate the profound transformative nature of this message. Make sure that you’re actually taking time for yourself, Make sure that before you preach it you practice it, you know with every other form of knowledge. You learn it and then you teach it and Islam you learn, you implement, Then you teach, you learn, Implement, teach and that process never can be interrupted. It has to be that in between your learning and your teaching there is some level of implementation and for a person that has to interact with a broader society that has such ugly Impressions about this beautiful religion what that means is making sure that you allocate some time to read by yourself, to meditate upon the meanings of this religion by yourself at times. No social structure is going to fill that void of your own,. your own ability to sit and to ponder upon the meanings of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw) what the …..not does is it reinvigorates you it motivates you, it gives you the tools so that you can do that on your own, but Take a step back. And actually try to absorb it. To be a person of substance.

Because if the only way you’ve interacted with the Quran is listening and reciting and the only way you’ve interacted with the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw) is treating it like a reference so that you go and you get the Hadith that you need or you get the lecture that you need so that you can give it to somebody else, at no point in that process. Was there a moment for you to actually absorb it to sit with yourself and actually absorb it. you know, a lot of people think that the reason why I don’t need to do that is because I’m already living or demonstrating some of those meanings. But the reality is that you you’re just that bowl that’s giving water to other people but you haven’t given it a chance to actually penetrate deep into your heart. sometimes even in your hardest moments Allah gives you an opportunity for growth, to grow out of that hard moment. And the idea here is that you don’t really know that you’re a person of substance or What You’re Made Of until you’re put through something that shakes you. And that’s where it comes out. You know anything about good character and Sunnah when I say the word Sunnah. usually it’s something that is external and its nature and the practices of the prophet (saw) the external practices are important. the sunnah as we understand them are important. I am not saying the deen does not Encompass those in that.. They’re not important part of our religion. Your exterior does matter, you know, there is something about it, but When the prophet (saw) was described what that you are upon an exalted standard of character and the prophet salallahu alaihe wasalam was described as Mission as that. I was sent only to perfect good manners.

There’s something deeper about his person, the character of the prophet (saw) was special. But as I said, you don’t really know what you’re made of until your shook, right? You want to know what the greatest test of good character is? the greatest test of your good character is how you deal with people with bad character. Imam al-ghazali (rah) said the greatest test of good character is how you deal with people with bad character. If you think about the person of the Prophet salallahu alihi wasalam his character shines brightest when it was challenged. It’s very easy to be nice to someone who’s being nice to you. It’s very easy to embody Ramah and mercy when it’s with someone who’s really deserving of Mercy around you. It’s very easy to embody empathy when it’s someone that naturally gives off a sentiment solicit that sympathy just by there being, it’s very easy to be for justice. When it forces someone that’s on your team, when you like the person that you’re standing justice for when it’s a popular cause of Justice, all of that is easy, but when you’re challenged and the only incentive that you have is to please Allah subhanahu wa’ta’ala and you have to access that inner self. That’s when you know what you’re made of. That’s when you know whether you’re a person of substance or not. How do I get there?

I recognize that I am constantly Muslim in training, the word for a person who does ehsan is what? moshen All of the qualities that the prophet (saw) embodies, you have to ask yourself. Look. I’m not at the moment. I don’t think that many of us have Abu jahal in our lives. If you do you need help. All right, like I don’t think any of us are experiencing some of the major episodes of challenge that the prophet (saw) experienced and a lot of times. Here’s the disconnect. There are two sides to this. One of them is there are words of what you’re supposed to do and say if you are in a situation that test your character in a major way, words that you’re supposed to recite, words that you’re supposed to do, words that are stories that are good metaphors that are good analogies that a good parable, that are good examples for you, if you end up in this difficult situation or the situation that challenges your character, challenges your substance.

The disconnect is this, every single day of your life is a chance to actually Bridge those two worlds to where you act upon those words. In the most simple ways and in your daily life so that when that comes to you and really test what’s on the inside, just like a person that’s been lifting weights. You’ve been building character. You’ve been building character along the way, you know inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon is not something you just say when somebody dies. Inna ma’al usri yusra (Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease) is not just with hardship comes ease is not just when a major tragedy strikes you, patience is not just when you have a life-altering tragedy in your life, gratitude is not just when someone gives you an out of the ordinary gift or bestows a blessing upon you in that way.

Prophet Sallallahu wasallam said whoever doesn’t thank Allah for the small things. It’s not going to be able to thank Allah for the big things. Whoever doesn’t daily or practice gratitude on a daily level, Is it going to understand how to really thank Allah subhanaw Taala when major things happened? Why is it that every single time you eat You say alhamdulillah? Why is it that every single time you wake up in the morning, And you say alhamdulillah you start off your day with praise? And a lack of entitlements, Alhamdulillaahillazi ahyaanaa ba’da maa amaata-naa wa ilaihinnushuur”.

All Praises be to Allah who gave us life after death and to him as the ultimate return. you start off your day with a sense of praise and with no expectation or entitlement of the day the tests that come to you the moments that offer opportunities for gratitude our patients the ability to practice the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw) that our character oriented that are not in the capacity of someone trying to kill you or someone killing your family, all of those things Bridge those two together the word and those major virtues that the prophet salallahu alaihe wasalam was able to capture what this means for how we interact with the world around us, dear brothers and sisters enough talking about the prophets. It’s time to act like the prophets, enough expecting people to Understand who the prophet (saw) was just because he was factually amazing and more of demonstrating those virtues of the prophet Salallahu alaihe wasalam in Your Capacity as a follower of the Prophet salallahu alaihe wasalam .remember yourself as a moshen in training. We ask Allah subhanaw Taala to make us all people who Excel, to make us all from the Mosheneen, to make us able representatives of the Prophet salallahu Alihi wasalam, to allow us to be the prophet salallahu alayhi wasalaam what he was to the Quran, to allow people to see him in us and in seeing him in US be attached to that which generated the beauty in him and us in the Holy Quran, Allahuma ameen.