This life and this world are full of imperfections.
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Do you know why? Why did Allah subhanahu wata’ala create this world with so much of hardship, difficulty and imperfections? When we say imperfections we mean even humankind as good as the posture maybe, it’s the best posture from all the creatures of Allah.
Allah Subhanahu WA Ta’ala tells us; We have created mankind in the best possible posture.
It means the positioning of every limb and organ of this particular species is absolutely the best.
There is no other position that you can ever come up with that is more superior to the norm that Allah has created.
Allah created us while He says mankind is created in the best of postures. He has allowed and catered for and made imperfections in us, guess why? But Allah had to have some flaws within us. Because Allah subhanahu wata’ala kept perfection for a totally different place, that’s why. If this world was perfect that other place would lose its value. What is that place? Jannah / paradise, mashallah. – Mufti Menk
I know of people who become stressed and depressed to the degree that they stopped praying. I called out to Allah but he doesn’t want to listen. The hadith says Allah will definitely respond your dua for as long as you don’t make haste.
I promise you, you need to have conviction that Allah has heard you and responded you and he will give you what you want, when the time is right.
In the dua of stikharah you say oh Allah if this is good for me my deen, my dunya meaning my religion, my life, my future, etc etc my hereafter then let it happen for me, make it easy for me and give me blessings in it, give me baraka in it. but oh Allah if you know in your knowledge and I don’t know, if you know in your knowledge that it’s not good for me then take it away from me, take me away from it and make me happy with your decree.
What was the degree that you’re not going to get it? So we want something we make Istikharah.
But the dua itself tells you that you know what you are saying if it’s good for me let it happen for me. if it’s not happening for you it means you said if it’s not good for me let it not happen for me so the doors are closed, the road is closed, another door is closed, a third door is closed and you still fighting along like a champion and you don’t know but you just made a dua, say oh Allah it’s not good for me take it away from me.
He is busy taking it away from you and you’re running after it.
This is why when you understand the knowledge of Allah and you ponder over it and you surrender to it. You won’t go wrong. So what is the knowledge of Allah?
He knows what happened, He knows what is happening and He knows what will happen. There is a fourth category that He knows and that’s the crux of the whole is Istikharah, subhanAllah.
He knows what happened, He knows what is happening, He knows what will happen and He knows what will not happen if it were to happen, how it would have happened. Allahu akbar.
What is never going to happen, it was never going to happen, it will never happen, if it did happen how it would have happened is part of the knowledge of Allah.
Now surrender to that. Just surrender to that you’ll be a happy person, believe firmly that the condition you’re in is the best possible condition for you right now. Even if its tough becauseAllah didn’t promise you that your life is going to be easy. He only promised you that He’s going to help you through the way if you have faith and conviction.
Sometimes young people say that’s quite boring; why would Allah make us scared to test us and I tell them you know what why did you go to school? Well, I went to school so that I can live and I can get a job after I’ve graduated and I can do something so that I can earn so that I can have a comfortable life.
Well, Allah says this whole life is just like a school; you’ve come here you can get your qualification so that you have your certificate on the Day of Judgment so that you can have a comfortable eternity, your entire life thereafter will be comfortable. so there will be rules and regulations just like at any school there’s rules and regulations.
There will be so much like school but we’re ready to do that for schools and to learn for a few years 20 years to study so hard in order to be able to learn for the next 30 or 40 years because at the age of about 55, 60; they retire you which means your books no longner are gonna help you.
The clock is ticking. Something somehow somewhere needs to change our lives positively. because if it doesn’t we can have wasted our time in life.
we prepare for this worldly life which is not going to last long and we teach our children to prepare for the worldly life that’s not going to last long and it’s not wrong by the way to prepare for it but we prepare for it much more than the interests that we have in the hereafter which is far greater, subhanAllah.
The biggest examination ever is not GCSE, it’s not A level, it’s not your university degree, no. the biggest examination ever, the result of it shall be on the day of judgement. Don’t lose focus.
People saying that in their marriages because their in-laws were not happy about their spouses marrying who they ended up marrying………………………………….
Your children choose their spouses and sometimes it will not be according to your taste because you married already. They have a different taste. So your choice of a wife may not be the same as your child’s choice of a wife or husband. So you need to make sure that you leave them with that and you are happy for them, being happy for your children make it easy for them, make dua for them.
You need to let it happen knowing that this is the blessing that’s coming into our home. If you don’t want to interact much with the person you don’t have to interact so much but please make sure that you make life easy for them, Allah will make life easy for you.
Remember when people go into a home, there’s a stigma on both sides. Some people think badly about a mother-in-law even before giving her a chance. Any small thing they think negative of that mother-in-law and sometimes the mother-in-law thinks on similar lines regarding the daughter-in-law, they don’t give them a chance, they believe that whatever they do was not with a good intention. They stick to their child such that anything the wife says to the son, they feel that perhaps the wife is trying to separate them from their own son which is not true.
When the child was born you decided everything for the child. As the child grew up Allah took away your decision-making little by little. The child becomes a parent or a husband or a wife in his or her own right .you cannot then decide to have that control and be upset with who they married. Give them a chance; if the two of them are happy what makes you unhappy? Why are you unhappy to see the happiness of your child that is a disease? It’s a disease that is shows a weakness in faith as even happier. If they’re happy something makes them happy so what? Alhumdillah be happy for them- Mufti Menk
Whenever we listen to something futile, there is a waste of time. We should actually turn away from it. If we don’t there will be a seed sown within our system that will germinate into a tree of sadness, a tree of something that is not beneficial.
And when they hear ill speech, they turn away from it and say, “For us are our deeds, and for you are your deeds. Peace will be upon you; we seek not the ignorant.” (28:55)
So Allah is telling you if you want contentment protect yourself from toxic people. There is a fine line between those who are toxic and those who need help and are willing to actually receive the help. You can help people who are open to you, helping them or you can try to help if you’re a professional or you think you can help but the moment you believe that this is going to affect me walk away because not everyone is so strong.
Allah is telling us the difference between those who have conviction, those who are convinced about what they have been promised by Allah.
Then is he whom We have promised a good promise which he will obtain like he for whom We provided enjoyment of worldly life [but] then he is, on the Day of Resurrection, among those presented [for punishment in Hell]? (28:61)
I might not have things in this world but I know I’m going to have in the Hereafter and I know that the promise of Allah will come to pass and I am definitely going to get it and that when I get it, it will be everlasting, with conviction you attain contentment remember that
But seek, through that which Allah has given you, the home of the Hereafter; and [yet], do not forget your share of the world. And do good as Allah has done good to you. And desire not corruption in the land. Indeed, Allah does not like corrupters.” (28:77)
It’s not wrong to aim for a reasonably comfortable life or a little bit of comfort. It’s not wrong to achieve things within the means that Allah has provided you but don’t forget Allah- Mufti Menk
Many of us don’t thank Allah for what he has bestowed upon us. Suleiman alayhi Salam who was granted so much by Allah, he calls out to Allah saying o Allah give me the ability to be thankful to you, SubhanAllah. Look at the calmness and contentment that brings to the heart when you say o my lord grant me the ability to be thankful.
So [Solomon] smiled, amused at her speech, and said, “My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents and to do righteousness of which You approve. And admit me by Your mercy into [the ranks of] Your righteous servants.” (27:19]
The contentment of the hereafter will be achieved by those who do good deeds and protect those good deeds.
Whoever comes [at Judgement] with a good deed will have better than it, and they, from the terror of that Day, will be safe. (27:89)
To protect yourself you need to make sure that you don’t harm others. You need to make sure that the good deeds don’t make you arrogant. They don’t make you haughty and proud.
In Surat al Qasas mentioned and this name Qasas, the stories named after the story of Musa alayhis salam when he went to Shuaib alehissalaam after he was chased out of the place he was at and he got to Shuaib (as) and you know what? He says to Shuaib (as) what happened to him.
in Islam we believe that the proposal is made by either party meaning to express the willingness or to express the desire to marry can come from any party and it’s either a yes or a No. we shouldn’t be upset if it’s a no and just as much we should be very very concerned if it is a yes to fulfill the rights of the spouse to be and all these new relatives that are suddenly related to you SubhanAllah.
Make marriage simple, keep it simple you will achieve contentment and happiness those around you will be happy with the way you handle things. Allah has taught you never to worry about what people think of you and what you’re doing for as long as it is correct for as long as Allah is pleased with it and Allah allows it. You can do it and you should lead the way others will follow you.
He said, “Indeed, I wish to wed you one of these, my two daughters, on [the condition] that you serve me for eight years; but if you complete ten, it will be [as a favor] from you. And I do not wish to put you in difficulty. You will find me, if Allah wills, from among the righteous.”[28:27]
Nikkah / Marraige is something that is so so simple yet we make it difficult. The more difficult you make it the less contentment you will have. The easier you make it the more you have guaranteed your contentment short term and long term. Your children are happy. You are happy. Everyone is happy and keep it simple. Don’t get complicated when it comes to marriage. Don’t make it too big. – Mufti Menk
Allah says in order to achieve mercy, you should establish your prayer, you should give from what Allah has given you and you should follow the messenger. If you do these three things you will achieve the mercy of Allah.
And establish prayer and give zakah and obey the Messenger – that you may receive mercy. (24:56)
In surat al-furqan Allah Subhanahu WA Ta’ala makes mention of many factors, the ability and the capacity to distinguish between right and wrong. When we’re in good company and when we are trying to obey Allah and Allah’s instructions we will definitely be able to distinguish between right and wrong.
And the Day the wrongdoer will bite on his hands [in regret] he will say, “Oh, I wish I had taken with the Messenger a way. Oh, woe to me! I wish I had not taken that one as a friend. He led me away from the remembrance after it had come to me. And ever is Satan, to man, a deserter.” (25:27-29)
Your circle of friends makes you or breaks you. It’s up to you to decide what you’d like. Make sure you have friends who are better in values and morals than you, their relationship with their maker than you.
Who are the blessed, who are the worshipers of the most merciful?
And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace. (25:63)
