Reflect & Connect | Surah Ahqaf - Ep.05 - Mufti Azeemuddin Ahmed | 02/11

Opening Du'a

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our Master Muhammad and upon the family of our Master Muhammad. O Allah, open my heart and ease my affairs, and release the knot from my tongue so that my words can be understood. Glory be to You, there is no knowledge for us except what You have taught us. O Allah, teach us what benefits us, and benefit us with what You have taught us, and increase us in knowledge and action. O Allah, enlighten our hearts with Your knowledge, and use us for Your obedience, and guide us to what You love and are pleased with — in speech, action, intention, and guidance. You are capable of everything.

Review of the Qur'anic Passages — Surah Al-Ahqaf

Allah says:

Two Types of Children — Recap from Last Week

Allah in the previous two ayahs mentioned two different types of people, and we spoke about this last week — two types of people. One who is a believer, caring and respectful to his parents, and who has believing parents — the best situation. The second was believing parents who have a child that is disrespectful and disobedient — disobedient to Allah, and also eventually disobedient and disrespectful to the parents as well. So these were two parables that the Qur'an gives us, not necessarily referring to specific groups of people.

Allah mentions how He will accept the good of those who do good — and not only accept the good, but since everyone has sins and everyone makes mistakes, Allah will overlook their mistakes. This is a promise He has made. On the other hand, there is a person who says "uff" to his parents, gets upset at them, and says, "Why are you making these false promises to me? There is not going to be a life after death — this doesn't really add up to my logical sense." And what do those parents do? They're calling on to Allah, they're begging Allah — wailak, woe to you O child, what's wrong with you? Amin, believe! The parents are begging Allah, and begging the child to become a believer. And they're saying that Allah's promise is true, but he doesn't listen. He says, "This is nothing but the tales of the former people."

How apt this description is of what we see today — believing parents who many times have children that turn against Allah and His Messenger, and turn against their parents.

Every Person Bears Their Own Burden

I may have said this last week, I'm not sure, but nowadays we hear a lot of people blaming parents. Even myself — I do acknowledge the role of parents in ensuring that their children receive the proper deen. But I also want to mention the fact that sometimes people say, "My father was not a very righteous person — he was hypocritical, he led one life and told us to lead another, so that's why I'm done with Islam." Or, "My teacher was not a good representative of Islam — he taught the Qur'an but was very harsh, so I'm going to leave Islam."

SubhanAllah, we see this, and naturally we need to address the issue. We need to speak to parents, we need to speak to teachers, we need to speak to representatives of deen and explain to them how they need to deal with these issues. But at the same time, I also want to remind myself and all of us — every person carries his own burden. We're all sane adults. Everyone is responsible for making correct decisions. Just because someone's parent is not the best representative of Islam does not give us the right to say that we have a right to leave Islam, because that is exactly what's happening too often nowadays. People are blaming society, people are blaming Muslims, people are blaming parents, and moving on. This is what you call fitna.

What about those reverts sitting here in this crowd? Whose parents, from top to bottom, are non-Muslim — who tried their best to keep their children non-Muslim. How did they accept Islam? How are they living Islam while hiding their identity to practice their faith? There are thousands of them all around us. MashaAllah, there was a brother who had been coming to the tafsir for months. He connected with some of our attendees and local students. And after months of attending tafsir, MashaAllah, he took the shahada this past Saturday. He had already been learning Arabic, learned the entire salah, learned the meaning of salah, read through big chunks of the Qur'an and its tafsir, and attended weekly tafsir here for months before taking the shahada. In the past, we have had Hindu brothers coming here for two years attending tafsir — through snow, sleet, and rain — and eventually taking the shahada. We have examples right around us.

So for us to blame our parents, to blame society, blame the madrasa, blame the Islamic school — this is just crying sour grapes. We can't allow that to happen. We have to address these issues, but at the same time, we must also tell our children and everyone else: you are a grown man, a grown woman. You are responsible for your own decisions. We are here to help and assist you, but at the end of the day, we cannot force you.

Nuh (peace be upon him) could not force his children. He could not force his wife. Lut (peace be upon him) could not force his wife. The Prophet (peace be upon him) could not force his uncles. Who are we to force anyone? So this is basically a repeating phenomenon that we see from the Qur'an happening today — parents who are unfortunately faced with children who don't follow the deen. That is why we have to ask Allah, not only for children, but for righteous children — healthy children who are righteous and obedient to Allah, and obedient to us.

Du'a for Protection from a Difficult Child and a Difficult Spouse

O Allah, I seek refuge in You from a child that will become a problem for me — a musibah for me, a calamity for me. And O Allah, I seek refuge in You from a spouse that will make me grow white hair before my time — meaning a stressful relationship. For women, it is seeking refuge from a bad husband; for husbands, seeking refuge from a bad wife. The idea is that these relationships can have such a great toll on a person when there is no healthy relationship at home.

What a blessing it is for a father or mother to walk into their home, enter the bedroom of their child, and see their son or daughter praying their salah, doing their dhikr, sitting in muraqabah (meditation), or doing something to assist someone. What an amazing source of happiness for a parent to see that. That is the greatest thing we could ask for.

The Du'a for Righteous Children

Look at the tafsir of this ayah. O Allah, grant us — and our spouses and our children — the coolness of the eyes. It is not about money. There is no tafsir that says: allow me to see my son rich, allow me to see my daughter rich, allow me to see my grandchildren with big palaces. That might make you happy for a little while, but when a person sees that wealth being misused, it becomes the biggest source of pain. So qurratu a'yun is to have children who pray. Qurratu a'yun is to have children who are punctual in their salah. This should be the greatest goal of every parent.

We discussed this last week — O Allah, please make righteous for me my children. What is this aspect of aslih? Again, it is not just about being wealthy and educated. It is about salah — righteousness, piety within those children. And salah comes through a lot of work, a lot of effort, and a lot of du'a.

Gratitude to Parents is Connected to Gratitude to Allah

The one who is not grateful and dutiful to his parents — it is almost impossible for him to be grateful and dutiful to his Lord. Because the parent is the hand that you can clearly see feeding you. Allah is ultimately feeding us, but He does so behind the scenes. So the person who cannot respect the hand he can clearly see feeding him — how will he ever be able to respect the hand that he cannot see? First and foremost, you have to respect the hand that feeds you openly in front of your eyes. Then everything else follows.

So if we want our children to become dutiful to Allah, we have to ensure they become dutiful to their parents. This is the number one thing. It is not possible that a person is dutiful and grateful to Allah while being ungrateful to his parents. This tarbiyah of shukr — gratitude to and appreciation of parents — is a really important lesson, and we have to constantly tie it back to Allah. The love that your parents have for you — why does it exist? Because Allah put your love in the parents' hearts. We should be constantly reminding our children that whatever we do for them is actually because of Allah's love that He has placed in our hearts for them.

The Mother's Sacrifice — Carrying the Child

Last week we also discussed the aspect of the mother carrying the child in her womb. Allah says:

Twice Allah uses the word kurh — kurh means pain. And the same concept is discussed in Surah Luqman:

Wahn means weakness upon weakness. There is so much physical stress that the mother goes through in order to bear and give birth to that child. Allah is acknowledging this in multiple places in the Qur'an.

The Man Who Carried His Mother During Tawaf

That is why Ibn Kathir mentions that a man was performing tawaf around the Ka'bah, carrying his mother on his back because of her old age. He asked the Prophet (peace be upon him):

"Have I fulfilled the rights of my mother?" He said: "No — you have not even fulfilled the right of one of those pangs during the time of her carrying you in her womb." Meaning, one of those immensely painful moments she experienced over nine months — you have not paid her back for even one moment of those.

The Answer of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab

Another instance: a man brought his mother from far away for Hajj or Umrah on his back. He performed tawaf, sa'i, and Hajj with his mother on his back. He then met Amir al-Mu'minin, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), and said: "O Amir al-Mu'minin, my mother is very old and has become disabled. She does not have the capacity to take care of any of her own needs. So now I am treating her the way a mother treats her child — every single need that a child has, my mother now has, and I have to take care of it. She cannot take care of herself at all. Have I now fulfilled her rights upon me, since I am genuinely taking care of her the way a mother takes care of a child?"

What an amazing answer 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) gave. He said: "You have not fulfilled her right." The man was astonished — "I am doing the same thing she used to do for me: taking care of her while she is awake, while she is sleeping, while she is sick, while she needs to use the restroom. I came from such a far distance to bring her for Hajj."

And 'Umar said: "There is a big difference." The big difference is this — while she served you, anytime you were sick, anytime you went through any difficulty, she constantly begged and prayed to Allah that He give you shifa. If she had the ability, she would have given years of her own life to you, because she wanted you to recover from that sickness and grow to an amazing future. She kept on serving you in your most difficult moments while begging Allah to lengthen your life. On the flip side, you are serving your mother, but at the same time you are quietly asking Allah to lift this mother away from you — into Jannah. You may say, "She died peacefully in her sleep, alhamdulillah, she's in a better place." But what 'Umar pointed out is that as you are serving her, you are not wishing that Allah gives her another 30 years of her life so that you can continue serving her in this very difficult situation.

SubhanAllah — how 'Umar hit the nail on the head. This is the big difference between how you are serving her and how she served you.

Gratitude to Allah and to Parents — A Combined Command

Be grateful to Me, and be grateful to your parents. Allah brings these two together. And in the 15th Juz, after asking us not to worship anyone besides Him, immediately Allah says:

And to do ihsan towards the parents.

Signs of the Hour — Disobedience to Parents

We have a very tough situation we are faced with. The Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned among the signs of the Hour:

(Referenced in various narrations on the signs of the Hour)

A man will disobey his mother and will obey his wife. He will push away his father and will bring his friends close to him. It is interesting how the Prophet brought these next to each other. And we see, exactly as he prophesized, it being manifested in today's world.

Social media, of course, helps amplify this. There's even been a trend online — on Twitter and similar platforms — where people say: "Okay, who's going to call their mom and hang up?" Or "Who's going to let their mom talk while the phone is under the pillow?" And hundreds of thousands of people participate in this, liking and retweeting one another. What a distorted society we live in that promotes and appreciates this type of behavior — where respect, love, and care for parents is considered outdated and old-fashioned, and is neither spoken about nor appreciated.

And we now have laws — I hope many of these get reversed — where children as young as five in some states can be given gender-altering support by schools without the parents even being informed, as though the government cares more for the child than the parent. That is the society we are currently living in.

Rights Owed to Parents After Their Passing

Once a man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked:

(Referenced in narrations on the rights of parents after death — see Sunan Abi Dawud and related collections)

O Messenger of Allah, do I have anything left to fulfill towards my parents after they pass away? The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Yes — five things:

First: Perform salatul janazah for them — the farewell prayer and du'a after they pass away. Second: Make du'a for them every single day, five times a day:

O Allah, forgive me and my parents. O Allah, have mercy upon them the way they had mercy upon me when I was young. Third: Join ties with their friends — whoever they had friendship with, make sure you take care of that friendship. Fourth: If they had made any oaths or promises, fulfill those. Fifth: Those relatives whom you are connected to only through your parents — make sure you maintain those ties of kinship.

Alhamdulillah, Allah has kept the door open for us to take care of our parents even after they are gone. Someone may say: my parents have passed away, I wasn't aware of their rights, I didn't do a good job. We still have the door of sadaqah jariyah. Every single day we can dedicate good deeds for them, make du'a for them, pray a nafl salah and say: Ya Allah, give the reward of this nafl salah to my parents. We can perform on their behalf a nafl Hajj, a nafl Umrah, or dig a well. The opportunities are never-ending.

Everyone Shall Be Ranked According to Their Deeds

These are the people upon whom the word of doom has come to pass — those who were bad to their parents and bad to Allah. And for each group, they shall be ranked in accordance with what they have done in life. Allah is saying: no one is going to be treated the same.

Can the one who is a believer be like the one who is a transgressor? La yastawun — No, they will never be equal.

Many times we say, "This is not fair. Ya Allah, I worked so hard — look at this guy, he cheated and went ahead of me." This thought comes to many of us. The one who thinks this is the one who believes:

"We only have one life." If you and I, honestly, didn't believe in the Akhirah, we might do the same — if there's only one life and no repercussion, then let's just beat everyone and get to the top at all costs. But SubhanAllah, we know that this life is just the beginning. The real life is still coming. So when the real life is yet to come, we cannot say, "It's not fair." The believer and the transgressor will never be equal.

There are many ranks in Jannah and many ranks in Jahannam. There are darajat in Jannah — levels in paradise — and there are darakat in Jahannam — levels in hell. Each person will have their own specific spot. If you are doing work for the sake of Allah, remember — whoever closes the light on the way out, the last one to leave, will have a different ajr. The first one in will have a different ajr. The one working when no one else is watching will have a different ajr. We should not allow ourselves to think everyone is the same. This is a very important lesson especially for volunteers in any organization or any effort for the deen. Why are you always taking the brunt of the work? Because if you want the greatest Jannah, you have to take the brunt of the work. Just have ikhlas — sincerity — and ihtisab — expectation of reward from Allah. Then it will be easy to handle any difficulty that comes your way.

The Disbelievers Will Be Confronted on the Day of Judgment

'Arada ya'ridu means to be presented. So you have Yawm al-'Ard al-Akbar — the Day of the Great Presentation. That is the Day of Judgment. We talk about having a big presentation in front of the VP tomorrow — but there is no bigger presentation than the one in front of Allah on the Day of Judgment, and Allah calls it the Presentation Day.

The disbelievers will be told: Adhabtum tayyibatikum — you have thoroughly used up your share of good things. Fi hayatikum al-dunya — during your life in this world. Wastamta'tum biha — and indeed you took full enjoyment in them. Fal-yawma tujzawna 'adhab al-hawn — today you shall be recompensed with the torment of utter humiliation. Bima kuntum tastakbirun fi al-ard bighayr al-haqq — for you were so very arrogant in the land without any right. Wa bima kuntum tafsuqun — and for the deeds of ungodliness you were committing.

The Story of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab and the Prophet's Simple Home

There is a famous incident of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). This was at the time when the Prophet (peace be upon him) was upset with his wives and had secluded himself in his home. 'Umar knocked, but was not given permission. He sat down, and the Companions around him were crying — they feared the Prophet had divorced his wives. 'Umar went back and knocked again — "Who is it?" "Umar ibn al-Khattab." "Sorry, you do not have permission." He sat down again, but could not believe it. He was also worried about his daughter Hafsa. So he went a third time, and on his insistence, the Prophet (peace be upon him) eventually let him in.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 4913; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1479)

'Umar says: I entered the house of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and he was lying on a straw mat, wearing only his lower garment — nothing on his back. I could see the marks of the straw mat on the sides of his body. All I could see was a handful of barley — that was the only food item in the entire room. And there was an animal skin hanging in the house. My eyes could not control themselves and I began to cry. The Prophet said: "O son of Khattab, why are you crying?" I said: "O Prophet of Allah, why should I not cry? I see that this straw mat has left marks on your sides. And this storage area — I see nothing in it except what I see. And over there, the Persian and Roman emperors are enjoying fruits and rivers. And you are the Prophet of Allah, His chosen servant, and this is your empty home, your empty shelf." He said: "O son of Khattab, are you not pleased that we have the Hereafter awaiting us, while they have nothing but the dunya?"

It is also mentioned that the Prophet said to 'Umar: "Are you still in doubt, O son of Khattab? Those are a people for whom their enjoyments have been given to them — cash — in this world. There is nothing left for them in the Akhirah."

SubhanAllah — what a beautiful explanation this ayah is meant to give us. If we have any level of luxury in this world, it is honestly a cherry on top. Our main enjoyment is in the Hereafter. That same 'Umar ibn al-Khattab — let us fast forward many years into his Khilafah. He is walking to Masjid al-Nabawi for Fajr and sees the Companions excited, whispering. He enters and sees a massive heap of jewels, gems, gold, silver — enough wealth that if distributed among all the people of Medina, there would still be too much left over. A companion said: "O Amir al-Mu'minin, aren't you happy?"

Imagine any head of state in the world — every president of a non-profit organization, every president of a masjid — if you asked them what would be the happiest day for them, they would say: "If the coffers were full. If I had enough money to take care of all my projects." There is no one who carries a bigger responsibility than 'Umar ibn al-Khattab. He was ruling one third of the populated world. He is the same person who said: "I am afraid that if even a dog dies thirsty in the Khilafah of 'Umar, I will be asked about it on the Day of Judgment." Today leaders don't care how many thousands of people die under their leadership, yet he was worried about a dog. SubhanAllah.

So imagine how happy he should have been when heaps of gold and silver were piled up before him. Instead, he began to cry. They asked: "O Amir al-Mu'minin, are these tears of happiness?" He said: "No — tears of fear." Fear of what? He said: "I just cannot believe that this wealth is good. How is it possible that my predecessor, who was far better than me — Abu Bakr al-Siddiq — never got to see this? And how is it possible that his predecessor, who was far better than him — Muhammad ibn 'Abdillah (peace be upon him) — never got to see this? And how is it that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab is seeing it? I see this only as a test from Allah." And then he began to recite this very ayah, applying it to himself: "What if on the Day of Judgment, I come to Allah and He says — adhabtum tayyibatikum fi hayatikum al-dunya — you already cashed out? You cannot cash out a check twice. You already received your reward in the dunya — you have nothing left here."

SubhanAllah — and he began to cry. This is how a person who truly knows Allah will behave. The one who knows Allah's might and power will apply all of these things to himself. May Allah elevate the status and honor of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). May Allah create the likes of 'Umar within us. Ameen, Rabb al-'Alamin.

My dear brothers — think about the people of Gaza, of Sudan, of Palestine, of Burma, of the Muslims of China. They have suffered, and there is a massive reward waiting for them. And you — you have already been paid, every day, far more than you deserve in the dunya. As Americans living a comfortable and luxurious life, this should honestly haunt every one of us. That is the real thing. What do I say? I don't say leave your home. I say: make shukr to Allah. Make shukr for every morsel, for every bite, for every step in your home, for every tile, for every step to your bedroom, for your blanket, your sheets, your towels, your hot water. Allah says:

Most certainly you will be asked about these blessings. And one of the greatest blessings is to be able to practice Islam safely — without pressure, without being called out, without being punished. The ability to go to the masjid, the ability to practice our deen without fear of repercussion — what a beautiful blessing that many people in this world do not have. I remember visiting one city and speaking with a brother from a Muslim country who said: "I couldn't go for Fajr — because they would sit there and watch who showed up for Fajr, and any youngster who came would have the CID — the police — at his house." He was even afraid to tell me which country it was. And here, everyone is begging: "Come for Fajr!" No one is stopping us. The fact that you are able to practice your deen with safety is a blessing that, if we do not value it, may be taken away from us.

Hadith: Three Things That Make You King of the World

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2346)

Whoever wakes up any morning safe in his home — not worried about drone strikes, not worried about sniper attacks — mu'afan fi jasadihi: alhamdulillah, his body is healthy and he is able to walk out of bed. And 'indahu qut yawmihi: he has one day's worth of food — then it is as though all the blessings of the dunya have been brought to his feet. On top of that, we have Amazon Prime. Press a button and it arrives by 3 p.m. The dishwasher, the washing machine, the robot vacuum — all automatic. Allah has brought all these blessings. We are not just healthy, happy servants — we are actually kings. What we have today, every one of us, is more than what Napoleon had, more than what Alexander had, more than what any emperor in history possessed. That is the magnitude of the blessings we are enjoying.

The Morning Du'a of the Prophet

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3401)

All praise belongs to Allah who has returned my soul back to me. How many people go to sleep and do not wake up in the morning? Second: and has given me a healthy body. Third: and has allowed me to take His name. There are so many who wake up without any Fajr in their life, without any wudu, without any Bismillah. If you are able to remember Allah as you get out of bed — that is the greatest gift you must thank Allah for. The more we get to know Allah, the more we will love Him, the more we will be afraid to be arrogant in front of Him. These disbelievers were arrogant and enjoyed life — and on the Day of Judgment, Allah will say: they've got nothing to look forward to. Everything they had, they cashed out in the dunya.

Prophet Hud and the Nation of Aad

Mention in this revelation the lesson of Prophet Hud — the brother of the people of Aad. Idh means "behold." He forewarned his nation — those who dwelled in the ahqaf, the dune valleys of Al-Ahqaf, which is either in the area of Hadhramaut in Yemen or is the specific name of that region. This is where the nation of Aad lived.

Allah calls the prophets "brothers" of their nations because He sent them from among those very people. Allah says about this: وَإِلَىٰ عَادٍ أَخَاهُمْ هُودًا — And to Aad, their brother Hud. And here Allah says: Wa adhkur akha 'Adin — mention the brother of Aad.

There are two possible meanings here. Either Allah is asking the Prophet (peace be upon him) to remember how Prophet Hud also made tireless effort with his nation — but unfortunately they did not respond the way they should have. This is important for us to constantly study the work of the Prophets. The work of the Prophets is very unrewarding in this dunya. You put in enormous effort to guide people, and you might not see the results. It is a lot of work, very tiring and taxing, but rewards are in the Akhirah. So Allah consoles the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) by sharing the stories of previous Prophets — showing that they went through the same opposition and the same rejection that he was going through.

The second possibility is that Allah is speaking to the disbelievers of Makkah — telling them that Allah saw nations much more powerful than them who belied His prophets, and Allah eventually destroyed them. So all disbelievers should not think they will escape Allah's wrath.

Wa qad khalat al-nudhuru min bayni yadayhi wa min khalfih — before him and after him, there were forewarnings conveyed to other peoples. Nudhur is the plural of nadhir — many forewarners. This is the system of Allah: He constantly sends reminders.

What was the main message?

You shall worship none but Allah. Indeed I fear for you the divine torment of a great Day. Yawmun 'azim is one of the names of the Day of Judgment. Another place mentions:

The Day when all people will be standing for the Lord of all worlds. There is no sitting, no chairs. People will stand — until they are sent to Jannah or Jahannam. This is called yawmun 'azim — a Great Day.

Part of the human fitrah is that we like to worship something. When we are weak, we look to something stronger than us. Allah says:

Those who were made weak will say to the arrogant ones on the Day of Judgment: "You are the ones who forced us to disobey Allah." This dialogue between the rich and the poor, the influencers and the influenced, will take place on the Day of Judgment — which tells us that there is naturally within the human being a desire for a supreme being, a higher force. That is why people turn to worship — even, a'udhu billah, to Shaitan. And that is the vacuum that atheism is creating — destroying organized religion, destroying established belief in the unseen, emptying the space. And when the time set by Allah arrives, the Dajjal will come to fill that vacuum. Atheism is thus a precursor to Dajjal.

The Response of the Nation of Aad — and Its Parallels Today

They said: "Have you come to us to turn us away from our gods? Then bring us whatever doom you have promised us if you are one of the truthful messengers of Allah." If you look at how non-Muslims, Islamophobes, and ex-Muslims speak today, you will see a lot of similarity in these messages — sarcasm about the deen, mockery rather than genuine questions. It's not, "I have some questions and I'd like to understand." Instead it is making fun. And those who invite people towards the deen get the response: "Are you here to destroy our dunya? If we follow the deen, we will lose out in college, we will lose out in the workplace." This is a completely false conclusion. And also — if someone is helping you secure your Akhirah, that is the greatest thing they can do for you.

The Response of the Prophet: Knowledge Belongs to Allah Alone

Indeed, all knowledge is with Allah alone. The knowledge of when the punishment you are asking for will come — I do not know. It is only with Allah. I but convey to you the message with which I have been sent. Yet I see that you are a people who are ignorant and belligerent in hastening your coming doom.

I feel like this ayah also conveys the difficulty that the Prophets faced. People were taunting them: "Bring it on. Bring the punishment. Show us a miracle. Show us lightning. Show us thunder. Show us an earthquake." And the Prophet could only say: "I cannot bring on a punishment — I have to wait until Allah gives the green light." Can you imagine being put in that position? And then, how much more they would taunt the Prophet.

Sometimes today we say: "Ya Allah, where is Your help? The Muslims are being destroyed. The blood is flowing. The honor of Muslim women is being violated. Children — innocent children — in the hundreds of thousands are crying out. Ayna Allah? Mata nasrullah? Where is the help of Allah?" I want you to think about the ayah we are reading right now. Every Prophet had to face this dilemma. When people said, "Bring it on" — instead of producing the punishment, they could only say: Innamal 'ilmu 'indallah. "I'm sorry. I cannot help you. I cannot bring on the punishment until Allah says so."

The Prophet (peace be upon him) was waiting for Jibril to descend — and when revelation was delayed, the verse eventually came:

We do not descend except with the permission of your Lord. As much as Jibril wanted to come, Allah had set a time even for him. He could not descend on his own will.

I want us to try, for a moment, to understand — however inadequately — the emotional difficulty our Prophet and every Prophet went through. An entire town taunting you, making fun of you, threatening to kill you, demanding miracles and proofs — and you, who genuinely are a Prophet, do not have the ability to produce the answer they demand. This is the tarteeb — the arrangement — of Allah. Allah's help may not come within one year, one month, or one day. This is the Sunnah of Allah. Allah has a way of doing things. If He makes His very Prophets wait — and if He allows a prophet's body to be split in half, or tied between two camels running in opposite directions — then who are we to send demands to Allah? And when Allah does not immediately fulfill them, to say: "I'm losing my faith"? People speak like this nowadays. We have not understood the deen. Deen is not a game. This is the Sunnah of Allah.

Until — when the Messengers had almost given up hope and thought they had been denied — Our help came to them. And We saved whoever We willed. And Our punishment cannot be averted from the sinful people. When the punishment comes, it comes. No one can stop it.

This ayah tells us that Allah truly pushes things to the brink — pushes even the Prophets to the very edge. So in our own situations — whether family, financial, physical — understand that there is no place for despondency. You and I are not closer to Allah than the Prophets. You and I are not more special to Allah than the Prophets. Can we show even two rakat of salah in our entire lives that we prayed from beginning to end with complete ikhlas? We know where we stand. So if Allah simply allows us to live and breathe — alhamdulillah. If we do not choke on our food — alhamdulillah. If we wake up in the morning — alhamdulillah. If we do not lose our iman — alhamdulillah. Left and right, people are losing their iman. So this is what we must remember.

The Destruction of the Nation of Aad

Then when they saw a cloud approaching their valleys, they said: "This is a cloud that will bring us rain!" But Allah says: Rather, it is that which you were seeking to hasten — a desolating wind in which is a most painful torment. It destroys everything by the command of its Lord. And thus they became such that nothing could be seen except the remnants of their dwellings. Even so do We recompense the people of defiant unbelief.

It was a very hot day. Allah made the weather extremely hot, and these people had no air conditioning. Everyone was already in a bad shape in their homes. Then suddenly, a nice cool breeze came. Everyone rushed outside to enjoy it. They saw a cloud and said — mashaAllah — we are getting rain after this heatwave. Little did they know. What seemed like a source of comfort and respite was actually the means of their complete destruction. Tudammiru kulla shay'in bi-amri rabbih — such a wind that would destroy every single thing by the command of its Lord. And then all that could be seen were the remnants of their dwellings.

The Man with the Two Gardens — A Parallel Lesson

Allah speaks about in Surah Al-Kahf the parable of the two gardens. The man who had great wealth, who disobeyed Allah and mocked his poor believing friend:

He had gardens of grapes, surrounded by date palms, with more farms in between, and rivers flowing through them for irrigation. Both gardens were constantly producing fruits without any reduction. He had crops, vegetation, and great wealth. His believing friend urged him: "Why don't you worship Allah? Why don't you thank Him?" But he refused and said: "I don't need to thank Allah. And if there is such a thing as the Day of Judgment, then because I am wealthy here in the dunya, I will also be wealthier than you in the Akhirah — because wealthy people are always successful wherever they go."

Very soon a storm came and destroyed his entire garden. He sat there wringing his hands, unable to believe what he was watching with his own eyes — thinking about all the money he had spent in it. The entire garden had fallen. The trees were on the ground. Khawiyatun 'ala 'urushiha — the roofs had caved in. And he said: "I wish I had not ascribed any partners with my Lord." He had no army to assist him against this natural calamity and no one to help him.

Think about what we have been seeing recently with natural disasters — and most recently, some of the most palatial homes on the west coast completely destroyed, their roofs caved in and walls fallen. Khawiyatun 'ala 'urushiha — just look at the pictures. It looks like scenes from a world war. These punishments do not come with a big banner announcing their arrival. We have to be able to connect the dots and see that this might be a sign of Allah's displeasure — a reason for repentance. Allah is not unaware of what is happening in the world. Allah is watching, and He is cleansing the earth constantly — within the Muslims and the non-Muslims alike. But the intelligent one is the one who connects the dots.

May Allah open our eyes to see the reality of life. May Allah allow us all to become amongst those who prepare for the Hereafter. May Allah allow us to live every day as though it is our last. Ameen.

Questions & Answers

Cure for Feeling Tired During Lectures

One thing is that if a person has been awake since 4 a.m. and working hard, naturally they will be tired. But another thing is the type of tiredness that you would not feel if you were outside — you would not feel it at a burger place right now. This type of drowsiness during a talk or lecture actually comes in a hadith:

(Referenced in narrations about falling asleep during religious reminders)

That feeling of sleepiness during a bayan (religious talk) is from Shaytan. So when that happens: stand up, make wudu, drink a little cup of tea or coffee before coming in — use the same methods you use when you are driving and feeling tired. In madrasah we used to keep green peppers, the small strong ones, and eat a little if we started to drift off. Or we would eat a few black peppercorns. Where there is a will, there is a way.

Is It Virtuous to Purposely Live Simply?

If by "purposely live a simple life" you mean intentionally adopting a modest lifestyle — yes, that can be virtuous. But do not deprive those around you. If you are a husband, you need to keep your wife and children in a proper situation. If you are a son earning money for your parents, you have to take care of them. You can be as austere as you want with yourself, but do not impose hardship on others around you.

I Hate How My Father Treats My Mother — How Do I Still Respect Him?

This is a very understandable feeling. Someone may have a father with serious faults. A person may feel hurt and upset — that is natural. However, your heart is not entirely in your hands. The feelings of love or dislike are not always fully within our control, so Allah will not hold you responsible for those feelings. What you are responsible for are your actions. So outwardly, we must still fulfil the commands and responsibilities we have towards our parents. If a parent — whether father or mother — is being difficult, it is natural for a child to feel pain. We are not responsible for our emotions. We are responsible for our actions. So ensure that you at least fulfil those duties on your shoulders, even while making du'a for improvement in the situation.

What Does It Mean That Hidayah Is Only in Allah's Hands?

You cannot guide whomsoever you wish. But Allah guides whomsoever He wishes. Allah has kept hidayah in His own hands. However, He has also said:

Allah guides whoever turns to Him. So if we turn to Him, inshallah, He will not deprive us of guidance.

Is It Allowed to Work with Females on University Projects?

You who are asking this question — look into your own heart and ask yourself. If you need to do something collectively, do not do it exclusively one-on-one with a female. If multiple people have been assigned together by the professor for a group project, that is fine. Do not do it in seclusion — do it in an open place. Keep your communication very reserved and basic. Do not open the floodgates of unnecessary chit-chat — "project burger before we start," "post-project dessert" — all of that will obviously lead to problems. As long as you stick strictly to what is needed, with seriousness and without socializing beyond that, inshallah you will be fine. And as you are working, constantly engage in dhikr in your heart — say Allah, Allah silently, or do istighfar internally. That constant remembrance will keep you protected.

If Your Wudu Breaks During Tarawih — What Do You Do?

Whether it is Tarawih or any salah — if your wudu breaks, you make salam and leave the salah to renew your wudu. You should not continue standing in salah without wudu.

How to Balance Ikhlas, Humility, and Hope for Reward

A person should think: "My actions are not worthy of acceptance — but Allah is Karim, He is generous. I am hoping that He accepts me not out of His justice, but out of His mercy." Not out of His justice — because out of strict justice, nothing I do deserves to be accepted. But just as out of Allah's mercy He provides sustenance for single-celled organisms inside a volcano — why cannot He accept me and provide for me? And humility is maintained when you constantly keep your eyes on your own sins and say: I am truly a very sinful servant of Allah.

Announcements

With Ramadan approaching, we have a few books available. One is the account of the Ramadan of Shaykh al-Hadith Muhammad Zakariyya (may Allah have mercy on him) and our elders — stories of how the pious of the past century, many from the subcontinent, spent their Ramadan. The other is the Hizb al-A'zam — a beautiful collection of du'as of the Prophet (peace be upon him). A brand new, smooth translation has just come out. It covers 200 du'as of the Prophet (peace be upon him), divided up Monday through Monday (or Saturday through Saturday). I highly encourage everyone to get a copy and make a habit this Ramadan — at the time of iftar, with family or on your own, go through one section of Hizb al-A'zam every day. In seven days you will have completed this beautiful book.

February 13th, Thursday — inshallah, will be Laylat al-Nisf min Sha'ban (Laylat al-Bara'ah) program with Mawlana Farhan Sharif, after Salatul Isha. Please join us for the short program, followed by individual ibadah. Come at 7:30 p.m., pray Isha, listen to the short talk, ask questions, and then engage in ibadah until 9:30–10:30. At least a couple of hours of ibadah in the masjid before heading home.

The three days recommended to fast are the 13th, 14th, and 15th — the ayyam al-bid. So make niyyah to fast Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Especially in the month of Sha'ban, let us try to fast these three days — and hopefully after Ramadan, we will get the tawfiq to fast the 13th, 14th, and 15th of every month.

Friday — a monthly seminar on preparation for Ramadan: "Ramadan: A Strategic Approach."

The Salam Collective programs continue: Monday nights for brothers 35 and above, Wednesday nights for college students and young professionals, and Friday nights for high school students. Programs for sisters will be formally unveiled and rolled out under Salam Collective in Ramadan, inshallah.

The Seerah Series for sisters takes place every other Sunday, 1:30 p.m. Ta'aleem is now online — classes are recorded in case you miss them. Please refer to masjiddeus.org/taleem. To sponsor a Saturday breakfast, scan the QR code. Thursday nights is our weekly Seerah program in Urdu, with Mawlana Abdul Basit. A weekly Urdu Tafsir for sisters also continues on Thursdays. If you do not receive WhatsApp messages about our programs, please scan the QR code to sign up.

Closing — Dhikr of the Heart

Today let us change things up a little. Inshallah, today's dhikr we will do silently. Allah says:

Remember your Lord within yourself. This is actually very powerful. When we take a few minutes to remember Allah silently, it can transform our entire day. At school, at work, in every situation — you cannot always do dhikr out loud. How do you keep yourself away from haram when you are surrounded by heedlessness and ghafla? One of the best ways is dhikr al-qalb — remembrance of the heart. You focus on your heart, remembering Allah quietly. You do not need to move your lips or close your eyes. You could be sitting in a presentation, in a project meeting, feeling hollow and empty — and you can engage in the dhikr of the heart. So let us all close our eyes for the sake of concentration, and do 200 counts of silent dhikr — Allah, Allah, Allah — focusing on the heart, not moving the lips, not moving the tongue. Count on your fingers or your tasbih.