Surah Mu'minun - Ep.9 | Mufti Azeemuddin Ahmed

We ask Allah عز وجل to accept our coming here tonight and make this Salat al-Isha that we prayed with Jama'ah heavy in our scales. May Allah accept the ibadah that was done last night, the fasting that was done today, and we ask Allah عز وجل that He allows us to fully prepare for the upcoming month of Ramadan and allows us to enter in the state that we are prepared to receive it. May Allah سبحانه وتعالى make every one of us among those who take full benefit of this blessed month. Similarly, we ask Allah عز وجل to allow this dars to become a means of removal of any doubts, removal of any waswas, make it a means of answering our questions. May Allah عز وجل make this dars a means of strengthening our faith and our connection with the Qur'an, and whatever issues we've come with to the house of Allah سبحانه وتعالى or are listening online. May Allah عز وجل through the barakah of studying the Qur'an allow those issues of ours to be resolved. Ameen.

Nations and Their Appointed Times

Then after them we created another generation. قُرُون is a plural of قَرْن. And so previously Allah عز وجل says قَرْنًا آخَرِينَ and here it says قُرُونًا because right now we're going to be speaking about many different nations. Allah brought it plural.

No community can go ahead of its appointed time, nor do they become late.

Thereafter we sent our messengers successively. تَتْرَى — successively. Whenever its messenger came to a community, they rejected him. Then we made some of them follow others in destruction. And then we turned them into tales. So away, cursed be, and woe to the people who do not believe.

Every single time the Prophet comes, they reject him. One after another they kept on getting destroyed. Like you see sheep jumping off of a cliff, one after another. These nations would do the same thing. The previous nation belied the Prophet — the next one does the same thing. The previous nation got destroyed — the next one gets destroyed. The same سِلْسِلَة, the same pattern. People don't learn from their mistakes. People don't learn from history.

وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَحَادِيثَ — And then we turned them into tales. Tales of history. فَبُعْدًا لِّقَوْمٍ لَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ — So away, cursed be, and woe to the people who do not believe.

So in this verse here, Allah سبحانه وتعالى is mentioning that every single nation has its appointed time. No nation will be destroyed before their time, and no nation will be allowed to continue to live after their time.

The Dream of Imam Malik and the Five Keys of the Unseen

It is mentioned regarding Imam Malik رحمة الله عليه that he saw a dream. Malik al-Mawt came to him, and he said to Malik al-Mawt: كَمْ بَقِيَ لِي مِنْ حَيَاتِي — How many years do I have left in my life? So Malik al-Mawt, the angel of death, in his dream, lifted his hands and made an ishara — he pointed with a full open hand, with five fingers.

When Imam Malik woke up from this dream, he was wondering: is he saying I have five years left? Five months? Five days? What does he mean? So he went to the famous scholar of interpretation of dreams, Ibn Sirin رحمة الله, and asked him. Ibn Sirin رحمة الله said that Malik al-Mawt is referring you to the verse of the Qur'an. And what is that?

In this last verse of Surah Luqman, Allah عز وجل says that indeed Allah alone has the knowledge of the unseen. He knows the unseen — no one else besides Him.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ — He knows about the coming of the Hour. When exactly is the Day of Judgment coming? Allah knows.

They come to you and say, Ya Rasulullah, when is the Day of Judgment coming? Tell them: the knowledge of the Hour and when it is going to strike is with Allah. He will not expose it, He will not unveil it, except at its appointed time.

Then: وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ — Allah is the only One who sends down rain. وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْأَرْحَامِ — Allah is the only One who knows what's inside the womb. وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ مَّاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا — No one knows what they're going to do tomorrow. You think you know, but what will actually happen is different. وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ — And no one will know where they are going to die. These five things are with the knowledge of Allah سبحانه وتعالى alone.

So when he gave you the five, when he opened up the palm, he's referring to this — that why are you asking me? I don't have the knowledge. مَا الْمَسْئُولُ عَنْهَا بِأَعْلَمَ مِنَ السَّائِلِ — The one who is being asked does not know more than the one who is asking. We both don't know.

What Is Truly in the Womb

Someone may wonder: but nowadays we have scans and all sorts of different medical technology to know whether it's a boy or a girl. So this thought may come to you when Allah عز وجل says وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْأَرْحَامِ — Allah knows what's in the womb. What does it exactly mean?

First of all, not every single time what you see in the scans is right — there have been many instances of that. But even beyond that, what's in the womb does not simply mean male or female. The real question is: whether what's going to come into this world is going to be a source of happiness or a headache. That's a million-dollar question. If you have a son that is a headache, who would not want to replace him with a daughter who is a mercy and a source of happiness? And similarly the flip side. What exactly is that child going to be — obedient or disobedient? A disbeliever or a believer? Pious or impious? Shaqi or Sa'eed? Healthy or sick — not just when they're born but for the long run? Wealthy or poor throughout their life? All of these things — who knows? No one knows this besides Allah سبحانه وتعالى.

Another answer the ulama have given is: whatever tools a person uses to uncover what's inside the womb — where do those tools come from? You have used Allah's given brain, Allah's given intelligence, Allah's given hands and eyes and sensory organs, to be able to use Allah's created raw materials, and worked with Allah's creation over centuries of technology building upon one another, to arrive at what you now use to gain some knowledge. So that knowledge comes from where? It comes from Allah سبحانه وتعالى. This is ilm al-ghayb, but a portion of it that Allah chooses to give you the ability to learn.

The Prophet's Knowledge of the Unseen

For example, the Prophet ﷺ went for Mi'raj. In so many ahadith he said this is what happens in Jannah and this is what happens in Jahannam. He gave us scenarios of paradise and scenes of hellfire. Yet he himself is not Alim al-Ghayb. Allah سبحانه وتعالى tells Rasulullah ﷺ to say:

I am just a human being like you. If I had the knowledge of the unseen, I would have gathered immense amounts of goodness for myself — my family and I would always be prosperous. And I would never have been afflicted with any pain or difficulty. That was obviously not the case with Rasulullah ﷺ. Yes, there are instances where Rasulullah ﷺ shared things about the future — but that is ilm al-ghayb which Allah سبحانه وتعالى chose to share with him.

For example, if a person has a dream and a vision that something will happen tomorrow — is that possible? Of course. But you're not going to say you're Alim al-Ghayb. It is simply Allah choosing to communicate with you about something that may happen in the future. And as it comes in hadith, as we get closer to the Day of Judgment, Allah سبحانه وتعالى will send more of these types of dreams to righteous, pious believers. Awliya and ulama will receive signals through dreams — like communication behind enemy lines, in the thick of battle. SubhanAllah.

We Will All Become Tales

This ayah — وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَحَادِيثَ, We will make them into tales — is a very powerful ayah. Because we're all going to become a tale. Once upon a time, there's a man who used to live. That's going to be you and I. A hundred years from now, that's what we'll be. All of us are going to become stories and tales — some good and some bad, unfortunately.

Some people will say: Ya Allah, fill so-and-so's grave with nur. Be pleased with him. He came to this country and he did this work, and today my children and I are benefiting from his efforts. And then there will be others whom a person will curse for the evil they brought — the legalization of harmful substances, the opening of doors of haram, what vaping and e-cigarettes have done to our kids and our youth. These weren't the case before. Children in 8th and 9th grade have become addicts, they can't live without these things. SubhanAllah.

You see these young people — jittery, glazed, can't look you straight in the eye — يَتَخَبَّطُهُ الشَّيْطَانُ مِنَ الْمَسِّ — as though Shaytan has got hold of them. Their brains are fried from a young age on these substances. SubhanAllah. And the whole industry of haram, of fuhsh, of lewdness — it's unbelievable.

Cursing One Another in Jahannam

If they don't curse them here, they will 100% curse them in the akhirah:

Allah عز وجل says the groups entering Jahannam, group after group, will be لَعَنَتْ أُخْتَهَا — cursing one another. Today two friends get arrested while doing some drugs — what happens? They curse each other out: You got me into this! Didn't I tell you to stop? Imagine that small cop is putting them behind the squad car and they're already cursing each other. Now imagine when the flames of Jahannam are touching them and they realize they're never getting out.

حَتَّىٰ إِذَا ادَّارَكُوا فِيهَا جَمِيعًا — Until they will be piled up on top of one another in hellfire. قَالَتْ أُخْرَاهُمْ لِأُولَاهُمْ رَبَّنَا هَٰؤُلَاءِ أَضَلُّونَا — One of the later ones says: These are the ones who misled us! Ya Allah, give them double of what we're suffering! And what is the answer? قَالَ لِكُلٍّ ضِعْفٌ — You're asking for double? I'm giving both of you double. وَلَٰكِن لَّا تَعْلَمُونَ — You have no idea what you're dealing with. SubhanAllah.

Shaytan's Keynote Address

Shaytan will come and give his keynote address when everything will be wrapped up. People in Jannah and people in Jahannam — he will speak up:

When all affairs will be decided, Shaytan will speak up and say: Indeed Allah had promised you a truthful promise. And I promised you as well. What did I promise you? Take drugs, you'll be happy. Take alcohol, you'll be happy. Do zina, you'll be happy. Watch haram, you'll be happy. Deen is difficult, leaving it will give you a fun and free life — that's exactly what Shaytan continues to whisper. That if a wedding does not have music, does not have mixing, there's no fun. That's what he tells the ummah. Where's the fun if there's no haram? So now Shaytan says: Allah promised you a true promise. But I broke my promise.

وَمَا كَانَ لِيَ عَلَيْكُم مِّن سُلْطَانٍ إِلَّا أَن دَعَوْتُكُمْ فَاسْتَجَبْتُمْ لِي — I did not have the capacity to force you. Except that I invited you, and you chose to accept my invitation. فَلَا تَلُومُونِي وَلُومُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ — Do not blame me. Blame yourselves. SubhanAllah. Who is saying this? Shaytan himself.

The ones who listen to music all day, eat haram all day, watch haram all day — they've gone into a pact without even realizing it with Shaytan. And now, sitting in the masjid, they get an allergic reaction. Listening to the Qur'an — allergic reaction. Listening to a hadith of the Prophet ﷺ — they get uneasy. But watch three hours of haram? No problem. Seven hours of addiction? No problem. Shaytan has taken them down that path.

مَّا أَنَا بِمُصْرِخِكُمْ وَمَا أَنتُم بِمُصْرِخِيَّ — I cannot save you, and you cannot save me. I know I'm going to burn in hell forever. But I got you with me. Misery loves company. إِنِّي كَفَرْتُ بِمَا أَشْرَكْتُمُونِ مِن قَبْلُ — I have nothing to do with the shirk you committed. I'm nobody. Shaytan himself is saying: I'm nobody. إِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ — Indeed the oppressors have the ultimate painful torment on the Day of Judgment.

So this is the ending of everyone — we will become a hadith, we will become tales. The choice is: do you want to become a good tale or a bad tale?

Many mothers and fathers, when they put their children to sleep, tell them about their grandparents — stories of great people. But there are others, Allah forbid, who haven't done anything good in this world. Every time we go to South Africa or anywhere else, they say: You're from Chicago? Oh — Al Capone! Al Capone died long ago, but he's still a name no one can forget. Like that, some people tell their kids about gangsters and criminals as cautionary tales.

This is why some of the ulama would make this beautiful du'a:

O Allah, do not make me a lesson for other people of Your creation. Do not make me a story from whose tale people will be taught a lesson. I don't want to be a story that mothers tell their children: You see, if you don't listen, this is what happens.

There's a story mentioned in the books of one person walking by some street artists. One artist called to him and said, Can you please come and sit here for a bit? After a while, he was dismissed. He asked why. The artist said: A lady hired me to draw a big portrait of Shaytan. I needed something scary, I saw you, and I thought — come, sit here. You don't want to become that example. And it's not just about being a failure while alive — it's about once we are dead, that people pass by and say, This person was horrible.

Musa and Harun with Fir'aun — The Danger of Arrogance

Thereafter, we sent Musa and his brother Harun عليهما السلام with our signs and a clear proof. We sent them towards Fir'aun and his Mala'. But they showed arrogance, and they were haughty people.

Notice that when dealing with Fir'aun and his people, Allah سبحانه وتعالى does not say قَوْمَ فِرْعَوْنَ — rather Allah says إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَئِهِ — Fir'aun and his Mala'. What are Mala'? They are not just advisors. Mala' are those people who are close to the king and fill up the place — they have seats around the king, they fill his court. They are the noblemen who attend the king. And if a person is surrounded by bad advisors, he can't do anything good.

That is why one of the du'as we should be making is:

O Allah, grant me an inner group of righteous friends. If you have an inner group of righteous, God-fearing people, you will be able to achieve unbelievable things. Many people want to do good — wealthy people, politicians, powerful leaders — but they're not able to because they're surrounded by corrupt people who use their power and wealth for their own ways.

I remember one example of how true scholars are so careful that their name is not used for anything without their permission. Mawlana Inam al-Hassan رحمه الله — known as the third Hazraji, after Mawlana Ilyas رحمه الله and Mawlana Yusuf al-Kandhlawi رحمه الله, the one who was in charge and the amir of the effort of da'wah and tabligh — one day had a suitcase that needed to be repaired. He asked one of the ulama who was in his khidmah to go get it fixed. The attendant went to a shop in Nizamuddin, got it fixed, and came back. Hazrat asked how much it cost. He said: Nothing. Hazrat said: Did you tell him it was my bag?

You know who told me this story? This is Mawlana Ahmadullah Sahib. I heard this story myself from him in South Africa. He was that very khadim. And he said: I got scolded so badly. He said, "How dare you use my name? How dare you say my name and get this bag fixed for free?" That's exactly what I'm talking about. People do that — they use the name of a great person to get things done. And Hazrat was not using it for himself — but even an attendant saying I'm Hazrat's khadim, please hook me up was completely unacceptable to him.

So the mala' of Fir'aun — the inner circle was corrupt. They couldn't guide him. They were misguided, and they misguided him as well, and he misguided them — back and forth. فَاسْتَكْبَرُوا — and they showed arrogance.

The Disease of Arrogance

Beloved brothers and sisters, this is one thing we need to remove from our hearts and minds. Let us cleanse ourselves from any and all forms of kibr. Ramadan is coming — let's seek refuge in Allah سبحانه وتعالى from this horrible disease. You all know the hadith:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 265)

That person cannot enter paradise in whose heart is an iota of arrogance. Why is a man being deprived of paradise despite his salah, zakat, hajj — despite being an alim, a hafidh, giving donations? Because kibr, even an iota, simply does not get along with ubudiyyah. It does not match being a servant of Allah. If you say you're a servant of Allah, how dare you have the audacity to be arrogant?

As it comes in hadith:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 32, Hadith 6173; Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 4090)

Greatness and grandeur are My upper and lower garment. Whoever attempts to snatch either of them away from Me, I will drag him headlong into the fire of Jahannam. Allahu Akbar. Are we ever going to win the game of trying to snatch greatness from Allah? So why even attempt something so foolish?

Notice — kibr and arrogance become a reason why people do not accept Islam. فَاسْتَكْبَرُوا وَكَانُوا قَوْمًا عَالِينَ. What did Fir'aun himself say?

I am your supreme lord. And Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:

Allah decided to punish him in the hereafter and punish him in the dunya as well.

The reason why people do not get the tawfiq to repent — it is arrogance. What is the root cause of atheism spreading in our community? What is the root cause of agnosticism? What is the root cause of young people leaving Islam? It boils down to one thing: arrogance. Arrogance is the أُمُّ الأَمْرَاض — the mother of all sickness. A person says, Islam is too hard, I want to lead a free life — what does that mean? He's too arrogant to humble himself in front of Allah. If a person cannot humble himself, he will never be guided. Humility is the key to gain any level of guidance.

That is why Surah al-Baqarah begins with الم — you have your 10-year degree from any school, any university, in any subject. But when you come to study the Qur'an, you have to put away your caps, sit down, and humble yourself.

You know, the original madrasas of the Ottomans, when visited in Turkey, had a door just like a hobbit's door — small, low. So that every time you enter the classroom, you cannot walk in with your chest open and your head straight up. Every time you enter, you have to humble yourself a little. Allahu Akbar. Hundreds of years the Ottomans led the Muslim world, and this is what was required. When you enter a classroom, be humble.

One time a person was asking where to go study. I mentioned we have a simple place, we sit on the floor. His immediate response was: I don't need to sit on the floor to get my tarbiyah done. I said: Alhamdulillah, this is the end of our interview. Because if this is your knee-jerk response, it means 100% your islah is not done. But on top of that, you don't even recognize that. That's called jahl al-murakkab — you don't know, and you don't know that you don't know. We can only help people who say: I don't know, I came to learn.

Humility in Knowledge — The Example of Musa A.S.

No matter how much ilm a person gets, he must always remain humble — not only in front of Allah, but in front of other human beings as well. Musa عليه السلام was the greatest prophet at that time, the most knowledgeable person, Kalimullah — the one who spoke with Allah. Allah عز وجل asked him: who is the most knowledgeable person? He said: I am. Which is correct in that sense. But Allah didn't like the sound of it. And so Allah directed him to go meet Khadir, who knew aspects of the workings of the world that Musa did not know. That beautiful story in Surah al-Kahf we have studied.

True knowledge — the more a person has, the more humility will come into him. Like a tree: the tree with a lot of fruit bows its branches low. The tree with no fruit holds its branches high. This is something I benefit from every time I go visit my honorable teachers in South Africa. Allahu Akbar. Students who come with me, American kids who have never spent time with such people — they don't even understand what they're witnessing. That is true tawadu, true humility. Not fake — plastic tawadu — but the real thing.

Haji Farooq رحمة الله عليه was one of the great Sufi mashayikh of Pakistan, from Sakkar. His son, Mawlana Abdul Bari, came all the way to South Africa to study after finishing his entire Aalim course. I asked him: your father is one of the main shuyukh of tasawwuf in Pakistan — why did you leave to come here? His answer: My father sent me here to learn humility from Mufti Sahib. He said: My father sent me to South Africa to learn humility and humbleness from Mufti Radha al-Haqq Sahib. I am serious, I am not exaggerating. This is exactly what he told me. How often do we think that this is something we need to learn? You don't learn humility from books. You learn humility from people — by staying in the company of humble people who are far more experienced and far more knowledgeable than you. You see them, and you say: If there's anyone who should be arrogant, it should be him — yet he is so much more humble than I am.

The quick definition of arrogance from the hadith:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 265)

Arrogance is to deny the truth and to look down upon people. To deny the truth: someone says you're wrong, you know you're wrong, but you say No, I'm not. And to look down upon people.

Looking Down on Followers of the Prophets

Shall we believe in two humans just like us, whose people are serving us as slaves? This is where the test comes — when the followers of the Prophet are people on the lower end of the socioeconomic scale. In the modern era in Indo-Pak, 50–60 years ago, who went to the madrasa? The poor people. The disabled people. Those who didn't have the means to get ahead in dunya. And now that person comes and he's your imam. And people have a hard time respecting scholarship because those who studied the deen were poor people.

This mirrors what the people of Nuh عليه السلام said:

Shall we believe in you when it is the lowly ones who have followed you? — people who are very shallow in their opinions, superficial, not deep thinkers. Working-labor class. And these are your followers, O Nuh? I'm highlighting this because this is a fitna that lasts till today. I know a wealthy person who one day decided to go to Ijtema. Someone asked him where he was going and said: A man like you — you're rich, why are you going to the Ijtema? That's for poor people. This person was an imam in some masjid. He didn't have proper understanding.

That wealthy man gave a beautiful response. He said: You give khutbahs on the importance of humility and forbearance and controlling your anger — yes or no? He said yes. Then he said: Giving a khutbah is one thing, putting it into practice is another. Where is the arena to put your khutbah into practice? He then shared his own story: one day in khuruj, in jamaat, he went out in ja'ula to a Muslim brother's house. He knocked on the door. The man wasn't happy. He said: You're probably uneducated with no job — that's why you're coming to my house. Why don't you go get a job first? And he slammed the door in his face. This man could have bought him out for seven generations. But he went quiet. Blood boiling, eyes red — but he said nothing. Looked down. Walked to the next house. That is where you learn sabr. That is where you learn patience for the sake of Allah.

This is the misconception till today — that people who spend time in the masjid, go to the madrasa, go to the khanqah, go in jamaat — these are useless, uneducated people who don't have anything better to do. Let's be honest: that is 100% the perception. And Allah سبحانه وتعالى literally does not usually allow the rich to come to the deen. They're so intoxicated with their wealth, so full of themselves, they don't have the ability to humble themselves in front of Allah. And in order to sit in a madrasa in front of a teacher, you have to be humble. In order to take a sleeping bag and sleep on the floor in a cold masjid, you have to be humble. In order to sit at the feet of a shaykh in a khanqah and eat dry bread and daal for 40 days, and when he says take out the garbage, clean the bathroom you just do it — that requires humility.

Yes, there are certain lucky individuals whom Allah allows to own the money without the money owning them — Allah allows them to have the money in their pocket but not in their heart. That is what you should make du'a for. Just like water gets into a ship and makes it sink — as long as the water is outside the ship, it flows well. Similarly, as long as the dunya is around us and not in our hearts, we'll be fine.

Thus they rejected both of them, and they were amongst the ones who were destroyed. And of course we gave Musa عليه السلام the book so that they may take the right path.

'Isa and His Mother — The Miracle of Birth

And we made the son of Maryam and his mother a sign. And we gave them shelter. آوَيْنَا means to give shelter. رَبْوَة means a place that is elevated — some high ground. You may have heard of a place called Rabwah? That place they called Rabwah as well — referring back to this. Allah سبحانه وتعالى gave them shelter on a height — whether it was in Damascus or where Nuh's ark parked — a place with rest and running springs. That is where they lived.

The birth of 'Isa عليه السلام has been called a mu'jiza, a miracle. And this is really important. Allah سبحانه وتعالى has created four miracles in childbirth:

One — a child born without a father or a mother, like Adam عليه السلام. Two — a child born without a father, just with a mother, like 'Isa عليه السلام. Three — a child born just with a father without a mother, like Sayyidina Hawwa رضي الله عنها. Four — when husband and wife are old and the wife is barren, like in the story of Yahya عليه السلام.

Tawhid — The Lesson Behind Miracles

What do we learn from these things? Asbaab and means that we see — you drink water and you no longer feel thirsty. This connection between drinking water and quenching your thirst, between getting married and having children, between earning money and being able to purchase things — this connection is simply a correlation. A means coinciding with a result. It is not causation. It's not causing it. It is Allah's command that is causing it. SubhanAllah.

Hence, if I drink and Allah doesn't wish for it to quench my thirst, 10 bottles of water will not quench my thirst. And if Allah wishes, I can have nothing to drink and still live. Zamzam — what did the Nabi ﷺ say?

(Sunan Ibn Majah, Book 5, Hadith 3062)

The water of Zamzam is for that which it has been drunk for. I've heard and personally witnessed stories of brothers in the Mataf during Maghrib adhan needing to use the restroom — which would mean missing their Umrah and their salah in the Haram. They drank Zamzam and made niyyah: Ya Allah, You remove from me the need to go to the restroom. Your Prophet ﷺ said, the water of Zamzam is for that which it is drunk for. And again and again and again — miracles. What is that? Allah chose that right now, the effect was removed. Even though they were drinking water.

The birth of 'Isa ﷺ being miraculous teaches us that every single action of ours — nothing is happening because of what we're doing. It's happening because of Allah's will. Mom and dad together is not what brings children about — it is Allah's amr. Whether both are present, one is present, or none are present.

Mufti Radha al-Haqq Sahib was saying on this past journey: People say tawhid is simple. I agree — you know tawhid, you know shirk, done. But if tawhid was so simple, why would Allah سبحانه وتعالى expound upon it the most in the entire Qur'an? We haven't even understood the بَاء of Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim. Tawhid is something — if our whole life we work on it, we pray before we die that we'll understand it.

No action will lead to a reaction unless and until it is with the amr of Allah سبحانه وتعالى. Regardless of what science says, regardless of what our five senses tell us, regardless of what history tells us — it is only and solely Allah's command that makes things happen. Allah can give you honor through the means of disgrace. Allah can disgrace you through the means of honor. Allah can make you wealthy through the means of poverty. Allah can give you health through the means of sickness. Until we actually believe in what I'm saying, we're not true muwahideen.

Every day we get tested. Halal income is 50,000, haram income is 100,000 — which do you choose? The halal loan is more expensive than the haram loan. Haram meat is cheaper than halal meat. What are you going to choose? It's to say: there will be no barakah in haram money, no barakah in haram food, no barakah in a haram loan, no barakah in a haram home. Until that yaqeen is complete, our tawhid is not complete. This is a lifelong journey.

One beautiful way to build it is to speak about the greatness of Allah at home. Sit in gatherings, whether in jamaat or in i'tikaf, and speak about the greatness of Allah:

Water cannot do anything without the permission of Allah. Medicine cannot do anything without the permission of Allah. A knife cannot cut without the permission of Allah. A fire cannot burn without the permission of Allah. Keep repeating it, because whatever you say, eventually you'll start believing it. For 40–50 years we've said: makhluk does, makhluk harms, makhluk benefits, makhluk gives us honor. So now to remove that gunk from our hearts and put in: Allah does, and only Allah does — it's not going to happen overnight. That's why we do the dhikr of:

لَا إِلَهَ — that's your dagger, your pickaxe, your shovel, removing all the wrong yaqeen out of your heart, scraping it off. Nothing can harm me, nothing can benefit me, nothing can give me sustenance, nothing can push me forward in life. إِلَّا اللَّهُ — and that's when you put on that beautiful paint of tahliyah, beautifying your heart with the love of Allah, with the yaqeen that Allah does. Through our dhikr of لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ, similarly speaking about it and pondering about it — these are the ways, insha'Allah, that one day we will have tawhid in the manner that Allah سبحانه وتعالى wants us to have. We ask Allah عز وجل to bring that day sooner than later. Ameen.

Q&A Session

How to Get Barakah in Wealth

Barakah in wealth: number one — by earning from halal. Any haram wealth doesn't give you barakah. Number two — spending in sadaqah. That gives you a lot of barakah.

Whatever money you give to invest with people in riba, in interest — it will never increase with Allah. And whatever money you give to purify your wealth — those are the ones who are truly multiplying their wealth. Mashallah.

Fake Humility vs. Real Humility

You have to ask Allah for protection from fake humility. If you say عَبْدُ الْفَقِيرُ الْحَقِيرُ النَّقِيرُ — I'm just a lowly, humble nothing — and then someone actually treats you that way and you get upset, then you should never have said it. That's fake humility. If you don't mean it, why say it?

How to Know if You Have Arrogance, and How to Humble Yourself

If you regard others as inherently lower than you, weaker than you — not in some specific subject or skill, but as a person overall. Getting 10 points more than someone in a test doesn't make you a better person or more valuable or closer to Allah. That's where arrogance comes in. The best way to humble yourself is to always remember your own mistakes, sins, and shortcomings that no one besides Allah and your angels know about.

Is There Barakah in Purchasing a House Through Islamic Financing?

Ideally a person should try to find a way to get absolutely no financing. SubhanAllah — yesterday I was approached by a brother from the community who said he and a friend are starting a qard hasana organization — pooling money to help people buy houses, no profit, no catch. Just helping people get off of interest and creating a habit within the community of giving good loans. I was amazed. May Allah increase them, create more people like this, and allow this project to come to fruition. When you are sincere and not looking to make money off of it, you'll see Allah's help. And yes, there is definitely barakah with something that is not a conventional loan. Now someone will say Islamic loans and conventional loans are similar — yes, they may be, but so is nikah and its opposite. Sometimes these small differences make everything.

Is There Proof for Group Dhikr?

Definitely. There is a whole book dedicated to this, available insha'Allah in the bookstore. The Nabi ﷺ in many different forms allowed people to do dhikr — individually, collectively, out loud, quietly. There is a lot of variety. No one sat together and said لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ like this out loud in exactly this format during the time of Rasulullah ﷺ. But there is no specific restriction. Just as there were no PowerPoints during the time of Rasulullah ﷺ, and yet we use them to facilitate learning — we don't regard them as sunnah, just as a means to facilitate. Group dhikr is simply to get us started, so that we can then do dhikr continuously at home, out loud or quietly as we wish.

How Do You Know You're Getting Barakah vs. Allah Just Giving You the Dunya?

Very good question. And the next verses are exactly about it — the whole topic of istidraj. That's what's coming. Allah says: don't think I'm being kind to you just because you have money. This is like the cheese for the mouse in the rat trap. The full details of that will come next week insha'Allah.

The Prophets Always Got Ease After Hardship — What About Us?

This is a misunderstanding about the Prophets. SubhanAllah — till the last day, the Prophet ﷺ did not have bread and meat eating on the same day. He never ate until his stomach was full until the last day. The Prophet ﷺ passed away with his armor and sword left as collateral in the hand of a Jew — because he didn't have money to buy food. And the ulama say: why did he give his collateral to a Jew and borrow? Because he didn't want his needs to be known to the ummah. And one narration says: because if he borrowed from an ummati, that person would say Ya Rasulullah, how can I lend to you? This is yours. So that's why he chose to deal with a Yahudi. SubhanAllah. Who said the Prophet ﷺ had it easy at the end?

Number two: we should not lose hope. You are making du'a for one situation, whatever it may be. But at least you were able to use a restroom before you came here. Ask someone who can't pass urine for one day. Whatever you're making du'a for — that person will say, Brother, that's nothing compared to what I'm going through. So whatever your issue is, you have to understand that sometimes we make our personal issue bigger than it actually is, because we're not looking at the million other things that could have gone wrong and haven't. A car accident takes 3–5 seconds and can leave you crippled for life. It hasn't happened, alhamdulillah. So when you think about these things, you realize Allah is continuously giving you a very easy life. And that specific situation you're praying for — maybe if Allah gave you what you wanted, you wouldn't have gotten up for suhoor, wouldn't have prayed those extra rakat, wouldn't have given sadaqah. The reason you're doing what you're doing is because Allah is testing you. And in reality, this test is actually a huge blessing. As they say in Arabic: a test is a hidden gift from Allah سبحانه وتعالى.

What If You Accidentally Eat Haram?

If a person accidentally eats haram, then immediately repent. Ask Allah to protect you from that. And if a person has the taqwa to vomit it out, then that is great as well.

Is Feeling Happy When People Praise You a Form of Arrogance?

Feeling happy when people praise you for your wealth and children is not arrogance — that is shukr you're doing to Allah. When someone says, Man, you're so lucky, you should feel happy and say: Ya Allah, thank you, alhamdulillah. You should feel happy that Allah gave you what you have without you ever deserving it. You should not feel guilty about it.

What to Read for Anxiety

لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ is one thing we should read excessively. Additionally, make a habit of reciting as much Qur'an as possible. Surah al-Baqarah would be good. Mu'awwidhatayn — Qul A'udhu bil-Falaq and Qul A'udhu bin-Naas — as much as possible, maybe a hundred times each depending on what you're going through. These are all helpful for anxiety.

How to Implement Humility in Family and Children

Many people just don't realize what arrogance is — because, as I told you, this is the type of disease that doesn't allow you to recognize or feel it. So you have to nicely point out: This type of statement is not appropriate. This type of statement gives off the stench of arrogance. Not that you're arrogant, but the statement gives the stench of arrogance, and we need to avoid that. By simply pointing things out, insha'Allah, they will hopefully understand.

Sometimes Scary Dreams — Are They True?

It depends — there are certain dreams you see simply because you've been thinking about something all day. Or it's a good dream from Allah عز وجل. Or a scary dream meant simply to intimidate you — snakes, dogs, things chasing you — these are usually from Shaytan. Best way to deal with it: don't think too much about it, and give sadaqah. When you wake up, say أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ three times, and say:

And it comes in hadith to lightly spit — without saliva — on your left side. Do not share those dreams with people. And give sadaqah.

Reciting a Surah a Specific Number of Times — Is This Legit?

These prescriptions are usually through tajrabah — through the experience of scholars and awliya. There are a few things that come in hadith as well. The Nabi ﷺ would recite certain morning and evening du'as, some three times — سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ 33 times, الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ 33 times, etc. Those are all part of the sunnah. Besides that, a lot of what is shared comes from the experience of the salaf, and there is nothing wrong with doing that.

I've Had Dreams of the Prophet ﷺ — How Do I Know If It's Really Him?

The Nabi ﷺ has said:

Whoever has seen me in a dream has indeed seen me. So usually this is the case. However, sometimes a person sees Rasulullah ﷺ in a way that in your heart you know it's him — but for example, he doesn't have a beard, or he's wearing clothing you know he would not wear. That is a reflection of one's own condition, and you should sit with a scholar experienced in the interpretation of dreams to ask what it specifically means.

How Do We Focus in Prayer With Too Many Thoughts?

Waswasa during salah — first, do a proper, slow, good wudu. Then pray the sunnah before salah. And whenever a waswasa comes in, in every posture, force yourself to come back at least once to where you are. Your mind wanders — you find yourself in qiyam thinking about something else — force yourself back: I am in qiyam now. I am in ruku. I am in sajda.

How Should a Believer Receive Praise with Adab?

When someone praises you, say the beautiful du'a of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq رضي الله عنه:

O Allah, make me better than what they think of me. And forgive me for those things I'm involved in that they do not know about. And do not hold me accountable for what they're saying. That on the Day of Judgment: are you actually like what they said about you? Do not hold me accountable for what people have said. SubhanAllah.