Developing Yourself Has No End

Developing Yourself Has No End

We summarize in one single practice. And that practice we call it tazkiyah. Tazkiyah which means to purify yourself and grow in faith.

Allah when he sent Musa (alayhi as-salam) to Fir'aun — go to him and ask him, tell him: shall I guide you so you can purify yourself, that you grow in this faith? When Allah sent Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) to the Ummah, He says, among what He sent him: يُزَكِّيهِمْ — he is purifying them. Help them to grow in this faith. And that message became very clear to us that Allah made the entire purpose of our ibadah, our struggle, our worshipping, is to achieve that tazkiyah.

Allah said: successful is the one who purifies himself and grows in faith. So the whole purpose is really to grow in this deen, not to be stagnant where you are.

That's a message that is extremely important to understand. Developing yourself as a mu'min, developing yourself as a Muslim, has no end. It has no end, my dear brothers and sisters. And you're going to be constantly, every single day, growing somewhere in one of those areas of your life. It's extremely important that you do so.

Why Do We Need to Grow?

Why is that? Why do we need to grow in our iman, in our deen, in our character? What's the point of that? A few things.

The Deen Is Heavy — It Requires Strong People

Number one, we have to understand this deen — the deen of Allah — is mateen. It's strong. And we need strong people to carry it. Weak people cannot.

Allah when He sent the Quran to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), He said: listen, you need to get up and pray at night. Pray half of the night, more or less, the entire night if you can. Why?

We are going to send you very heavy words. Very heavy. You cannot take the deen of Allah lightly. Nowadays we live in the age of social media and TikTok and all these things, and everybody has access to speak about the deen as they wish. You have people having microphones and cameras, and now giving fatwas right and left about the deen of Allah.

You cannot take the deen of Allah lightly. It's heavy. It requires strong people to carry it.

Standing Alone Before Allah on the Day of Judgment

Another thing that we have to understand: on the Day of Judgment, each and every one of us is going to be standing before Allah alone.

Everybody on the Day of Judgment is going to come to ar-Rahman, the Most Merciful, as servants — which means you have no escape. You can't go anywhere.

He counted each and every one of them. He brought them all together. No one is going to escape that. And all of you are going to stand before Him alone.

So don't be lonely on that day. Yes, you'll be standing alone. But don't be lonely. You have your amal to prove to Allah that you deserve to be rewarded for it.

The Condition of the Ummah

Brothers and sisters, another thing that we need for the Ummah right now. If you look at the condition of the Ummah — Allahu al-musta'an — it's really sad. One day we used to be the leaders of the world in everything: in morality, in character, in akhlaq, in science, in knowledge, in civilization, in technology, in everything.

Right now, the Muslims are just in the tail of that. Why is that? Because, I guess, we're not taking that concept of growing seriously. Everybody is just for themselves right now.

This society of ours and the civilization of our time has succeeded in convincing people with that level of individualism — extreme, radical individualism. Everybody lives for themselves. As long as I'm successful, as long as I achieve my goals, I'm good. What about as a community?

And that's why, unfortunately, in our time, we have fewer and fewer murabbis — those who truly can be, subhanAllah, well guided to guide you through that and take you by hand to get you to safety, insha'Allah. There are very few, jama'ah. Wallahi, there are very few.

Even at the level of our masajid here in America — we have, mashallah, a few thousand masajid here. How many masajid don't have an imam? The majority of masajid in America don't have imams. We lack imams. Why? Because it's hard and difficult, this kind of task and job. So that means that as individuals, I have more responsibility right now to take care of myself.

Areas Where You Can Grow

Brothers and sisters, where can I grow? Here are a few things I want to share with you — the areas where you can grow, insha'Allah, as a believer. And I want to mention this right now. Why? Because Ramadan is coming.

Ramadan is an iman booster. However, it doesn't last that long. Which means whatever energy you develop in Ramadan, it's not going to stay with you. I'm giving you a heads up right now, a month before Ramadan starts, so you can build yourself until that moment. So when Ramadan comes, you're not about to start. No, you're building on the momentum you've built so far. So by the end of Ramadan, insha'Allah, you have grown so much in your iman, your character, and many other things.

1. Knowledge and Skill

The first area is knowledge and skill. In the Quran, Allah did not ask the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) to ask for more of anything, except for what? Knowledge.

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was asked to ask for more of knowledge. Nothing else. Not money, not fame, not strength. Knowledge. Because it's all about knowledge.

You can be the strongest in physics and in math and everything, but when it comes to the ilm that benefits you in your life, you may lack it. You might be strong with your body, but with your ilm, if you're weak, you can't use it wisely. So brothers and sisters, ask yourself every single day before you go to sleep: how much did you grow in knowledge? How many books did you read? I'm not talking about the five seconds you read here and there on tweets. No, I'm talking about real books where you sit down and you read. Even if it was a summary. How much do you grow in your knowledge — whether it's knowledge in your field, knowledge in your life in this dunya, or knowledge in the deen of Allah?

In terms of skill, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

(Shu'ab al-Iman, al-Bayhaqi)

Allah loves a person who, when he or she does something, does it with ihsan — which means with perfection. It doesn't matter what that is. Whether it's writing a paper, finishing a report, doing an exercise, making wudu, reading your Quran, making your dhikr, or cooking your meal — whatever that is.

We are the Ummah of ihsan. The Ummah of perfection. And if you don't know how to do something, learn it. And if it's so hard for you to learn it, put the effort in — because that's where the pleasure comes from. When you're able to endure and overcome difficulties to accomplish that.

Ask yourself: what skill have I been trying to develop — whether it's something spiritual, physical, or intellectual — that I keep postponing and pushing away? This is the time to do it, insha'Allah. Focus on this. Grow in your skill and your knowledge, my dear brothers and sisters.

2. Akhlaq and Behavior

Number two, we need to grow in our akhlaq and behavior — which means in our character and our conduct. Our deen is all summarized in this one matter. It's akhlaq. As the Prophet mentioned, he was sent to the world with this message that we all know — we call it Islam. The entire message was for what? To help people perfect their character. The whole purpose is to perfect your character.

Are you developing your character? What matters of akhlaq do you think you lack? Maybe I'm a bit hasty. Maybe my tongue is unfortunately out of control. What area of akhlaq and manners do you believe you need to work on? Maybe you should work on your patience. Maybe you should work on how you smile in the face of people. Find something that you need to develop, insha'Allah.

Knowing that having good akhlaq and good manners doesn't just reward you in the dunya with good mention amongst the people. In the akhirah, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) mentioned there is nothing heavier in the scale than your husn al-khuluq — your good manners. And those who have good manners will be the closest to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) on the Day of Judgment. May Allah make us among them, ya Rabb al-'alamin.

Brothers and sisters, you need to continue to grow your akhlaq. What does that mean? Learn something new. Practice something better. Excel in everything that you do — in the way you talk to people, the way you behave with them, in everything.

The Rasul (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) even taught us a du'a for when you look in the mirror:

Ya Allah, You beautified my looks — I ask You to beautify my manners, my akhlaq. What a beautiful du'a that is, jama'ah. What a beautiful du'a to remind yourself of every single day, in the morning, before you leave, before you start your day. Say: my Lord, You made me look beautiful — and you are, in the way Allah created you, you are perfect in that sense. Say: Ya Allah, perfect my akhlaq for me. Not just my looks, but also the way I behave and deal with people.

3. Ibadah

Number three, where do we need to grow? In your ibadah. Ramadan, like I said, is an iman booster. You find yourself, alhamdulillah, having all of a sudden that energy that comes out of nowhere to bring you to the masjid every single day. Not just that — you don't just pray and leave. You pray and you stay. And you're willing to stay at night, even past midnight, even until Fajr time in the last ten nights. You're willing to do all of this.

Where is this energy coming from? That means you have it already. It's in you. Why are we just using Ramadan? Ask yourself: when was the last time I did tahajjud? How long was it? How often do I do that? When was the last time you fasted since the month of Ramadan? Why can't you do this? When was the last time you stayed from Fajr all the way until sunrise? When was the last time you made sure that all your nafl and your sunnahs of that day were done before you went to sleep?

Increase in your ibadah and your ta'ah. Some of us, alhamdulillah, their ibadah is better through spending — so they give charity. Others through prayers. Others through fasting. Find your ibadah. What is the best that you can do and improve, insha'Allah, and make sure to do it regularly.

Because the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: the most beloved deed to Allah are those most continuous, even if they were little. You do something and you grow with it, insha'Allah.

4. Patience and Self-Control

Brothers and sisters, number four — what we need to work on is learning to be patient and in control. Why? Because those who have the quality of patience and persevere well, alhamdulillah, they perform better in this life.

Our deen teaches about the delayed reward and delayed gratification. This culture is the opposite. The culture of our time is all about instant gratification. Your deen is telling you: delayed gratification is better for you. What does that mean? Instead of being hasty and rushing just to satisfy yourself at every second that your nafs desires something — so you jump into it — and that's why we mess up in our lives — no. It is teaching us: I know this is very pleasurable. It is very nice. It looks so sweet. But astaghfirullah, a'udhu billahi min ash-shaytan — I'm not going to do this. Because you've learned to exercise patience.

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) taught us this when a man came to him and said: teach me something. He said: don't be angry. The man said, okay — can I learn something else? He said again: don't be angry. The man is now probably getting upset. He said again a third time: don't be angry. And that's when the man realized — that's it. Which means you need to control yourself.

Brothers and sisters, Ramadan is coming. You're going to be fasting. I know there's a joke that when I'm hungry, I'm angry — but please don't do that in real life. Keep it a joke. In reality, when you fast for the sake of Allah, it should grow your spirituality. It should make you a better person, not a worse individual. It should raise your akhlaq, not make it worse — not justify that with an act of ibadah such as fasting. Make sure that you grow with that.

5. Your Social Circle

Brothers and sisters, another thing we need to grow, insha'Allah, is our social circles. Why? Because you are the average of the few people you surround yourself with. They say between 7 and 10 people. Look at your circle — the 7 to 10 people you associate yourself with most of the time. Who are they? Even the 7 accounts you watch online — what are they? Just look at these things and you will see who you are.

Friends gravitate. Tell me who your friends are, I can tell you who you are. And the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: a person will follow the deen — which means the practice — of his own companion. So look at your circle. If that circle is benefiting you in the dunya and in the akhirah, alhamdulillah — increase now the ni'mah of Allah with good people. But if you know that these people only increase you in entertainment and recreation — it's neutral, but it's not going to be very beneficial in the akhirah. And if your circle is always discouraging you from improving in your deen and your dunya, you're in the wrong circle. Find a better circle, insha'Allah, and grow in your social relationships.

6. Planning and Purpose

And finally, my dear brothers and sisters, we are an Ummah of purpose. You don't do anything just like that. You need to make sure there is an objective for everything that you do. So therefore, grow in planning — having good planning for your life, for matters of dunya and even in the akhirah.

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said in the hadith of Ibn Abbas (radiyallahu anhuma):

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2664)

Always strive for that which is beneficial to you, seek help from Allah, and don't be lazy. A very simple message. But those three words — it's a roadmap for life.

If you can focus on your goals and accomplish and achieve and grow, insha'Allah, I hope Ramadan will be the best Ramadan for you this year and beyond. May Allah make us among those who listen to this speech and follow it, ya Rabb al-'alamin.

Second Part of the Khutbah: The Month of Sha'ban

الحمد لله رب العالمين، وصلى الله وسلم وبارك على نبينا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم تسليمًا كثيرًا، أما بعد.

My dear brothers and sisters, I already mentioned to you that Ramadan is coming very soon — less than a month, insha'Allah — and we will enjoy the beautiful spirit of the month of Ramadan. May Allah make us among those who live until Ramadan, ya Rabb al-'alamin. That we fast the month of Ramadan, that we go through it and we grow through it, ya Rabb al-'alamin.

Brothers and sisters, in this month right now — of all I mentioned to you — I hope that you can go back to the recording, write it down, and make your own plan for this month of Sha'ban, insha'Allah.

In Sha'ban, Usamah ibn Zayd (radiyallahu ta'ala anhuma) said: I said, O Messenger of Allah, I have never seen you fasting any other month as much as you fast in Sha'ban — is there something special about it?

(Sunan an-Nasa'i, Hadith 2357)

That is a month many people are completely oblivious of. They don't pay attention to it. It comes between Rajab — which many people focused on, especially in the time of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), as it had a special significance in the time of Jahiliyyah — and Ramadan, where of course the ibadah comes in. So instead of using Sha'ban as a spiritual preparation for Ramadan, everybody gets lazy — trying to eat as much as they can, sleep as much as they can, because they know once Ramadan starts they won't be able to enjoy that. So we go lazy instead of actually building for the month of Ramadan.

'A'ishah (radiyallahu anha) said: I have never seen the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) fasting almost a complete month as much as he did in Sha'ban.

Sometimes he would fast so much that we would say he is not going to break his fast. But he would break his fast one or two days. And sometimes he wouldn't fast as much. But Sha'ban is a good time to start your planning so you can grow, insha'Allah, in all these areas and more.