FINANCIAL HARDSHIP ?Here's the solution Message In A Passage Ep.1 Ustadh Mohamad Baajour(Baqara 95)

Bismillah, alhamdulillah, salat wa salamu ala rasoolillah wa ma'alimna ma yunfa'una wa yunfa'una bimaa'illamtana wa zidna ilman ya rahman rahimeen

Ya Allah عز وجل, teach us but benefit us, benefit us from what you taught us and increase us in knowledge. Ameen ya rabbal alameen

May Allah make us from the people at the end of the gathering. They will be taught قوموا مغفوراً لكم قد بُدلت سيئاتكم حسنات - Get up, all your sins are forgiven, all your evil deeds are switched into good deeds. Ameen ya rabbal alameen

The Gathering of Knowledge and Remembrance

Just a reminder that Rasool Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم told us: ما اجتمع قوم في بيت من بيوت الله - No one who gathered in the house of Allah عز وجل for the sole reason just to remember Allah and study his book and understand his deen except four things take place: The rahma of Allah descend upon them, the sakinah will shower them, the angels will surround them, and Allah سبحانه وتعالى عز وجل will mention them by name in the higher assembly. اللهم اجعلنا منهم يا رب العالمين - May Allah make us from these people.

I'm mentioning this just to remind myself and remind you to purify your intention before we start so we can get this amazing reward promised by Rasool Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم.

A Message in a Passage

So inshallah today will be the first episode of our new series. The series is called "A Message in a Passage." What does that mean? We're gonna take an ayah from the Quran and we will mention the reason, the سبب النزول - the reason why the ayah was revealed. A message in a passage - and here "passage" means ayah, I just wanted to make it rhyme. So "message in an ayah," but it wasn't gonna rhyme, so "message in a passage."

Many ayat have reasons for the revelation. Even though the reason is something good to know, but at the end of the day, the most important thing is to understand the ayah and apply the ayah, and that's the whole purpose. I beg Allah عز وجل to give me the ability to make my words go from my heart to yours. Ameen

The Ayah: Spending in Allah's Cause

The ayah today, if somebody would like to follow, is Al-Baqarah 195:

And spend في سبيل الله - in the cause of Allah عز وجل, and do not let your hands throw you into destruction. This is the main part of the ayah: and do not let your hands throw you into destruction. And do good, because Allah loves the one who do good.

The Reason for Revelation

In the Tirmidhi, the سبب - the reason why this ayah was revealed - there's a hadith. It says that Aslam Abu Imran said: "We were in the city of the Byzantines and there came out to us a large number of their soldiers. One of us, one of the Muslims, he charged immediately and went to the army and started fighting and he died - I mean, he attacked by himself and he died." So one of the Sahaba said ألقى بنفسه إلى التهلكة - "He threw himself into destruction."

Who was there? Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari رضي الله عنه وأرضاه. He stood up and said: "Oh people! You are misinterpreting this verse!" Can you imagine? And this is a very important point: when we say we are from Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah and the understanding of the Sahaba - even look at how this is proved in this hadith. Even a Sahabi is telling another Sahabi that you misunderstood this. "No, no, I was there when this ayah was revealed because we, the Ansar, this was revealed لنا معشر الأنصار - it was revealed to us, people of Ansar."

"Because when we saw that the Muslims spread in Medina and Islam became very strong and Muslims became numerous - a lot of Muslims - we said to ourselves: 'It's time to relax. It's time to rest and focus on our families and focus on our cultivation and our land and all that. Let the new Muslims take over, let our children that were born in Islam let them take over, and let us rest a little bit.'"

This ayah was revealed telling us that what you just said is throwing yourself in destruction. The scholars said from this hadith we have concluded that stopping the jihad is throwing yourself into destruction.

The True Meaning: Withholding vs. Spending

Because this ayah, by the way, ask any Arab - he will tell you that this ayah is always misused. People misuse this. Every time you do something: "Oh, don't spend so much. You're throwing yourself into destruction!" It's exactly the opposite!

What it means here: Allah سبحانه وتعالى said spend in the cause of Allah. And we agreed before: anytime you see سبيل الله, في سبيل الله open without any specification, it means jihad. Any time, all over the Quran and the hadith, when you say سبيل الله alone without any specification, it means jihad.

So here Allah سبحانه وتعالى said وَأَنفِقُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ - it says that when we do not spend في سبيل الله - in the cause of Allah - we are throwing ourselves into destruction.

Because somebody says "Yeah, you don't spend too much. Allah said you don't throw yourself into tahlukah." No! That's not what it means. It means exactly the opposite: Do not withhold, do not become بخيل because being بخيل will throw you into تهلكة, will throw you into destruction.

So when we are withholding our wealth instead of spending it, we are actually doing what Allah سبحانه وتعالى told us not to do.

The Promise of Multiplication

Many people they do not spend out of fear of poverty. SubhanAllah! Ya ikhwan, ask anyone who constantly spends في سبيل الله - ask them. They will tell you how much Allah سبحانه وتعالى multiplied it for them, how much Allah سبحانه وتعالى gave it back to them many, many folds because their intention was pure.

And Allah told us already: الشَّيْطَانُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ - Shaytan promises you poverty. And we have noticed that every time we are in a very good cause, in a gathering and we are asked to spend, we feel like - subhanAllah - as if if we have given any money, we're gonna definitely become poor.

Even though one of the very few hadith that Rasool Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم swore by - so hadithukum hadith fahfazoh - I'm gonna give you a hadith, memorize it. Three things, and one of them he said: ما نقص مال من صدقة - your wealth will never decrease when you give. When you give sadaqah, it will not decrease. The numbers to you: I have a thousand, I gave a hundred, I have nine hundred. No! It looks like you have nine hundred, but that nine hundred is worth eighteen hundred. The barakah in it!

A Story of Barakah

You know, Hassan al-Basri رحمه الله - he was at home. The door knocked, so he asked the Shariah, he asked his wife: "Open the door." She opened the door. She came back and said: "There's a very, very, very poor man at the door. He said that he has not eaten in days."

He said: "What do we have?" She said: "All we have in the house is ten eggs." He said: "Give it all to him. Give him all the eggs." "But you're fasting, you know, two hours is maghrib..." "Give him all the eggs."

So the wife of Hassan gave him nine eggs and hid one for her husband. Iftar is coming - you know how wives are, I guess you don't know!

Few minutes later - knock! "Check who's by the door." She opened the door and she came back with a whole basket of eggs. "What is this?" He said: "Our neighbor the farmer - he said that his chickens gave so many eggs, so he gave us this basket." He said: "Count it. It should be 100." So she counted it. She said: "It's 90." He said: "No, no, no, it's impossible! Allah said Hassan, I multiply it by 10 - has to be a hundred." She said: "It's 90." He said: "Did you hide one egg?"

Look at the yaqeen! Look at the yaqeen, the certainty that they have! Allah said: "Allah Hassan, be ashrat amthal" - the ayah could not be wrong. You are wrong!

So we have seen this - this is a true story. These things happen all the time. This one probably happened instantly, but we see it after a while in my children, in my house, in many things, in my health. I see the result of my sadaqah.

Other Applications of the Ayah

So this ayah is also used - like for example, now in Ramadan, in the past Ramadan, many sisters, the pregnant sisters, they ask and they say: "Why I am pregnant and I want to fast?" We tell them: "If that fasting harms you or the baby, you have the permission not to fast." If she insists that she wants to fast knowing that will cause harm, she is throwing herself into destruction.

I want you to understand the ayah and when you can use it. She is تلقي بنفسها إلى التهلكة.

One time, Ibn Taymiyyah gave a very interesting fatwa. He said: "Listen carefully: If someone is driving very fast on purpose - it says 70, 70 miles per hour, he's driving 200 on purpose and driving recklessly and he got into a crash and he died..." He said: "This is suicide, because he threw himself - he threw himself on purpose. Not like, you know, I'm sitting here, a guy came with a... No! He threw himself into tahlukah, into destruction."

A person who smokes - he's throwing himself into tahlukah. He is throwing himself into destruction. We can use this ayah to warn someone who is smoking, or the other examples that we have mentioned.

Al-Barra bin Azib said: ولا تلقوا بأيديكم إلى التهلكة هو الرجل يصيب الذنوب فيلقي بيديه إلى التهلكة يقول لا توبة لي - He said, interpreting this ayah, one of the greatest sahaba said: "It means that a person who does a lot of sins and he says 'There's no tawbah for me, there's no tawbah for me' - he gave up on the mercy of Allah. He gave up on the mercy of Allah سبحانه وتعالى."

Even though Allah سبحانه وتعالى said: لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ - Giving up on the mercy of Allah, giving up and saying that there's no tawbah for me - you are throwing yourself into destruction, you're throwing yourself into destruction.

The Divine Prescription for Financial Hardship

So the main interpretation, because the ayah is about spending - it's all about when we hold back, withhold our wealth from spending it, we are causing ourselves destruction.

My brothers and sisters, Allah سبحانه وتعالى told us in Surah at-Talaq: لِيُنفِقْ ذُو سَعَةٍ مِّن سَعَتِهِ - I mentioned this in Ramadan - وَمَن قُدِرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقُهُ - This here is for anyone among us, and I'm sure there are anyone who's going through financial hardship.

This prescription is not from me. It's not even from Rasool Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم. It's from Allah عز وجل.

Anyone lost his job, anyone who lost a business deal and struggling, anyone behind his rent, anyone with any kind of financial issues - Allah سبحانه وتعالى said:

Whomsoever his rizq, his provision, his sustenance has been قُدِرَ - قُدِرَ means restricted - وَمَن قُدِرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقُهُ.

"Ya Allah, I am going through so much hardship, you know, things are very hard for me now with money. What should I do?" فَلْيُنفِقْ مِمَّا آتَاهُ اللَّهُ - Let him, let her spend from what Allah has given them.

Now here, it sounds very ironic, right? "Ya Allah, I am broke. I am suffering. All I have is $200 and my rent tomorrow is 2000, and You're telling me spend?" Yes!

"How much, ya Allah? How much should I spend?" لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا مَا آتَاهَا - Whatever you want, whatever you can. It's not about the amount - listen carefully - it's not about the amount. It's about that you trusted Me!

Because if you come to me and I say: "Brother Bassam, you're going through hardship." Bassam is coming to me telling me: "Allah, I'm going through so much hardship, Sheikh." I said: "Bassam, you have $200 - I just told you I'm broke!" You understand? No, no! It's not me. Allah is saying: if you're going through that, spend. How much? Whatever you can.

What is the promise? "Ya Allah!" سيجعل الله بعد عسر يسرا - "I will change this hardship that you have into ease." This is a promise from Allah.

Again, do not do it just to try it: "I'm going through hardship and I heard the Sheikh said that today..."

The Power of Sincere Giving

Let me give it a shot. It will not work I'm telling you from now. It's not going to work. You have to do it as if you are seeing it. I'm spending. Things will change why? Allah promised. The Ghani promised, the Kareem promised, the Qadir promised. Khalas.

If I tell you a very rich wealthy man came and said "Spend and I will multiply it" - he's multi billionaire and he's very generous. Wallahi we will spend because we are seeing right? This is here believing. This is about believing.

A Living Example of Allah's Promise

So yakhwan, you know Brother Siyam, Brother Siyam here can you play the video in 30 seconds. So you're gonna watch a video right now. Remember the guy during Ramadan who sent $25 from Chicago and may Allah reward you. We all collected some money and we sent him as a gift. Salahuddin when he starts turn off the lights, please.

So watch what happened and this is literally a demonstration to this ayah. This is the ayah that we just explained. Live. We watched. I watched it happen and you're gonna watch it. سبحان الله, I mean it touched my heart so much that me and Siyam and Basir, we decided to make a video. Bismillah.

An Amazing Story

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. This last Ramadan during one of the nights we had our annual fundraising for the new community center we're about to launch Alhamdulillah. I mean the brothers and sisters were extremely generous in donating, may Allah reward them.

The next day I came to my office and I heard this voice message. سبحان الله it touched my heart so much - a man almost a thousand miles away, senior citizen living on social security. He thought about us. He thought that he wants to help him somehow. Allahu Akbar.

So the next day I played this message in front of the whole congregation of Isha and they were so touched by it that we decided to send a gift to brother Omar. I texted some of the brothers here that used to live in Chicago and one of them may Allah reward him, his cousin lives close to Omar. So the cousin went to Omar and this is what happened when he visited him.

Brother Omar's Response

"I'm here with Omar uncle, Mr. Omar Surma and with the generosity. He's sending me with a check for the Epic masjid if you wanted to say something nice about the community that may Allah's rahma..."

"With the Epic community from my heart may Allah bless everybody over there. All of you are doing a great excellent job. Continue with the good work. Allah will reward every one of you, all the good people that are doing, all the volunteers over there.

I cannot, I cannot go out anymore. I'm now going to be 79 years old. I have medical issues and problems, but may Allah bless everybody that's all I can say. And if anybody wants any help here in Chicago, you have my phone number and you can contact me. I will do my best to help anybody out.

And I think that's why they were so astonished with your generosity that they wanted to extend their gratitude and send you a gift as well. I'm really moved with that. So thank you very much. I'm gonna hand this over to you, sir. This is from the Epic family that you have, they love you very much and they're very grateful. Thank you. You don't have to do this. Insha'Allah insha'Allah we find benefit from both ends insha'Allah. Thank you so much.

I was totally totally surprised and overwhelmed with the gift that you sent me. It is very true. I cried and cried. As all of you, I just cannot believe this. I am so magnanimous, I am so loving, I am so merciful. Alhamdulillah. May Allah accept from all of us Ya Rabb ameen.

If we don't meet in this dunya I ask Allah to make us meet in the highest place in Jannah. Yes, yes, yes. I am really overwhelmed with the love you guys show to me and my family. I live so small now that I am ready to go to Allah. May Allah make your last deeds your best deeds, Ya Rabb."

The Quranic Promise Fulfilled

سبحان الله, my brothers and sisters, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala said:

سبحان الله. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala said: When you are having financial restriction, some problems with your finances, what should I do, Ya Allah? Spend.

Ya Allah, I am telling you, I am broke, I am behind in my rent, I am having issues paying my tuition. Spend how much? Whatever you can, whatever you can, as much as you can afford. What's the promise? Allah will change the hardship into ease. سبحان الله.

We saw this being demonstrated with brother Omar. May Allah bless him and protect him. May Allah bless our community. Jazakumullah khair. As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

The Multiplication of Sincere Giving

This ayah became live. The person was so sincere. I am not going to tell you the amount, but I can tell you it's hundreds of times more than the $25 he sent. Allahu Akbar.

Because, it's not about the $25, because he was sincere. Because he was sincere. And Allah inspired me to think of this. Let me do something for him because he did something for us. He did not do it expecting what happened. Obviously.

As a matter of fact, I am going to make you laugh. When the guy came to him, you know what he thought? He said, "Wow, Epic is so desperate sending guy from Dallas to Chicago to pick up $25. What's going on with Epic?" For $25, four $500 tickets. The brother Amir was telling me that he was afraid. "Wow, what's going on here for $25?" He did not know, سبحان الله, what was the main intention.

May Allah reward you. May Allah bless you. And you know, just the whole purpose of this is to put Iman in our heart. That when Allah says something, it will happen. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make us from the people who listen and apply. Al Fatiha.