All For God - Dr. Sayed Hadi Qazwini

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Al-Rasoul Islamic Society
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Al-Rasoul Islamic Society || Halifax - Canada

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[0:00][Music] I read a story once about a king who long ago

[0:17]he decided that he wanted to build a beautiful masjid in the

[0:26]capital of his kingdom.

[0:27]And so he called his adviserss and he made a decision and

[0:35]he said that I would like to make a public decree to

[0:39]inform everyone that I plan on building this beautiful grand masjid.

[0:45]And I want you to go out to send people to go

[0:50]out and to proclaim to everyone that this masjid will be built

[0:57]by the king and only by the king that no one else

[1:02]will contribute to the building of this masjid.

[1:06]This entire project will be built by the king and so no

[1:11]one is expected to contribute to this project at all.

[1:14]So they went out and they made this public proclamation in the

[1:19]towns, in the main city, in the towns, surrounding areas that a

[1:24]new masjid will be built and it will be built entirely by

[1:29]the king.

[1:28]And so construction began on this project.

[1:31]The construction site was prepared and the ground was broken.

[1:38]They began with the project and on the construction site they put

[1:46]a huge banner, a huge plaque that said that this masjid is

[1:51]being built by the king, by the servant of the city, by

[1:57]the servant of the community, the king so and so, his royal

[2:02]highness.

[2:01]And so the construction project continued.

[2:05]One night, the king as he's asleep, he saw a dream that

[2:12]an angel had descended onto the construction site and it had taken

[2:21]the plaque that has his name on it announcing that he is

[2:26]the person, the sponsor, the entire and sole sponsor of this project.

[2:30]And this angel erased the name of the king and he wrote

[2:35]the name of someone else on it.

[2:38]So the king woke up and he was upset.

[2:42]What kind of dream is this?

[2:45]So he asked his adviserss.

[2:49]He said, "What do you think?" They said, "It's just a dream."

[2:54]So he said, "No, no, go to the construction site and see

[2:57]if anything has changed." So they went to the construction site and

[3:01]they saw no the banner still has the name of the king

[3:06]on it.

[3:05]So the second night the king is asleep.

[3:08]Once again he sees the same dream.

[3:11]The angel descends, removes his name and writes the name of someone

[3:15]else.

[3:14]So once again he sends his adviserss.

[3:16]The second day they go and they see no his name is

[3:20]still on the plaque.

[3:21]Things are going smoothly.

[3:24]The third night he sees the dream again, the same dream.

[3:26]and he's very upset.

[3:29]So he calls his adviserss and he says, "Go to the city

[3:32]and begin to ask the people.

[3:35]Ask them and specifically I want you to go and to look

[3:41]for a specific woman because I see in the dream that my

[3:46]name is removed and the name of this woman, her name is

[3:47]Fatima.

[3:48]Her name is being written on there.

[3:50]So go and ask around.

[3:54]go and ask if anyone is contributing to this project, if anyone

[3:58]has a hand in this project.

[3:59]So they went around and they asked, they kept asking, "Do you

[4:05]know where Fatima, the daughter of so and so is?" People said,

[4:08]"No, we don't know." They kept asking until they found the lady.

[4:13]So they approached her and she was an old poor lady.

[4:21]They approached her and they said, "Are you Fatima, the daughter of

[4:24]so and so?" She said, "Yes." They asked her, they said, "Do

[4:29]you know about the big masjid that is being constructed in the

[4:31]city?" She said, "Yes." They asked her, they said, "Have you not

[4:36]heard of the king's decree that no one should be involved in

[4:40]this project?

[4:42]It is entirely sponsored by him." She said, "Of course." So they

[4:46]asked her, they said, "Have you done anything?

[4:48]Have you contributed anything?

[4:50]She smiled.

[4:51]She said, "Look at me.

[4:54]I'm a poor old lady.

[4:54]How am I supposed to contribute to this project?" So, they kept

[4:58]pressing her and asking her.

[5:01]They said, "Have you been involved with this project in any way?"

[5:04]She said, "Well, the other day I was walking by the construction

[5:08]project and I took a peek inside and I noticed that one

[5:16]of the animals that is used to carry the loads that it

[5:19]was tied with a rope.

[5:22]It was tied to a pole and it looked like it was

[5:26]thirsty and there was a bucket of water but it could not

[5:28]reach the bucket of water.

[5:30]So I entered into the construction site.

[5:33]I picked up the bucket of water and I put it right

[5:36]in front of the animal so it could drink.

[5:38]That's all.

[5:40]So the advisers, they came back to the king and they told

[5:46]him, "Your highness, this is the story.

[5:48]This lady, she went to the construction site and they told him

[5:51]the story.

[5:52]She found this animal that was thirsty.

[5:54]She moved the bucket." He said, "Now I understand the meaning of

[5:59]my dream." And then he proclaimed he said call this lady bring

[6:04]her forth summon her to me.

[6:07]So they brought the they went to the lady and they told

[6:10]her oh lady the king wants to see you.

[6:13]She said he wants to see me said yes.

[6:15]So they took the lady before the king.

[6:19]And the king he told her because of this act of yours

[6:26]I have decided to name this masjid after you because when I

[6:31]intended to build this masjid I wanted everyone to recognize my contributions

[6:37]as the king for them to praise me and to say long

[6:41]live the king how great is he look at this beautiful project

[6:45]that he has built for That was my intention here.

[6:50]But when you contributed, this act of yours was a sincere act.

[6:56]It was an act of devotion and love.

[7:00]And for this reason, I command that the name of this masjid

[7:03]be called under your name.

[7:07]What the story tells us is the power and the significance of

[7:16]our intentions.

[7:17]We find that our teachings they tell us about the importance of

[7:25]our intentions, what we intend and why we intend what we intend.

[7:29]The prophet Muhammad sallallah.aii wasallam he tells us in the hadithuhammed in

[7:41]the famous hadith he says that actions they are judged, they are

[7:54]valued by their intentions and every person will be rewarded or will

[7:59]be given according to their intentions.

[8:02]In a very beautiful and concise statement, Imm says that the intention

[8:13]is the foundation of an action.

[8:16]The action might be great.

[8:20]It might be small.

[8:23]It might be big in terms of its quantity.

[8:26]But what gives it value and what gives it taste is what

[8:32]is not its size but the intention behind it.

[8:37]It's very much like when you cook food, right?

[8:43]When you're cooking, there are some ingredients that are essential ingredients, right?

[8:47]I give this example because recently I learned how to cook, alhamdulillah,

[8:51]after 40 years.

[8:54]One of those essential ingredients is what is to add salt.

[8:58]But how much salt do you add in order to make the

[9:04]food just right?

[9:03]You cannot add too little, nor can you add too much.

[9:08]It's small.

[9:10]It's a small pinch of salt sometimes.

[9:12]But without that small pinch of salt, the food becomes bland.

[9:16]That small pinch of salt is what gives the food and many

[9:21]other spices of course is what gives the food flavor and taste.

[9:25]It is our intention that gives taste and value to our actions.

[9:30]Otherwise the action can become bland if it does not have the

[9:39]right intention.

[9:38]And this is why our teachings they emphasize on the significance of

[9:45]alas of sincerity that our intention is a sincere intention.

[9:51]We find here the Quran presents us with many examples of the

[9:59]significance of our intentions and of having sincerity.

[10:02]Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us in the Quran that they have

[10:14]not been commanded except to be devout and sincere to Allah subhanahu

[10:17]wa ta'ala to worship Allah sincerely and this is what sincerity is

[10:29]sincerity comes from the root which means to purify something which means

[10:33]to remove any contamination from it and this is the in this

[10:40]is the essence of sincerity towards Allah that is our intention is

[10:45]not mixed with any other act it is not mixed with any

[10:49]other objective it is pure for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala it is

[10:55]absolutely pure the Quran it commands the prophet it says Say that

[11:09]my prayers, my salah, my rituals and even my life and my

[11:18]death is what is purely for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

[11:21]This is what it means to have sincerity.

[11:23]Now why is sincerity so significant?

[11:29]Why is it so important?

[11:29]Why is it that our actions may be or may not be

[11:35]accepted based on whether we are sincere or not?

[11:35]Why?

[11:38]Because unlike us human beings, you see, we as human beings, we

[11:48]are often impacted and impressed by outer appearances.

[11:51]When you see someone physically, you see someone, you might be impressed

[11:58]by their outer appearance, by their dress, we look at what someone

[12:03]is wearing.

[12:05]Are they wearing fancy clothes or not?

[12:07]What kind of designer brands are they wearing?

[12:08]If someone walks in with a designer brand and you see this,

[12:12]immediately you are impressed.

[12:15]You know, this person bought a $500 shirt.

[12:19]They're wearing a $500 shirt for instance, right?

[12:20]We look at someone's house, the size of their house or their

[12:27]car or their accessories or their handbag and we are impressed.

[12:31]We say, "Wow, this person is looking good.

[12:34]They spend considerable time and effort on their appearance.

[12:36]This is usually how we are impressed as human beings because we

[12:43]see the appearance and it impresses us.

[12:46]But Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is not impressed by our outer appearances

[12:53]or the outer elements of our actions.

[12:54]The prophet tells us in the very be uh beautiful tradition.

[13:01]He says that God does not consider your outer appearances, your physical

[13:12]appearances and your wealth, how much money you have.

[13:14]This is not something that is impressive to God.

[13:18]Allah subhana wa ta'ala doesn't look at my bank account and see

[13:21]how much money I have and say yes mashallah this person is

[13:26]doing well he doesn't look at my outer appearance rather what does

[13:31]Allah consider and look at Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala looks at Allah

[13:38]subhanahu wa ta'ala looks at our hearts that which is buried deep

[13:45]within us and the sincerity behind our actions This is what matters

[13:50]to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and this is how Allah evaluates our

[13:53]actions and our interactions.

[13:56]Now this is both liberating and terrifying.

[14:01]It is liberating.

[14:04]Why?

[14:04]Because it means that sometimes even a small act if it's done

[14:08]sincerely can be considered great in the eyes of Allah subhanahu wa

[14:12]ta'ala.

[14:14]Someone for instance engages in a small act, a small good act.

[14:22]They donate $5 for a for a specific cause, right?

[14:26]They give some charity, a dollar to someone who is in need.

[14:29]If this action is done with sincerity, for the sake of Allah

[14:33]subhanahu wa ta'ala, for the sake of goodness, then this small act

[14:40]is multiplied in the eyes of Allah.

[14:41]It's as though this person has given thousands or millions of dollars.

[14:46]But it's terrifying.

[14:48]This hadith is terrifying because the flip side is that it means

[14:53]that a grand act, a massive act can be considered completely worthless

[14:59]and valueless in the eyes of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala if the

[15:04]the intention is not right.

[15:05]Someone might donate a million dollars, right?

[15:09]It's a large sum of money.

[15:12]But the intention is for what?

[15:13]Is for recognition.

[15:14]The intention is for something other than Allah subhana wa ta'ala.

[15:21]That million dollars becomes valueless.

[15:24]It becomes worthless in the eyes of Allah.

[15:26]So this is the point behind the significance of sincerity andlas when

[15:33]it comes to our intentions.

[15:34]And we could think of the first level of building and maintaining

[15:40]lasas and sincerity in our lives on our personal level on the

[15:45]individual level because this is the most immediate space wherelas is important.

[15:51]It is where it dwells within our personal worship and our daily

[15:58]habits.

[15:56]These are the acts that we perform when no one is around.

[16:02]when it's just me and Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in our most

[16:05]personal of spaces and situations and here we can examine several examples.

[16:13]One example is when it comes to our prayer, our daily prayer,

[16:20]we have to ask ourselves, is my daily prayer an act of

[16:29]close intimacy and close intimate connection with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala or

[16:35]is it simply a physical movement?

[16:37]How do I pray?

[16:39]How do I approach prayer?

[16:42]When I approach prayer, do I do so with full connection and

[16:48]recognition and devotion to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala?

[16:50]Or do I pray for some other reason?

[16:55]I pray because my parents have forced me to pray or because

[16:58]my community expects me to pray or because it's just become a

[17:07]tradition and thus it has become a form of physical movements.

[17:10]Im Ali he says in the beautiful tradition he says he says

[17:30]how many people that when they fast they gain nothing from fasting

[17:39]except hunger and thirst there's no reward.

[17:42]Fasting can be very rewarding.

[17:44]You spend several hours depending on the time of the year, 12,

[17:49]13, 15, 16 hours abstaining from food and drink in devotion to

[17:56]Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

[17:57]This is when fasting is rewarding.

[17:59]But if the act of fasting is not done for the sake

[18:04]of Allah, it's done to please people.

[18:07]It's done to be recognized by people, right?

[18:10]Then what?

[18:10]Then I gain nothing from that fast except what?

[18:14]Except that I became hungry and thirsty.

[18:17]And he says, "And how many people they stand in prayer and

[18:23]they gain nothing from standing in prayer except getting tired.

[18:29]It's really important for us to think about our intention when it

[18:34]comes to prayer.

[18:35]How do I approach prayer?

[18:40]Do I approach prayer with the focus that is necessary, with the

[18:46]devotion that is necessary?

[18:47]Often times we find ourselves that during prayer we find our minds

[18:55]are racing and rushing left and right in every direction.

[18:58]One time a friend jokingly was saying that if you want if

[19:03]you've forgotten something and you want to remember it, begin with prayer.

[19:07]Say Allahbar and you'll remember it very soon because we're thinking about

[19:13]all of these things.

[19:12]I'm thinking about my job.

[19:14]I'm thinking about what I'm going to have for lunch or dinner.

[19:19]I'm thinking about this deal.

[19:20]I'm thinking about this person.

[19:21]I'm thinking about my wife, my husband.

[19:24]Right?

[19:25]The hadith by Allah says that the amount of the prayer that

[19:34]is accepted depends on how focused I am.

[19:36]If I am focused in the prayer 10 out of 10, I

[19:38]receive 10 out of 10 rewards.

[19:41]But if I'm focused in prayer 9 out of 10, 8 out

[19:45]of 10, 5 out of 10, 2 out of 10, that is

[19:48]the amount of reward that I receive.

[19:50]So we have to ask ourselves how do we approach what intention

[19:56]do we have when we approach prayer?

[19:59]You know they say humorously that there was a young man who

[20:05]moved to a new city and he was single and he wanted

[20:10]to get married.

[20:09]So he said the best thing that I should do is I

[20:14]should go to the masjid the local masjid the community member and

[20:16]the community center and get to know the people there and they

[20:22]will see me and hopefully someone will permit me to marry one

[20:26]of their daughters or something.

[20:28]So he went to the masjid and he entered into the masjid.

[20:36]When he entered into the masjid, he saw a group of the

[20:39]brothers, the community members sitting after prayer.

[20:41]They were sitting and having a conversation amongst themselves.

[20:44]He saw them as he was entering the masjid.

[20:48]So as soon as he saw them, he slowly began to walk.

[20:54]He went over.

[20:53]He picked up a tba and aka.

[20:55]And as he was approaching the front of the masjid, he began

[21:01]to recite loudly, "Subhan Allah, Subhan Allah, Subhan Allah." doing.

[21:08]And as he approached close to them, as he was passing by

[21:14]them, he began to say, of the brothers.

[21:26]They saw him, this young man.

[21:27]We've never seen him before.

[21:29]He's entering into the masjid.

[21:32]Look at how he's entering with complete devotion.

[21:34]He's engaging in.

[21:37]He walked up all the way to the front of the masjid.

[21:40]And then he began to call out the adan very beautifully, Allahbar.

[21:46]Very beautiful voice.

[21:49]He finished his adan.

[21:52]He recited the then he stood before the and he began his

[21:55]prayers Allahbar.

[21:56]He began to recite very beautifully in a very beautiful tone.

[22:04]The brothers they saw this whole issue.

[22:06]They turned to one another and they began to say to one

[22:08]another.

[22:09]They said, "Mashallah, look at the beautiful recitation of this young man.

[22:14]Look at how he recited the adan.

[22:15]Look at how he recited the look at his beautiful recitation of

[22:21]the verses of the Quran.

[22:21]They went on and on.

[22:22]They're praising him.

[22:24]Suddenly, he turned around.

[22:26]He said, "By the way, I'm fasting, too." Muhammad Muhammad.

[22:38]We have to ask ourselves when it comes to our daily devotion,

[22:43]when it comes to our prayers, what is my intention in my

[22:48]prayer?

[22:49]Do I have sincerity?

[22:49]Is this an act of complete devotion in my eyes when I

[22:55]turn to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and devote myself in a way

[22:58]in which the Quran says this is the lesson that we learn

[23:09]from the when we read about their lives we find that they

[23:12]are often described at the time of prayers I im Hassan for

[23:15]instance he is described at the time of prayer when it would

[23:20]come time to prayer and he would stand before Allah facing the

[23:24]his his complexion would change his body would begin to tremble and

[23:34]he would be asked why is it that your complexion it changes

[23:38]and he says he would respond he he would say that I

[23:45]am standing before the king of kings it's not a I'm not

[23:50]just engaging in some physical movements.

[23:52]I'm standing before my master and my lord and my creator and

[23:57]I am about to embark on this journey to communicate and to

[24:01]connect with my lord.

[24:02]So it's important for us to think about sincerity when it comes

[24:07]to our daily prayers when it comes to our charity.

[24:10]May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala continue to bless us to engage in

[24:16]this very important act of worship and that is charity.

[24:18]That is when we give from that which Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala

[24:25]has given us when we give to others for the sake of

[24:28]Allah.

[24:29]This is very important.

[24:28]The Quran often speaks about and a zakat and we are expected

[24:37]to give a portion of the money that we earn.

[24:41]We give it towards others.

[24:42]This is their right upon us.

[24:44]Sometimes we think of charity as an act of favor that I

[24:50]am doing to others.

[24:49]when I pay my religious dues and I give to the needy

[24:54]and I give to projects and I give to other uh institutions

[24:58]and so on and so forth that I am actually favoring putting

[25:00]a favor upon them.

[25:02]No, this is not a favor.

[25:03]This is a right.

[25:03]Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says this money that I have given you

[25:08]this risk that I have given you some of it is not

[25:09]yours.

[25:11]It doesn't belong to you.

[25:12]Some of it belongs to others.

[25:17]It is it is they're right.

[25:20]So when it comes to my charity, it's also important for me

[25:26]to ask the question.

[25:26]You see the Quran when it speaks of charity, Allah subhanahu wa

[25:29]ta'ala, he says, if you give charity publicly, that's very good.

[25:39]This is what the Quran says.

[25:49]However, the Quran says if you give charity in secret, if it's

[25:56]hidden, if it's not publicized, then this is better for you.

[25:59]This is more rewarding for you that when we give charity, we

[26:05]give so with sincerity for the sake of Allah, not for the

[26:08]sake of recognition, not for the sake of putting a favor upon

[26:13]the person.

[26:12]Allah subhana wa ta'ala tells us in the Quran that sometimes we

[26:18]invalidate our act of charity when we remind people of our favors

[26:21]upon them.

[26:22]This is one way in which that act of charity becomes invalidated.

[26:27]We remind people.

[26:31]We tell them, "Remember when 14 years ago I gave you $20?

[26:35]You remember this?

[26:38]Remember when I did this for you?

[26:39]Remember when I did that for you?

[26:43]When I remember when I contributed this way." Allah subhana wa tala

[26:47]says it is better for us.

[26:48]It is more valuable for us when the charity and the act

[26:53]of service that we do is hidden because this ensures that this

[26:59]is an act of complete devotion to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

[27:02]Again, look at the legacy of the imams.

[27:05]Almi Hussein, he would give people every night.

[27:13]He would give charity anonymously.

[27:17]Every night he would go out in the streets of Medina and

[27:22]his head and faces covered and he would distribute to those who

[27:28]are in need.

[27:27]And it was not until after his death that people realized it

[27:31]was him.

[27:30]And the same with other imams, by the way.

[27:33]Read about their history and their legacies.

[27:35]During their lifetimes, in the middle of the night, they would go

[27:42]out and anonymously they would give people.

[27:43]This is a pure act of devotion.

[27:47]This is an act in which one has sincerity.

[27:51]One is doing this because of their love for Allah subhanahu wa

[27:54]ta'ala.

[28:01]This is such a powerful lesson from the Such a powerful lesson.

[28:08]When for three consecutive days they are fasting.

[28:12]The family of Allah they are fasting and for three consecutive days

[28:19]at the time of breaking of the fastar someone who is in

[28:22]need comes and knocks on their door and they give everything they

[28:27]have and their response is what their response is that we do

[28:37]this only for the sake of God.

[28:40]We do not expect from you thanks or praise.

[28:43]Why?

[28:44]Because when an act is done sincerely for Allah, the best form

[28:49]of praise and thanks comes from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

[28:52]And this is sufficient.

[28:54]So it's important for us to think about when it comes to

[28:59]our charity, our giving, what is my intention and how do I

[29:03]develop a sincere intention when I give?

[29:05]When it comes to seeking knowledge, we find here that the hadith

[29:10]that tell us that seeking knowledge is very important.

[29:15]It is mandatory upon every man and woman, young and old, to

[29:22]seek knowledge.

[29:20]No exception.

[29:22]Seeking knowledge is not just the responsibility of some people in the

[29:28]community.

[29:30]Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon all of us each and every

[29:36]one of us without exception.

[29:37]And we know that the hadith they praise the one who seeks

[29:44]knowledge.

[29:45]Im Ali he tells us that knowledge is more valuable than wealth.

[29:49]Why?

[29:50]He explains he says because knowledge will protect you while you have

[29:55]to protect your wealth.

[29:56]This is one reason why knowledge is more valuable than wealth.

[30:01]However, the hadith they also instruct us to be very careful when

[30:05]it comes to my intention in seeking knowledge.

[30:10]Imam he says the one who seeks knowledge with the intention in

[30:17]order to what?

[30:19]In order to engage in debate with scholars.

[30:21]I seek knowledge so that I can go to the scholar and

[30:24]I debate with the scholar.

[30:25]My intention is to debate right or that one can flex in

[30:35]front of those who are ignorant people who don't have knowledge one

[30:41]goes before them and shows them see I am knowledgeable I know

[30:45]this I know that right in order to show off among others

[30:49]right or number three he says or with the objective of bringing

[30:57]attention the attention of the people to himself so that people say

[31:04]mashallah look at this person he or she is so knowledgeable they

[31:06]know so much his intention or her intention in seeking knowledge is

[31:11]so that they can be famous so that they can be influential

[31:17]and I im says if those are the objectives behind seeking knowledge

[31:21]what is the result.

[31:27]This is a dangerous.

[31:29]Imam says, "If these are your intentions for seeking knowledge, then you

[31:35]better prepare yourself a seat in the hellfire." Reminding us the importance

[31:42]of our intention.

[31:42]On the other hand, we have the hadith that tell us if

[31:47]the intention for seeking knowledge is a good intention.

[31:50]It is for the sake of the betterment of oneself and one's

[31:55]community.

[31:55]It is for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

[31:58]What are the blessings of this one?

[31:59]Hadith says that the angels they lower their wings for the seeker

[32:11]of knowledge so that the seeker of knowledge stands on their wings.

[32:16]This is metaphoric, right?

[32:18]The wings do what?

[32:21]In a metaphor, the the the objective or the function of wings

[32:24]is to do what?

[32:27]Is to be able to fly high.

[32:28]Right here the hadith is saying the seeker of knowledge when he

[32:33]or she has a good intention, a positive intention, it is as

[32:38]though the angels they raise the seeker of knowledge and he or

[32:42]she is flying high.

[32:45]But that is when the intention is a positive intention.

[32:49]Even when it comes to other aspects of our personal lives of

[32:54]devotion, brothers and sisters, when it comes to our repentance, when it

[32:58]comes to our seeking forgiveness and engaging in repentance and seeking repentance,

[33:03]this is important.

[33:06]It is important for us to repent that God forbid when we

[33:09]make a mistake, when we make an error, if we sin that

[33:13]we return to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

[33:16]We seek forgiveness.

[33:15]We purify our soul.

[33:18]This is important.

[33:19]And in fact the Quran says that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala loves

[33:25]the tawin loves the tawin.

[33:28]If you are towab if you seek repentance it normally means that

[33:32]you have done something wrong.

[33:35]No you do something wrong and then you seek repentance you seek

[33:39]forgiveness.

[33:40]Here Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is saying that even if you have

[33:44]done something wrong as long as you are seeking forgiveness sincerely then

[33:48]I love you.

[33:50]This is very beautiful.

[33:52]Contrast this with our relationships as human beings.

[33:56]If someone does something wrong towards me, right?

[34:01]Imagine someone says something abusive to you, some something hurtful to you.

[34:06]They engage in a hurtful action towards you.

[34:08]And then imagine that person immediately they come to you and they

[34:14]say, "I'm sorry.

[34:14]I'm so so sorry.

[34:15]How would I react?" In most cases, I will probably say, "Sorry,

[34:21]I can't forgive you right now.

[34:22]At least give me half an hour, 1 hour.

[34:24]Let me be upset with you." Most of us are probably not

[34:27]ready to forgive immediately.

[34:29]Most of us certainly were probably not turn around and say, "I

[34:33]love you." to someone who just hurt me and is saying sorry.

[34:39]Allah subhana wa ta'ala says I love you.

[34:40]If you are seeking forgiveness and repentance with sincerity then I love

[34:43]you.

[34:47]When it comes to the Quran the Quran tells us the importance

[34:52]of sincerity in seeking forgiveness.

[34:54]Allah subhana wa ta'ala says, "Oh you who believe, repent to Allah,

[35:03]return to Allah in a beautiful way, in a sincere way." That

[35:09]means that when I seek forgiveness for my sins and my wrongs,

[35:12]I do so with a sincere intention because I truly regret because

[35:18]I truly am seeking forgiveness from Allah.

[35:21]I want Allah subhana wa ta'ala to purify me to purify my

[35:24]heart and this is one of the conditions of the acceptance of

[35:28]repentance.

[35:29]One of the conditions is that this forgiveness comes from a sense

[35:36]of what of regret and remorse that it is sincere and when

[35:41]Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala sees that we are sincere he forgives us.

[35:44]But what if we are insincere?

[35:48]A couple of weeks ago, a young man approached me.

[35:52]I I had delivered a lecture in back in Los Angeles in

[35:56]one of the centers and a young man after the lecture, he

[35:59]approached me.

[36:00]He said, "Say, I have a question." I told him, "Yes." He

[36:03]said, "Is it true that Allah continues to forgive people for their

[36:07]faults?" I said, "Yes, Allah subhanana wa ta'ala continues." He said, he

[36:14]asked me, he said, "How many chances does Allah give when he

[36:19]forgives?

[36:20]How many chances?

[36:22]I told him that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala continues to forgive someone

[36:26]as long as they are sincere.

[36:28]If they are sincere, Allah will forgive them.

[36:32]He asked me, he says, "Say it." So what if I do

[36:36]that sin 100 times?

[36:38]I keep repeating the sin over and over.

[36:40]I do it, these are his words, 100 times.

[36:43]What happens then?

[36:45]I told him, I said, "If you are truly sincere, if you

[36:51]are truly sincere when you seek forgiveness, Allah subhana wa ta'ala forgives

[36:54]you." But we cannot uh we cannot engage in activity where what

[37:02]we are attempting to deceive Allah where I say with my words,

[37:06]with my mouth, I say, "My Lord, forgive me for this sin."

[37:12]But I don't really mean it.

[37:12]But I intend that in the future I'm going to repeat this

[37:19]sin.

[37:17]We're not able to deceive Allah.

[37:22]Maybe I can deceive you, you can deceive me, but we cannot

[37:25]deceive Allah because Allah sees our hearts and our intentions.

[37:30]This is why when we seek forgiveness, our forgiveness has to be

[37:36]sincere.

[37:34]We have to have that intention that I ask Allah to forgive

[37:39]me and that I will not repeat the sin again.

[37:42]I will not engage in this wrongdoing when I do so that

[37:44]Allah subhana wa ta'ala forgives me.

[37:46]This is a sincere act of forgiveness.

[37:50]So this is when it comes to our personal life, our prayers,

[37:54]our charity, our seeking knowledge, our repentance and other aspects of our

[38:00]personal life.

[38:02]But here we find that sincerity is also important in our public

[38:07]and social lives.

[38:07]And sometimes the discussion about sincerity is more important because in our

[38:13]public lives, in our social lives, there is a greater temptation for

[38:17]us to want to seek recognition and validation and praise from others.

[38:23]Who among us doesn't like to be praised?

[38:26]We all love to be praised.

[38:31]We all love to be thanked.

[38:31]If I engage in an action, right, I expect someone to say

[38:37]thank you.

[38:36]This is what we teach our children.

[38:37]No, if someone gives you something, what should you say?

[38:41]You say thank you to them.

[38:42]We expect that I am thanked, that I am praised, right?

[38:47]And this often happens in the public sphere.

[38:50]And this is where sincerity becomes even more critical.

[38:54]This is where it becomes even more crucial when it comes to

[39:00]my friendships and my relationships, right?

[39:03]Why am I befriending this person?

[39:07]Why am I befriending this person?

[39:10]Is it for the sake of the betterment of that person?

[39:15]For the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, or is it because

[39:19]I'm expecting something in return?

[39:22]Why am I connecting with this person?

[39:27]Is it for the sake of Allah?

[39:28]when it comes to my relationship with my spouse, a husband with

[39:31]his wife, a wife with her husband, for instance, right?

[39:35]How is my relationship with my spouse?

[39:38]Do I love and do I honor my spouse for the sake

[39:44]of their betterment and for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala?

[39:47]Because marriage is a sacred institution.

[39:51]The prophet says there is no institution more honorable in the sight

[40:01]of Allah than marriage.

[40:00]It's sacred.

[40:03]It's a sacred institution.

[40:04]But do I love my spouse and do I honor my spouse

[40:08]and do I take care of my spouse for the sake of

[40:12]Allah or because what?

[40:12]Because I expect something in return.

[40:16]It's important for me to ask as a husband, do I take

[40:21]care of my wife only because she's cooking for me?

[40:25]She's taking care of my needs.

[40:26]So that if she does not do that, then I do not

[40:29]honor her and vice versa.

[40:32]I respect my husband because he's taking care of me because he's

[40:36]bringing me gifts.

[40:35]If one day he doesn't bring me a gift or he forgets

[40:40]our anniversary, I disrespect him.

[40:42]It's important for me to ask when it comes to my relationships,

[40:47]when it comes to my friendships, when it comes to my social

[40:51]interactions, what are these based on?

[40:53]What is my intention?

[40:54]Is it for the sake of God?

[40:57]Do I become your friend because I truly care about you and

[41:01]I want what is best for you in this life and in

[41:06]the hereafter?

[41:04]Or is it because of my ego and because I expect something

[41:10]in return from you?

[41:11]It's important for us to ask this question and this is a

[41:16]question of sincerity of intention when it comes to my acts of

[41:22]leadership and service.

[41:22]You know we live in a day and age where publicity is

[41:28]important.

[41:28]Everyone wants to become a public figure.

[41:31]Everyone wants to become an influencer.

[41:33]No, we love influencers.

[41:37]We all desire to have some kind of public influence, public leadership

[41:42]role, right?

[41:44]When sometimes we engage in acts of public service, we have to

[41:50]ask ourselves why am I engaging in this act?

[41:53]When I go and I protest against injustice, for instance, why am

[41:59]I doing this?

[41:58]when I go and I volunteer at an orphanage or uh at

[42:04]at a food bank or somewhere else.

[42:07]Why am I doing this?

[42:10]Am I doing this so that I can have my friend or

[42:12]myself I take photos and I post them online and show the

[42:16]world say look at what how I spent my Sunday today.

[42:18]I spent it taking care of the homeless.

[42:20]I spent it giving charity.

[42:24]I spent it protesting against injustice.

[42:25]Is this my objective so that people can like and comment and

[42:30]say mashallah or am I doing it for the sake of Allah

[42:32]subhanahu wa ta'ala?

[42:34]Am I doing it for the sake of standing for the truth?

[42:37]Am I doing it for the sake of assisting others?

[42:39]This is a really important question that we have to ask.

[42:44]It's an important question that we have to ask.

[42:45]Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala speaks about those whose objective is only to

[42:54]be considered famous and prominent.

[42:56]Allah says, says the next world, the hereafter, the paradise, the reward

[43:13]is for those who do not seek supremacy in this world.

[43:18]Their objective is not to be publicly recognized.

[43:23]Yes, sometimes you engage in an act and you do so with

[43:29]devotion and sincerity and some people come and recognize you.

[43:32]This is okay.

[43:34]This is good.

[43:33]But the objective is not to seek recognition.

[43:36]I don't speak.

[43:39]I don't teach.

[43:39]I don't serve.

[43:40]I don't do all of these things so that people can recognize

[43:43]me.

[43:44]I do them for the sake of Allah.

[43:46]This is true sincerity.

[43:49]And this is what we learn from the the hadith.

[43:53]It tells us that im Ali that some people they came and

[44:03]they praised him in front of his face.

[44:04]They praised him.

[44:07]And is there anyone more deserving of of praise than Amir?

[44:12]No.

[44:13]Amir Mu he was the greatest in his knowledge and in his

[44:16]service and in his kindness and compassion and leadership.

[44:21]So they praised him.

[44:23]He recited the following dua.

[44:28]He reciting the following dua.

[44:29]He said, [Music] "Oh my Lord, you know me better than myself."

[44:42]And my Lord, I know myself more than they know me.

[44:50]My Lord, make us better than what they presume of us and

[44:58]forgive for us what they do not know.

[45:01]It's very beautiful.

[45:04]This is a dua of complete sincerity and humility.

[45:09]So, it's important for us to think about these things, brothers and

[45:15]sisters.

[45:16]How can I cultivate?

[45:17]What practical tips do we have for cultivating sincerity in our private

[45:21]and public lives?

[45:23]A couple of things that I'll mention very quickly.

[45:24]One is that we have to always ask our ourselves, ask my

[45:30]heart before any action, why am I really doing this?

[45:34]Why am I doing this act?

[45:38]Would I still do this act if no one saw?

[45:40]This is an important question.

[45:44]Will I still engage in this act of service or charity or

[45:47]kindness if no one saw this?

[45:49]If no one knew that I was the person engaging in this

[45:53]act?

[45:54]Would I be disappointed if no one said thank you to me?

[45:58]This is another important question.

[46:00]When we ask this question, we are able to filter our actions.

[46:06]We are able to purify our intentions and make them sincere.

[46:11]One other thing to do constantly and when we can is to

[46:18]hide some of our good deeds.

[46:18]You know, Islam is a religion that combines good deeds both in

[46:28]public and private.

[46:27]We are encouraged to give in public, but we are also encouraged

[46:33]to give in private.

[46:34]We are encouraged to come together and to pray publicly together in

[46:39]congregation.

[46:39]And we are also encouraged to pray privately.

[46:43]Some of my actions, let me focus my efforts on hidden good

[46:48]deeds, hidden actions.

[46:52]Give charity when no one will see and no one will recognize.

[46:59]Make a silent dua or readah for someone without anyone knowing.

[47:07]You recite fat.

[47:07]Someone is deceased in the community, family, friend, you recite silently a

[47:12]fat for them without anyone having to know.

[47:16]This is an act of devotion.

[47:16]This is a hidden act.

[47:21]In my masjid, let me clean the mazjid, remove a chair, clean

[47:25]the masjid without anyone asking me to do so, without public proclamation,

[47:29]without announcing it before others.

[47:32]The masjid dear brothers and sisters is for everyone.

[47:38]The masjid is considered the house of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

[47:42]The Hussein is the place where we remember the who had devoted

[47:49]themselves to public service.

[47:51]Unfortunately, sometimes what ends up happening is these places they are considered

[47:56]by some people as places where I go and I am served

[48:01]and that's it.

[48:02]I have no idea or ability to participate or to contribute or

[48:10]to do something.

[48:10]And this is unfortunate because the B they teach us that their

[48:19]main objective was to serve the community.

[48:22]Theam they used to participate when Allah would travel with people with

[48:28]his community.

[48:26]Allah himself, he would help.

[48:29]He would gather the firewood.

[48:32]He would help prepare the food.

[48:33]He would not just sit back and expect to be served and

[48:35]then he finishes and he leaves.

[48:40]It could be a potential opportunity for a good hidden deed.

[48:45]I come early to the masjid before everyone else arrives and I

[48:49]help to lay out the place.

[48:52]I put some chairs.

[48:52]I stay behind after everyone has left.

[48:54]I clean up a little bit.

[48:57]This is a hidden act of goodness and one that I will

[49:00]be rewarded for.

[49:02]And finally that we always ask Allah pray to Allah subhanahu wa

[49:06]ta'ala before and every after every action before you engage in an

[49:11]action say my lord make this action pure for you.

[49:16]My lord make this action pure for you for your sake not

[49:23]for anyone else's sake.

[49:23]And after you complete the action, pray to Allah.

[49:27]Say, "My Lord, help me to avoid a public show of my

[49:34]actions.

[49:35]Make them devout to you." When I engage in sincere activity with

[49:38]sincere intention, then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala blesses my activity.

[49:43]Then I don't have to necessarily engage in large and grand acts.

[49:49]Even a small act, even a small smile can be an act

[49:53]of sodak.

[49:53]Even a small act, a little bit of donation can be grand

[49:59]in the eyes of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

[50:02]Even spending a little bit of time with someone, uplifting them, comforting

[50:05]them can be great in the eyes of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

[50:10]And one of the main lessons of Kbalah that we learn is

[50:15]this lesson of sincerity.

[50:17]Everyone, every member of this family, every companion of Imam Hussein, they

[50:26]were sincere.

[50:27]They knew that they were giving everything for the sake of Allah

[50:31]subhanahu wa ta'ala.

[50:34]Many of them they were wealthy.

[50:38]They had possessions.

[50:38]They had houses.

[50:41]They had families.

[50:41]They had jobs.

[50:43]They could have stayed behind and stayed and lived their comfortable lives

[50:51]with their families, with their possessions, but they left everything.

[50:56]They left everything.

[50:58]And they stood with entire devotion and sincerity for the sake of

[51:05]Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

[51:06]We find sincerity in the action of who says at that final

[51:17]moment he says I see myself making a decision between hellfire and

[51:24]heaven if I stand against Hussein the grandson of Allah then I

[51:29]know that the consequence is that I will lose this life and

[51:33]I will lose the hereafter but if I stand with him I

[51:37]will gain this life and I will gain the hereafter that's an

[51:42]act of sincerity At this point, he knew 100% that the army

[51:48]of Imam Hussein would be defeated because the entire army had gathered

[51:52]at that point 30,000 soldiers.

[51:55]Yet he decided with complete devotion to turn his attention towards Abahd

[52:01]Hussein.

[52:02]And when he comes to Abah Abdullah Hussein and he says, "My

[52:06]master, forgive me.

[52:08]Will you accept my apology?

[52:10]Will you accept my forgiveness?

[52:12]Will you accept me, Imam Hussein?

[52:17]He embraces him immediately.

[52:18]Why?

[52:19]Because he recognizes that Al is not just a commander who is

[52:23]brave in in battle and can carry a sword.

[52:26]This is not just the addition of another soldier to the camp

[52:28]of Imam Hussein.

[52:31]This is bringing someone with a sincere heart.

[52:35]And this is what IM Hussein was looking for.

[52:38]So we find sincerity on the battlefield on the day of Ash.

[52:41]But there was also sincerity among those who did not accompany Imam

[52:49]Hussein on the battlefield.

[52:50]And although physically they were not there on the battlefield, but they

[52:55]had dedicated their entire lives, their entire lives were sincere for the

[53:01]sake of Allah and for the sake of Abah Hussein.

[53:04]Among those who did not accompany but lived an entire life of

[53:08]devotion was a woman.

[53:13]She had four sons and her name was Omul Bani Omul Banin

[53:20]whose entire life was devoted to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

[53:26]Look at the sincerity of this great woman.

[53:28]From early on when she enters into the household of Mu after

[53:35]the tragic martyrdom of Fatam, he went and he remarried.

[53:42]And when he decided to remarry, he asked around for a pious

[53:46]lady, a courageous lady, a noble lady.

[53:48]And he was introduced to this lady, a woman by the name

[53:54]of and she comes in to the household of one of the

[54:02]very first acts of devotion that Omul Benin does, she turns to

[54:08]Imam Ali.

[54:08]She says, "Oh, oh Abass, I ask you for one favor, one

[54:12]thing from you." He says, "Yes." She says, "When you address me,

[54:18]do not call me." Why?

[54:20]She says because I do not want your children to hear this

[54:26]name and their hearts are broken remembering their mother.

[54:31]So instead he calls her Omulanin the mother of the sons.

[54:39]She had four beautiful sons and she raised all of these sons

[54:43]for one objective and for one mission and that is to stand

[54:49]with their brother Abdul Hussein.

[54:54]Imagine this brothers and sisters.

[54:57]Imagine Banin standing at the gates of the city of Medina.

[55:03]her sons.

[55:05]For a long time they had gone.

[55:06]For a long period of time she had not seen them.

[55:11]And every day she is thinking of her sons.

[55:14]Every day she is thinking of Imam Hussein and his caravan, his

[55:21]family and his companions.

[55:22]And then one day the messenger comes forward to Medina.

[55:32]He enters the gates of Medina.

[55:31]He says, Oh people of Medina, there is no reason for you

[55:40]to stay in this city because there has been a great tragedy

[55:47]that has befallen the family of Allah.

[55:50]The people they come around Bish.

[55:52]They begin to ask him what happened.

[55:53]Here you can see the mothers and the fathers and the brothers

[55:57]and the sisters and the sons and daughters.

[56:00]They are grieving.

[56:03]They begin to cry out.

[56:03]They begin to wail.

[56:06]And then suddenly a woman, she approaches Bisher.

[56:08]She comes forward.

[56:11]She tells him, "Oh Ber, tell me about my beloved Hussein." [Music]

[56:18]How many mothers asked Bisher about their loved ones?

[56:22]Huh?

[56:23]He looks at her.

[56:24]He asks her, he says, "Oh lady, who are you?" She says,

[56:30]"I am Omul Banin." He says to her, "You are Omul Banin."

[56:35]When he hears the name of Omul Banin, what is he going

[56:37]to tell her?

[56:39]How is he going to break the news to her of the

[56:44]killing of all of her sons, all four of them?

[56:48]He turns to her.

[56:49]He says, "Oh, I offer my condolences to you on your sons."

[56:56]She calls out to him.

[57:00]She says, "Oh Bish, I did not ask you about my sons.

[57:02]I asked you about Aba Abdullah Hussein." Bisher continues.

[57:08]He begins to name one by one her sons.

[57:13]Giving her offering her condolences.

[57:15]She tells him, "Bisher, I did not ask you about my sons.

[57:19]Tell me about Hussein." But then she hears the name of Abbas.

[57:26]He says, "My condolences to you upon your son Abul Abbas." At

[57:30]this moment, her beloved Abbas, she pauses for a moment, then she

[57:35]turns to him.

[57:37]She says, "Bish, I did not ask you about Abbas.

[57:41]Tell me about my beloved Hussein.

[57:44][Music] [Music]

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