[00:00.000 –> 00:21.760] My brother and sister, somebody sent me a very nice little quote and he said, our Sheikh,
[00:21.760 –> 00:26.440] I don’t know which Sheikh this is, but whoever it is, may Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala bless him
[00:26.440 –> 00:33.480] and increase him in knowledge and taqwa and be pleased with him and never be displeased.
[00:33.480 –> 00:41.760] He said, our Sheikh says, the only Islam you need to save is that which is in your heart.
[00:41.760 –> 00:47.880] The only Islam you need to save is that which is in your heart.
[00:47.880 –> 00:51.260] Allah ta’ala doesn’t need Islam.
[00:51.260 –> 00:52.840] It is not a religion.
[00:52.840 –> 01:00.200] It is a way of life which is sent down to make the human species better versions of themselves.
[01:00.200 –> 01:02.400] Don’t worry about Islam in the world.
[01:02.400 –> 01:09.240] Worry about the Islam within yourself and the world will automatically get better because
[01:09.240 –> 01:11.320] Islam is not a face.
[01:11.320 –> 01:13.800] It is positive conduct.
[01:13.800 –> 01:20.200] More the positive conduct, more positivity in the world because again it was sent to
[01:20.200 –> 01:22.080] make humans better.
[01:22.320 –> 01:23.800] So, let me repeat that.
[01:23.800 –> 01:28.160] The only Islam you need to save is that which is in your heart.
[01:28.160 –> 01:31.440] Allah ta’ala doesn’t need Islam.
[01:31.440 –> 01:33.080] It is not a religion.
[01:33.080 –> 01:38.960] It is a way of life which is sent down to make the human species better versions of
[01:38.960 –> 01:39.960] themselves.
[01:39.960 –> 01:43.420] Don’t worry about Islam in the world.
[01:43.420 –> 01:51.200] Worry about the Islam within and the world automatically gets better because Islam is
[01:51.320 –> 01:53.400] not a face.
[01:53.400 –> 01:56.000] It is positive conduct.
[01:56.000 –> 02:02.320] More the positive conduct, more positivity in the world because again it was sent to
[02:02.320 –> 02:04.000] make humans better.
[02:04.000 –> 02:18.760] Subhanallah, if there is one thing, one reminder that I can say which completely and totally
[02:18.760 –> 02:26.760] Alhamdulillah encapsulates where our focus should be, then it is this reminder.
[02:26.760 –> 02:36.720] I ask Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala to help us to remember and to practice.
[02:36.720 –> 02:39.820] Islam is not a theory.
[02:39.820 –> 02:43.160] It is not a philosophy.
[02:43.160 –> 02:50.600] When we say it is not a religion, we mean it is not a set of actions or a set of worship
[02:50.600 –> 02:51.600] rituals.
[02:51.600 –> 02:54.080] Islam is a way of life.
[02:54.080 –> 02:56.760] Islam is a practice.
[02:56.760 –> 03:03.040] The one who is a Muslim is the one who practices Islam, not the one who knows about Islam.
[03:03.040 –> 03:10.000] It is entirely possible that a person may know about Islam a great deal, but they will
[03:10.000 –> 03:12.180] not be practicing Islam.
[03:12.180 –> 03:19.860] But in that case, they will still be called Islamic scholars, but they will not be Muslim
[03:19.860 –> 03:20.860] scholars.
[03:20.860 –> 03:27.940] There is a world of difference between an Islamic scholar and a Muslim scholar.
[03:27.940 –> 03:28.940] World of difference.
[03:28.940 –> 03:33.500] The same thing applies to anything else.
[03:33.500 –> 03:39.820] Somebody who knows a great deal about Christianity but does not practice is not a Christian.
[03:39.820 –> 03:46.980] The Christians and the others have got these terms they have invented called non-practicing
[03:46.980 –> 03:50.700] Christian, non-practicing Jew and so forth.
[03:50.700 –> 03:52.020] Fine, no problem.
[03:52.020 –> 03:54.220] That’s their choice.
[03:54.220 –> 03:59.060] But let me assure you that there is no such thing as an NPM, non-practicing Muslim.
[03:59.060 –> 04:01.900] You become Muslim by practicing Islam.
[04:01.900 –> 04:04.620] You don’t become Muslim by knowing about Islam.
[04:05.140 –> 04:09.980] Now obviously we need to know about something because if we are going to practice it, we
[04:09.980 –> 04:10.980] need to know about it.
[04:10.980 –> 04:19.020] So all knowledge of Islam that is gained, everything about Islam that we study must
[04:19.020 –> 04:25.900] be studied with one purpose and one goal and one niya and one intention only, and that
[04:25.900 –> 04:28.920] is to apply it in our lives.
[04:28.920 –> 04:33.900] This is what the Sahaba, the companions of Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam did.
[04:33.900 –> 04:37.740] They did not learn anything for the sake of learning.
[04:37.740 –> 04:41.060] They did not memorize Quran for the sake of memorizing Quran.
[04:41.060 –> 04:47.820] They did not memorize Quran for the sake of reciting it in this and that rivaya.
[04:47.820 –> 04:52.660] They did not memorize Quran in order to analyze its grammar.
[04:52.660 –> 05:00.100] No, they memorized Quran al-Karim for one purpose only, which is to practice it.
[05:00.100 –> 05:07.300] We have the famous story of Abdullah ibn Omar radiyallahu anumah, which is known, I’m sure,
[05:07.300 –> 05:16.740] to all of you, and that is that he memorized Surat al-Baqarah in 12 years.
[05:16.740 –> 05:22.260] At the end of that period, he gave a valima, he gave a dinner.
[05:22.260 –> 05:28.580] He slaughtered a camel and he invited all his friends for dinner.
[05:28.580 –> 05:35.580] Now they asked him, why didn’t it take you 12 years to memorize this one surah?
[05:35.580 –> 05:46.900] Surat al-Baqarah is two and a half Juz, and at least for the subcontinent India, Pakistan,
[05:46.900 –> 05:55.340] Bangladesh Muslims, in our Daru taifis, in our Himsa madrassas, two years is the time
[05:55.340 –> 06:01.300] taken for a student to memorize the entire Quran, 30 Juz.
[06:01.300 –> 06:05.380] And if it takes longer than two years, if it takes about two and a half to three years,
[06:05.380 –> 06:10.740] then they say the boy is slow or the girl is slow and their memory is not that great.
[06:10.740 –> 06:14.860] And if they seem to take longer than that, then usually they are sent home.
[06:14.860 –> 06:19.500] They said, okay, this child is not capable of memorizing the four hours.
[06:19.500 –> 06:25.220] So whatever they memorize is good for them, but they cannot remain in the madrassa after
[06:25.220 –> 06:27.660] that period of three years.
[06:27.660 –> 06:29.140] This is the usual practice.
[06:29.140 –> 06:32.540] Now I don’t know what happens in the Middle Eastern countries, but I think it’s about
[06:32.540 –> 06:38.740] the same thing, which is two years is given as the time that is necessary to memorize
[06:38.740 –> 06:40.740] the entire Quran.
[06:40.740 –> 06:49.420] Conversely, we have here a case of somebody who was the son of Umar ibn al-Khattab ad-Dilan,
[06:49.420 –> 06:56.660] one of the closest people to Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, one of his favorite students,
[06:56.660 –> 07:02.460] Abdullah ibn Umar ad-Dilan, about whom our mother Sayyidah Aisha Siddiqa ad-Dilana said
[07:02.460 –> 07:08.300] that there is nobody in the companions, there is nobody among the Sahaba who follows the
[07:08.300 –> 07:15.600] Sunnah of Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam as closely as Abdullah ibn Umar ad-Dilana.
[07:15.600 –> 07:17.000] So here is a very special person.
[07:17.000 –> 07:19.920] On top of that, he is an Arab.
[07:19.920 –> 07:22.760] The Quran al-Gareem came in his language.
[07:22.760 –> 07:30.440] He heard the Quran from the blessed voice of Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam.
[07:30.440 –> 07:33.420] He used to pray Salah behind Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam.
[07:33.420 –> 07:38.240] He took part in all the Ghazwat, he took part in all the expeditions of Rasulullah sallallahu
[07:38.240 –> 07:39.240] alaihi wa sallam.
[07:39.240 –> 07:45.520] He spent his time to the extent that even though he was not a poor man, he was wealthy,
[07:45.520 –> 07:48.440] he spent time with the Ashab of Sufa.
[07:48.440 –> 07:55.600] In Sufa, he literally made a Tikaf in Masjid an-Nabi wa Sharif in Sufa just to be close
[07:55.600 –> 07:57.800] to Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam and to learn from him.
[07:57.800 –> 08:03.280] Now somebody with all of these Fata’il, why does he take 12 years?
[08:03.280 –> 08:04.600] They asked him and he gave them the answer.
[08:04.600 –> 08:08.660] He said this is how we, and he is not talking about himself alone, he is talking about all
[08:08.660 –> 08:11.400] those who learn the Quran from Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam.
[08:11.400 –> 08:17.140] He said we would take 10 Ayat from Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, then we would
[08:17.140 –> 08:22.280] memorize those 10 Ayat, we would practice those 10 Ayat.
[08:22.280 –> 08:25.880] If there were any questions, we would get them clarified, we would ask those questions,
[08:25.880 –> 08:29.180] Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam would answer us.
[08:29.180 –> 08:33.240] Any doubts and so forth, we would clarify, why not?
[08:33.240 –> 08:40.320] And then once we were satisfied with the learning and the practice of those 10 Ayat, we would
[08:40.320 –> 08:43.320] go to take the next 10.
[08:43.320 –> 08:45.760] And so he said that is why it took us this long.
[08:45.760 –> 08:52.000] The question I asked myself and you is, Alhamdulillah, we all read the Quran, we all try to memorize
[08:52.000 –> 08:54.320] that as much as we can.
[08:54.320 –> 08:57.640] How many of us are focused on practicing it in our lives?
[08:57.640 –> 08:59.600] A simple question.
[08:59.600 –> 09:04.760] How many of us are focused on practicing it in our lives?
[09:04.760 –> 09:09.920] The Quran did not come to be recited, it did not come to be memorized, it did not come
[09:09.920 –> 09:16.120] to be written down in calligraphic styles, it did not come to be beautified with illustrations
[09:16.120 –> 09:21.440] and so on and so forth, what we call illumination, illuminating on the sides and so forth, right,
[09:21.440 –> 09:27.840] and printed into beautiful versions.
[09:27.840 –> 09:35.880] It came only for one reason, which is that people should read it, should understand it,
[09:35.880 –> 09:41.760] and should practice it so that those same people, as the Sheikh says, could become the
[09:41.760 –> 09:45.000] best version of themselves.
[09:45.000 –> 09:51.520] So I remind myself and you, let us ask ourselves this question and say, am I doing that?
[09:51.520 –> 09:56.720] And if I’m not doing that, then the time to start is now.
[09:56.720 –> 10:03.820] Start anywhere with the Quran, Al-Karim, read the Ayat, read the meanings, and then look
[10:03.940 –> 10:09.660] in your own life and say, am I practicing this in my life?
[10:09.660 –> 10:14.700] Just to give you an example to finish, Allah SWT said, Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim, I begin
[10:14.700 –> 10:18.460] in the name of Allah, the most beneficent, the most merciful.
[10:18.460 –> 10:22.220] How aware am I of this in everything that I begin?
[10:22.220 –> 10:25.660] Then Allah SWT said, Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alameen.
[10:25.660 –> 10:33.780] All praise, all thanks to Allah SWT, who is the Rabb, who is the creator, sustainer, protector,
[10:33.780 –> 10:38.780] and maintainer of all creation.
[10:38.780 –> 10:43.340] Question to ask myself is, how grateful am I to Allah?
[10:43.340 –> 10:46.180] How much gratitude do I express to Allah?
[10:46.180 –> 10:51.860] How many times am I in solute before Allah SWT, thanking Him for what He has given me?
[10:51.860 –> 10:57.420] How many times do I look outside and see the world and say, Alhamdulillah, that Allah SWT
[10:57.420 –> 11:02.620] gave me eyesight to see, gave me full-color vision to appreciate what I’m seeing, and
[11:02.620 –> 11:06.780] then gave me these beautiful scenes to see, to appreciate, and so on.
[11:06.780 –> 11:09.700] I won’t do the whole surah, just this one ayah.
[11:09.700 –> 11:10.700] Ask yourself.
[11:10.700 –> 11:14.660] Now if I ask myself, how grateful am I to Allah?
[11:14.660 –> 11:17.360] How grateful am I to Allah for all that He has given me?
[11:17.360 –> 11:22.900] How grateful am I to Allah for my spouse, for my children, for my parents, for my teachers,
[11:22.900 –> 11:28.540] for my students, for the people who work for me, for the people I work for, because I have
[11:28.540 –> 11:30.100] a job, Alhamdulillah.
[11:30.100 –> 11:35.500] I’m not sitting as a homeless person on a street corner begging because I have no employer,
[11:35.500 –> 11:41.780] I have no work, I have no employment, but I still have hunger.
[11:41.780 –> 11:46.460] How grateful am I to Allah SWT for all of these things and surely Allah SWT said, and
[11:46.460 –> 11:49.380] it is true, and I am the witness, and Allah SWT said,
[11:49.380 –> 11:52.260] وَإِنْ تَعُوذُّهُ نَمَتَ اللَّهِ لَيَةُ وَسُوْهَةُ
[11:52.260 –> 11:55.860] If you try to count the blessings of Allah, you will not be able to count them, and Allah
[11:55.860 –> 11:56.860] is witness.
[11:56.860 –> 11:57.860] This is true.
[11:57.860 –> 11:59.500] So do we even try?
[11:59.500 –> 12:00.500] Do we count the blessings?
[12:00.500 –> 12:02.180] Do we make the effort?
[12:02.180 –> 12:03.180] That is the question.
[12:03.180 –> 12:07.500] We will not be questioned about the results, we will be questioned about the effort.
[12:07.500 –> 12:11.940] Allah will not ask us what happened, Allah will ask us what did you do.
[12:11.940 –> 12:15.140] Wasallallahu ala nabil kareem wa ala alihi wassahi wa alameen.
[12:15.140 –> 12:16.340] Bi rahmatullahi wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu.
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