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My brothers and sisters, I read something yesterday which I want to share with you.
There is an author called Sahil Bloom.
He writes,
Your entire life will change when you realize that courage, which is himmah,
courage is the single most important human trait.
Your whole life will change when you realize that courage is the most important human trait.
In 1942, the author C.S. Lewis,
offered this brilliant characterization.
And he said,
Courage is not simply one of the virtues,
but the form of every virtue at the testing point,
which means at the point of highest reality.
Courage is who you are when it is inconvenient,
not when it’s convenient.
Courage is who you are,
when it is inconvenient,
when no one is watching,
when the rewards are uncertain,
when the outcomes are unpredictable.
It is easy to declare our values and principles and virtues in times of peace.
It’s very hard to live by them in times of war.
Courage is defined at the testing point.
You are defined at the testing point.
The truth,
talent,
and intelligence are abundant.
Courage is not.
There is someone out there living the life you want simply because they had the courage to act.
They are not smarter than you.
They are not more talented than you.
They just took action when you didn’t.
They recognized that fear comes from inexperience,
not in-game.
They are not in-game.
They are not in-game.
They are not in-game.
They are not in-game.
They are not in-game.
They are not in-game.
They are not in-game.
They are not in-game.
They are not in-game.
You are afraid because you haven’t done it yet,
not because you can’t do it.
Inexperience is a problem to be solved,
and it’s only solved through having the courage to act.
They realized that the worst prison in the world
is having the talent and intelligence to achieve something,
to achieve something great,
but lacking the courage to go out and do it.
They understood that the guarantee of success is that the calculation is very good,
They understood that the regret from inaction is always worse than the regret from action.
But here’s the most empowering thought.
Courage is not born, it is chosen.
Every single day, you get to choose how you show up at your testing point.
You have agency.
You are at the wheel.
You are in control of your future with your actions in the present.
The challenges do not get easier.
If anything, they get harder as you rise.
But you get stronger.
You grow.
You change.
When you arrive at your testing point and choose to show up as the highest version of
yourself, you become different.
The Stoic philosopher Seneca once wrote, it is not because things are difficult that we
do not dare.
It is because we do not dare that things are difficult.
You cannot build a life of meaning, purpose, and character by taking the easy paths at
the testing point.
Choose to dare.
Choose hard.
Choose courage.
Courage now and easy later.
I thought let me share this with you because if you think about this and you see this,
this is the story.
This is the story of the life of Rasulullah .
This is the story of the Sahaba of Rasulullah .
Take any part of the Sira.
Even though he was the Nabi , Allah did not give him guarantees of success incident
by incident.
This is a very important thing to remember this.
Allah gave us guarantee of success when?
In the Akhirah.
Wa al-aqibatu lil-muttaqeel.
Not in the Dunya.
Allah did not say if you take this step you will be successful.
No.
Take the step.
See.
When Rasulullah went to Taif, I’ll give you examples from the Sira.
When he went to Taif, did he know whether he will succeed or fail?
He didn’t know.
If he knew he would succeed, why would he go there?
No need.
Just call them.
If he knows he will fail, why will he go there?
Nobody goes to fail.
He took a chance.
He had the courage to go there.
He took a chance.
He did his best.
And he suffered.
In the battle of Badr, did he know that they will win?
If he knew that they were going to win, why did he make the Dua that he made?
Oh Allah, if you don’t help them, there will be no one to worship.
He will not be able to do anything.
He will not be able to do anything.
He will not be able to do anything.
Why are you saying that?
Why are you saying that?
Take the Sahaba, Musa ibn Umair radhiyallahu who goes to Medina.
Young man.
Please understand one very clearly important thing.
We only get stuck on this youth business.
Musa ibn Umair was young.
Mu’adh ibn Jawal was young.
Abdullah ibn Abd al-Masih.
He had a young family.
He had a young wife.
He had a young father.
He had a young father.
He had a young wife.
was young. I’ll come back to Usab ibn Abbas. Let me give you Abdullah ibn Abbas’ example.
Abdullah ibn Abbas was young, right? So people say see Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam
he trusted young people, he had young people around him. Let me show you what kind of young
people. Abdullah ibn Abbas was maybe ten years old.
Abdullah ibn Abbas narrates, I saw Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam waking up for tahajjud and I ran to get his water for wudu.
What is he saying? He is saying I was there in the room I was sleeping,
Nabi woke up and then woke me up and said get water for wudu. Is he saying that? No.
So if you want to learn the Arabic language, you must learn the Arabic language.
He is saying, I saw him getting up.
What time did Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam get up for Tahajjud?
Maybe two o’clock.
Because he used to play long rakat, right?
Maybe two o’clock.
So two o’clock when Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam is getting up after sleeping,
this little boy is already awake.
Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam didn’t just give people because, what is your age?
Fifteen?
Okay, go take this army and go somewhere.
What is your age?
Ten.
So that would be the most stupid thing to do.
You give responsibility to those who show that they are capable of handling that responsibility.
Ask anyone.
There is a sastaki sitting there.
Ask him.
He is a confident word.
Do you just give somebody responsibility because of their age?
Here is a boy who is demonstrating his seriousness.
Abdullah bin Abbas is the cousin of Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam.
He didn’t say, oh, after all, he is my cousin.
No.
He is the Rasul of Allah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam.
He says, I saw him waking up and I ran to get the water for his Udh.
Ran to get the water.
He didn’t walk to get the water.
He said, I brought the water.
He made Udh.
I poured the water.
And after making Udh, see the reward of seriousness.
Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam put his hand on the chest of Abdullah bin Abbas.
Little boy.
And he said, oh Allah, give him the faham of the Quran.
Give him the fiqh of the Quran.
Give him the understanding of the Quran.
That’s the reward of seriousness.
Not of saying, oh, see, I have only the attention span of a monkey.
So speak to me only in 10 second shots or 30 second shots.
No.
Seriousness.
Musa bin Abbas, I started with that.
Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam sends him too.
Maybe he was about 17 years old or something like that.
But who is he?
How, why did the Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam pick him?
Because he proved his seriousness.
Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam did not pick, see, Musa bin Umair became Muslim.
Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam did not pick him the moment he became Muslim.
Right?
When did he pick him?
When Musa bin Umair Radheel Anu demonstrated his seriousness.
How?
He became Muslim.
His mother tried to persuade him to leave Islam.
Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam knows all this.
He could have said, listen, I’ll tell you what.
Why don’t you go off to Madina?
You’ll be out of this thing.
Right?
Your mother also can’t force you.
You go to Madina, do my work.
No.
He didn’t say anything.
He’s watching him.
How serious is this kid?
Musa bin Umair sticks to his principles.
Mother said, I will.
Then mother locks him up.
He was somebody who was, he liked his clothes.
He used to wear beautiful clothes.
He used to wear beautiful perfumes.
He was like the icon.
You know, the person that people looked up to.
She took away all that.
She was a tough woman.
She took away all that.
She locked him up.
He still would not change.
She beat him up.
I don’t know what she did.
I mean, all that.
Finally, she said to him, get out of my house.
She threw him out.
As he’s going, she said, no, no, no.
You can’t just go like that.
Because everything you have is mine.
Your clothes, did you buy them?
No.
I bought them for you.
Take them off.
He didn’t say anything.
He said, I will.
I will.
I will.
I will.
I will.
I will.
I will.
I will.
I will.
I will.
I will.
I will.
I will.
I will.
I will.
I will.
I will.
I will.
I will.
I will.
I bought them for you.
Take them off.
He didn’t have a cell phone and a car and so on.
So he couldn’t take that.
Everything.
He said, how will I go naked?
He said, okay, I’ll give you a sheet.
One sheet.
Just to cover your nakedness.
Musab ibn Umair walks out of his house with a sheet around him.
17-year-old kid.
Why?
For the love of Allah.
When he proves himself, Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam says, you are my ambassador.
Go to Madinat.
Not because he’s 17.
Please.
Get this thing out of your head.
There’s nothing glorious because you are young or because you are old.
You want success.
My brothers and sisters, you like to hear this or you don’t like it.
I don’t care.
You want success.
You have to work your butt off.
You have to cry tears of blood.
You have to sweat like you never sweated in your life.
Right?
Listen to my words.
Remember them.
And then remember them.
And be happy or remember them and cry.
I don’t care.
If you think that is not the truth, try it out.
You’ll see for yourself.
You will see for yourself.
And the older you get, doors shut.
Doors do not open.
So don’t waste your life.
Do not waste your life.
Take advantage of the people around you.
Learn from them.
Put yourself out there.
Volunteer, volunteer, volunteer.
Don’t say, what is the point of coming every time I come?
You are doing too much.
Turn them around.
Don’t destroy things.
ignorantly living me in
a bad river.
Mirabai is one of my brothers.
Yumiko connecting me with the river.
And brother Abbas, he just brought the old Japanese national park back.
He wanted me to design a new …
no, not the去了, the pessoas.
No la.
You know.
Cor acabades.
take responsibility.
This is your shop. This is your business.
You will inherit. You are learning.
You are earning from it. Put your back into it.
Alhamdulillah.
He can give them an easy life.
He can hire some people to do that.
You have fun. No fun.
Work is fun. Earning is fun.
Winning is fun.
If you don’t think
it’s worth it, try losing.
Seriously. Take life seriously.
You don’t get it a second time.
One time it’s gone. It’s gone.
Period.
Right?
Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam
gave responsibility to those
who proved themselves.
Not because of age.
Not because you look cute.
Prove yourself.
Show that you are capable
of responsibility. It will come to you.
You don’t have to ask anybody.
The minute you are asking somebody,
you are proving that you are worthless.
Because Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said,
do not give imamat to the one who asks for imamat.
Yes or no?
Why?
The imam is somebody who people
will come and say, please, we want you
to lead us. Please come lead us.
Not me standing there
saying, I want to be the imam.
No, that’s not the case.
Brothers and sisters, please understand this.
You get your life only once.
You get youth only once.
You are young only once.
You are strong only once.
You have free time only once.
You lose it. It’s gone.
It’s not coming back.
It is not coming back.
Right?
You want a beautiful life?
You want great experiences?
Work for it. Allah will give you.
If you want to waste that,
watching Gameboy or God knows what,
go to the internet.
Go to the internet.
Go to the internet.
Go home.
Whatever computer game you have,
whatever console you have,
take it out, put it on the driveway,
take an axe,
get someone to make a video
of how you smash a Gameboy
and smash it.
Seriously, I’m telling you. I’m not joking.
Don’t give it to him.
That thing is worthless to you.
Don’t sell it. Don’t give it. Smash it.
Take a video, smash it.
Say, I’ll never watch this again.
My life is worth
more than this trash.
We are living in a society
which makes money
out of your life.
Everyone who invents those things
is worth more than you.
No?
Every one of them.
Everyone who invents that stuff
which you use,
you pay to buy it,
you give away your life for free,
who is the billionaire?
You or the guy who made it?
Come on man, open your eyes.
You want to give away your life for free?
Be my guest. What do I care?
It’s not my life.
Don’t do that.
Get serious.
Ask Allah SWT to help us and enable us
to stand for something which is worthwhile.
Ask Allah SWT to help us to understand
the value of what Allah gave us,
which is time,
which is money,
which is wealth,
which is wealth.
You know, we are living in a society,
which is life, which is freedom,
which is free time,
which is parents who are caring enough
to go and work so that you can live a good life.
Value all that.
Go home,
kiss your dad. Go home, kiss your mom.
Kiss their feet.
Why do I tell them?
Because of you. I mean, you go out every day.
You think, just look at the faces of the people here.
Right?
Abu Zia is sitting there.
Abu Tariq is sitting there.
Khurram Awad is sitting here.
Dastaki is sitting there.
Farhan Bhai is sitting here.
Look at their faces.
You think they love every job they do?
You think they are going to every…
Abu Zia is like,
wow, fantastic, lovely, I’m going to…
They do it, they show up because of you.
They do it, whether they like it or not,
because of you.
Make no mistake.
When you grow old enough for that,
when you are the one paying the bills,
then you will realize.
They are doing it because of you.
Even if they hate the job,
they will still go and do it.
Even if they detest it,
even if they hate their boss,
they hate the work they are doing,
they will show up.
They will go out there.
It’s snowing, miserable weather.
They will not say, you know what,
today I don’t feel like going to work.
No, I will go.
I will give you.
Appreciate that, man.
Appreciate that.
Go kiss their feet.
Go kiss the feet of your mother.
She slugs.
She washes your clothes.
She cooks your food.
She cleans the house.
Am I lying?
How many of you have got servants here?
Bearers and butlers and cooks and…
Anybody?
Who is doing that stuff in your house?
Your mother.
How many times you go and say,
genuinely, and say,
Ummi, I thank you.
Shukran Jazila.
How many times you say that?
Even if you say,
Nabi said,
a man came,
and he said, Ya Rasool Allah,
my mother has not done Hajj.
She wanted to go for Hajj.
So I took her for Hajj.
She is weak, she is old, so I carried her on my back.
Whole Hajj.
I carried her on my back.
He said,
have I fulfilled her right on me?
Nabi said,
you have not even paid for one of her birth pains.
When you were being born,
one contraction,
just one contraction,
one pain,
even that you have not paid
by taking her for Hajj,
carrying her on your back.
You have not paid for that.
By taking her for Hajj,
carrying her on your back.
Another man came,
and said, Ya Rasool Allah,
I have got a complaint against my father.
He said, what is the complaint?
He said, my father
takes my wallet,
takes away the money,
he puts his hand in my top,
if it is hanging there,
the money is there, he takes it away,
he spends it, he never tells me, and so on.
I told my father not to do this.
So Rasool Allah
kept him there,
he sent somebody, he said, call his father.
The father came.
Nabi said,
now listen.
He said to the son who complained,
he said, if your father
takes you into the
slave market,
and sells you,
that is his right.
He said,
you and everything else,
everything you own,
belongs to your father.
Your father has a right
to take everything you have,
and to take you and sell you in the slave market.
That is his right.
Later on he told the father,
don’t take the money without asking him,
because it is embarrassing for him.
He goes there, he puts the money,
hand in his pocket, there is no money.
So you know, that is a different issue.
But the point is, the rights of the parents.
Please, my brothers and sisters,
thank Allah
Thank Allah
your parents who love you,
who take care of you,
who do everything
to make your life good.
Show that appreciation.
Who said this?
Allah.
Who knows already
whether you are
among the Shakirin or not.
Still Allah said,
say it.
Make shukur to me,
even though you know,
it is not about me, it is about you.
As a person, your job is to say thank you.
Your job is to say,
I appreciate this.
So please, go home, do that.
We ask Allah to help us to appreciate
what He has given us,
and to thank Him, and to be among the Shakirin and Zakirin.
And may Allah bless the Prophet
and his family.
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