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As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullhi wa baraktuh. Wa saltu wa salamu alaykum wa rahmatullhi wa baraktuh.
Tasliman kathiran kathiran. Huma bdu. My brothers and sisters, we were looking at how to live in stressful times, how to live in tough times. We asked Allahﷻ to relieve us from the current situation that has caught up literally everybody in the world. And we asked Allahﷻ to save us from people who seem to want to make it worse instead of better.
We talked about how many things. What was the first one? Don’t say if. Absolute. Don’t say if. Whatever Allahﷻ has decreed is the best and we accept this decree of Allahﷻ. Alhamdulillah. We do not say if this, if that. If is the door of shaitan. So, we are not going to say if. That is the first thing. We say, Allahﷻ decreed and he does whatever he wants to do.
The second thing, what do you do? Don’t complain. Right? Do not complain. Alhamdulillah. Whatever Allahﷻ wants is the best and whatever Allahﷻ wants, Allah chose for us. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala chose it for us. So, that thought must predominate, not the choice itself. Whatever it is. This is from Allah. Alhamdulillah.
Second, third one is stop rehearsing disasters. Don’t feel the pain before the pain comes. Playing back. Mind is working on worst case scenarios. If this goes wrong, that goes wrong, that goes wrong. The principle rule about probability is that at point zero, both probabilities are equally possible. Positive as well as negative. You are at, you haven’t started. So, a neutral position, both are possible. But we have, there is a human tendency which is a predominance towards the negative. For example, you will remember a negative comment much more clearly and for much longer than you will remember a positive comment. Somebody did some research on this and they said that for every five positive comments is equal to one negative. That’s tragic because people are telling you good things. You don . . .
So anyway, all of this I’m saying because this is the root of it. When we complain, when we retain this, reinforce the tendency towards the negative. So, it’s a downward spiral. It doesn’t help you. The fourth one is what is called the 10 second Vasvasa rule. Now Vasavis, see, Shaitaan is the weakest of creatures. This is the first thing to understand. Somewhere we have this wrong impression that Shaitaan is strong. Shaitaan is not strong. Shaitaan has got no power at all. The only thing that Shaitaan can do is to suggest, is to whisper, Vasvasa. Why don’t you do this? Why don’t you do that? That’s it. Shaitaan cannot force you. Shaitaan has absolutely no power over you whatsoever. So please first understand this very clearly. This is what the Quran is telling us. No power. Shaitaan has power only over those who want to listen to him. If you don’t listen to Shaitaan, how are you going to listen to him?
Therefore, what must you do if there is a waswasa from shaytan and what is your own nafs. There are two things which are geared to take us towards evil right. What are the two things one is shaytan and the other one nafs. Nafs inna nafsa la amma ratum bis su illa maa rahima rabbi so yusuf alayhi salam said verily my nafs will only take me towards evil except for the one on whom Allahﷻ has mercy. We ask Allah for the mercy.
So how do you distinguish these two things nafs and shaytan. Any thought any desire that is taking me away from Allah subhanahu ta’ala is evil. When a thought comes ask yourself is this good or is it bad. For example if you get a thought I went to the toilet should I make wudu maybe I should make wudu. Make wudu do not hesitate because immediately the thought will come it’s not time for salah nothing time for zohar is another four hours from now why should I make wudu it is not far to make wudu all of this will come. Wudu is ibadah by itself rasool s.a.w. said when a person makes wudu Allah washes away his sins like the water which falls from your hand when you make wudu. So even if you do nothing just the wudu itself is ibadah that itself is giving you hasanat and the shaitan is trying to prevent that.
The first thing is any thought that comes that is going towards the negative and the negative may be direct invitation to sin or another way in which shaitan deceives is to take you towards something which is less beneficial. You got two things one is more beneficial one is less beneficial for example salah easiest example you want to go pray in the masjid shaitan will say what i mean this is 40 degrees temperature or you know in america where i live in winter minus 20 degrees temperature you got like two feet of snow you got to put on all those clothes and trap through the snow to the masjid pray at home he is not saying not pray he says pray at home pray another two rakat extra if you want so what is he doing now he is not stopping you from praying he knows he cannot stop you from praying so what does he do you go to the masjid you get 27 times the reward you pray at home you get one reward. Two ways one is direct sin the second one where he knows he cannot take you to direct sin he takes you to something which is less beneficial.
Shaitaan does not care. It’s okay. As long as you are disobeying Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala the manner of the disobedience he doesn’t care. You do what you want. As long as you are disobeying Allah shaitan is happy. The nafs on the other hand has favourites. For want of another word I call them all addictions. All addictions are from the nafs. So for example you will see there will be somebody who is addicted to smoking. But they will not do drugs. They are only tobacco. Only cigarettes. Now this is an addiction. You give him a joint he won’t smoke it. It’s only tobacco. You give him a here is a whiskey or here is champagne he won’t touch it. This is haram. They are smoking also it’s haram for us. So why are you doing this? That’s the addiction. Somebody is addicted to pornography. He will not drink alcohol. But he will watch pornography. Pornography is a major problem in the Muslim community. Somebody is addicted to alcohol. You show him any pornography he will throw it back in your face. You will say this is haram. You have no shame. You are drinking alcohol. What about that?
Now what must you do? First and foremost. Say Right? Imagine as if the Shaitan as if you can see Shaitan. Think about this. If Shaitan actually walked in and he wanted to say something would you listen to him? No way. I mean you curse him chase him beat him whatever or run away. But because we can’t see him you listen to him. So imagine as if you can say him. See him. Why are you listening to him? You know this is the enemy. You know this is the worst of creatures. Why are you listening to him? Stay far away.
And the second thing is that the moment of thought comes, you say audhu billahi minash shaitanir rajim. One of the things to understand about shaitan, told us also this, that if you take human beings, even in the worst of human beings, there is some amount of good. Something. Even a mass murderer, a genocidal maniac, he will be good to his own little daughter. He might love his wife. Right? So that’s the goodness. In shaitan, shaitan is pure evil. There is no good thing in shaitan whatsoever. With regard to human beings, you can appeal to that person’s good sense. You can say, you know, whatever it is, how can you do this? You know, imagine you come from this great family. Don’t do this thing which casts wrong aspersion on your ancestors, on your parents, whatever world. Whatever works for the person. But with shaitan, there is nothing. For shaitan, it’s pure evil. So for shaitan to take refuge, we have only the mercy of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. So say, A’udhu billahi minash shaitanir rajim. O Allah, protect me from shaitan. I seek your protection from shaitan. Say, A’udhu billahi minash shaitanir rajim. Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, Say, A’udhu billahi minash shaitanir rajim. Three times and on your left, rise. Say, Thu, Thu, Thu. So just the action of spitting, meaning driving him away. Even if you don’t do that, just say, A’udhu billahi minash shaitanir rajim. That’s one. Then, read Ayatul Kursi. Recite Ayatul Kursi. Alhamdulillah, we all know. Memorize it. Recite Ayatul Kursi. Then recite Surah Al-Ikhlas, Surah Al-Falaq and Surah Al-Nas. These three Surahs. Right? At least once. If you like, do it. So, A’udhu billahi minash shaitanir rajim. Ayatul Kursi and the last three Surahs. Surah Al-Ikhlas. Qul wa Allahi wa had. Surah Al-Falaq. Qul A’udhu billahi minal falak. Surah Al-Nas. Qul A’udhu billahi minal nas. Recite these. Three times each or once.
Khalas. This is our spiritual protection. And inshaAllah, we will be protected from shaitan. We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala first, to protect us from shaitan. So, all of these wasabis, remove them. And say, A’udhu billahi minash shaitanir rajim. And remind yourself about the greatness and glory of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala and say that, I am the slave of Allah and I seek Allah’s protection and Allah will protect us. Khalas. Let us take ourselves out of all of this negativity. We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala to protect us from shaitan, to protect us from ourselves and to help us to live this life in a way that pleases Him Jalla Jalaluhu so that we can meet Him in a state where He is pleased with us. Wa sallallahu ala nabiyyil kareem wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajmain bi rahmatul kareem. Al Fatiha.