Talk · al-Sirat al-Mustaqeem | 2024 Ramadan Series, part 30 of 32

The Ultimate Truth | Al-Sirat Al-Mustaqeem EP.28 | A Journey With Shaykh Alauddin ElBakri

Shaykh Alauddin ElBakri

Transcript

3 moments mention “Quran”:

  1. Assalamu 'Alaikum
  2. and welcome back to Tawasaw
  3. Ramadan series, "As-Sirat al-Mustaqim"
  4. Yesterday we covered: (Except those who have faith, do good)
  5. and we focused on righteous, good deeds.
  6. Today, we will continue to:
  7. (And urge each other to the truth, and urge each other to perseverance)
  8. we will take: (And urge each other to the truth) and dice it and see what
  9. we can benefit from this one sentence that can change your entire life.
  10. The word "Tawasaw" in Arabic is a verb in the past
  11. tense, plural and masculine tense.
  12. It's like past continuous tense.
  13. What is it asking of us?
  14. It's asking us believers to care about one another and to advise one another.
  15. The word "Wassiyah" in Arabic is used in the Quran
  16. to describe the most sincere advice
  17. to someone that your love so much:
  18. (This was the advice of Abraham, as well as Jacob, to his children)
  19. when Ibrahim PBUH was about to pass away
  20. and his grandson Jacob PBUH was about to pass away.
  21. He gathered all of his children and he gave them a "Wasiyyah"
  22. And what was the "Wasiyyah"?
  23. Are you going to keep the covenant of Allah?
  24. There is no God but Allah
  25. And follow the path of the Prophets?
  26. They said: "Yes"
  27. So when Allah describes us
  28. as believers, that we care so much about one another
  29. that we will advise and support one another.
  30. It's not only advise and then run away.
  31. No, it's a support system.
  32. (And urge each other to the truth)
  33. What are we aiming for as Muslims our entire life? It is to match the truth.
  34. The truth is that which matches actual
  35. reality, not perceived reality.
  36. And that's why Allah's name in The Noble Quran is the truth "Al-Haqq"
  37. The Quran, one of its descriptions in the Quran is the "Truth"
  38. Allah says that he sent Prophet Muhammad PBUH with the truth.
  39. And that's why the truth is very, very important.
  40. We live at a time that people came up with, a term that they call
  41. this is my personal truth, as if, you know, truth means nothing.
  42. Like, I think that the sky is red.
  43. That's my personal truth.
  44. And I'm going to move on with my life
  45. based on the fact in my head that the sky is red. We seek refuge in Allah
  46. we don't have time.
  47. As Allah said in Surah Al-Asr, we don't have time,
  48. we're running out of time, and we should focus on the truth.
  49. Are you focused on the truth?
  50. Do you seek the truth?
  51. Because many of us live just want to
  52. chase some dreams and illusions,
  53. and what I like to think about myself, not actually who I am.
  54. And that's the scariest thing that could happen to the believer.
  55. My dear brothers and sisters, Allah asks us to advise one another.
  56. How do we advise?
  57. Four things have to be in mind.
  58. Number one, that you use the best words when you talk to the people.
  59. You don't talk to the people in a way
  60. that turns them off and turns them against your advice.
  61. Since you really love
  62. the one that you're about to advise, you should really use the best words.
  63. Don't attack them.
  64. Don't tell them: "You've been always doing this"
  65. Don't tell them: "This is who you are"
  66. Don't put them down before you give them an advice.
  67. And that's very, very important because this way
  68. you prepare the person in front of you to listen to you
  69. when you say something good about them before you criticize them.
  70. Constructive criticism.
  71. Now, the second important thing is that your intention
  72. behind the advice has to be, for the sake of Allah,
  73. that you really want something better for your Muslim brother or sister,
  74. that this is not just to put them down, you're not getting back at them
  75. because one day
  76. they said something about you and now it's time to get back at them.
  77. That's why it has to have a very sincere intention.
  78. The third point with advice, is to use
  79. the best place, it is not okay
  80. to advise people in front of others, that's called exposing them.
  81. You don't like someone to come and talk
  82. about your private business in front of everyone else.
  83. That's not the right place.
  84. That has to be one-to-one.
  85. And the best thing is to choose the right time.
  86. Don't talk to people when they are hungry, thirsty,
  87. tired, angry, sleepy.
  88. You need to choose the time that the are
  89. ready to receive your advice.
  90. My dear brothers and sisters, I have noticed that people
  91. now when someone advises them, they say: "Oh, they stepped on my toes"
  92. "Oh, they got into my personal business"
  93. Even though the other person has a very sincere intention.
  94. As Muslims, we function in a Jama'a "group"
  95. You want people, not only to step on your toes, let them step on your feet.
  96. If that's going to mean that you will wake up and go to Jannah "heaven"
  97. instead of being in your delusional world, going wrong
  98. and no one is talking to you and advising you and directing you to the right path.
  99. Look what we do in Ramadan,
  100. we're really focused on gaining
  101. the pleasure of Allah SWT
  102. and not worrying about our Nafs.
  103. We're disciplining our Nafs.
  104. It is your Nafs that will stop you from listening to an advice.
  105. As we have explained in the earlier episode. My dear brother, sisters
  106. Allah expects from us to seek the truth,
  107. want the truth, apply the truth,
  108. believe in the truth,
  109. and to always want to hear the truth,
  110. and obey it, and follow it.
  111. Because our life is very short and we don't have time or energy to waste.
  112. May Allah SWT purify our intentions
  113. and make us from those who practice:
  114. (And urge each other to the truth)
  115. Ameen
  116. Go home and practice that Ayah and see how people react to your practice.
  117. May Allah guide us all to accept advice from others.
  118. Ameen