Khutbahs
128 / 217
Would You Pass This Test | Khutbah
Many times we trust ourselves to be pious and just in circumstances that others fall short. But the reality is that if we were tested similarly, we could perform even worse.
In this khutbah, Dr. Omar Suleiman talks about how the Prophet ﷺ advised us on how to prepare ourselves for trials and tribulations, and how he taught us how to be content when certain blessings miss us, unsure of how they would change us.
Support free resources. Become a Yaqeen Sustainer today.
Transcript
This transcript was auto-generated using AI and may contain misspellings. It's very easy for us to see people in desperation and to say that if we were in that position we would be different. It's very easy to see people in a state of power, in a state of goodness, and to say that if we had access to those resources we would be different. It's very easy to see someone who has fallen in a state of sin and think to ourselves, we would never act that way. It's also very easy for us to have a certain trust in our ability, in our being, in our own stature, to think that we would not be compromised if our circumstances changed. And I want to give you a few examples of this before I get to insha'Allah ta'ala what I hope would be a point that we can take from this. As you're looking at the scenes of people rising from the rubble, you know, subhanAllah, now you see everything in real time. People rise from the rubble of a catastrophic earthquake and there's already a camera in their faces. And some of them will say alhamdulillah and become a source of inspiration and some of them will express something of just deep, you know, human trauma. You see people come out of a situation where people just got shot and immediately a camera is in their face to capture a sadmat al-ula, to capture the initial strike. This is the first time in world history that you have this. That your reaction in the midst of this devastation is going to be viewed by millions of people very quickly. And you might think to yourself, if I was in that position, I would probably do this. If I was in that position, I would probably be doing that. And all of us would like to think that if that hardship hit me, then I would be one of those people saying alhamdulillah as soon as I rose from the rubble.
If the hardship of literally not having had anything to eat or drink for three, four days and then finding out that family members did not survive came to me, I would react this way. I think I would say this. I think I would do this. If I was in Gaza, I would do this. If I was in this place, I would do this. We might have a certain trust of our own reaction that might not be accurate. While we certainly hope from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala that would be the best. Now I only use that example to start with because it's something that's immediate. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make it easy for our brothers and sisters in Turkey and in Syria and have mercy on the shuhada. Allahuma ameen. But let's go to something that's not as extreme. You're in Umrah or Hajj. You see people from a quote unquote third world country. You might also originate from a quote unquote third world country. And you see the way people are cutting lines and the way people are bolting and the way people are not respecting the signs. And you think to yourself, look at them. You see people in poverty and sometimes resorting to things that are not befitting of the believer to ever think about doing. And you think that could never be me. You see people who have fallen deep into a sin. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala open the doors of repentance for them. Allahuma ameen. And that's a whole other subject in and of itself. The du'as of Imam Ahmed rahimallah, the du'as of Imam Hassan al-Basri rahimallah. When they used to see people in deep states of sin for those people are some of the most beautiful du'as we learn in our tradition for Allah to guide them back. But you see them and you think with disgust, I could never be that. The truth is Allah knows you better than you know yourself.
And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala caters circumstances to you in accordance with what He knows of you. See a lot of times we think that if Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gave me this, I would have been this way. Why did Allah put that person in that position of success if I would have had that position of success? If I would have been there, I would have acted this way. It's like one of my mashayikh used to say about the people that are always complaining about the dictators in the Muslim world. He said you would be the exact same way if you were in that position. The only difference is that you're robbing the person in the street with your business and that person is robbing an entire nation. But it's not about the circumstances, it's about who you are here. And Allah knows who you are here and Allah customizes circumstances to you because He knows who you are. And it's important for you to take a step back and to embrace the moment and circumstance that you are in and generate the best possible relationship with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And when you see other people's circumstances, ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to be spared from a negative response. I want to give you a few examples of this to really drive this point home bi-idhnillahi ta'ala. Last week when I was talking about the earthquakes, and I know Shaykh Atif was also talking about the earthquake as everyone was in the khutbas. The hadith of Abu Burda when he was upset, not over a natural disaster, but he was shocked. How is it that Muslims could be killing each other? People, and he said, they have the same religion, they have the same deen, they have the same hajj, they have the same Ramadan, they have the same da'wah. Yet somehow some of them are calling to kill others. How does that even happen? And he's walking through the marketplace frustrated. How could people descend into something like this? I share with you a hadith from the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam when he says that there would come a time that there is fitna, that there is turmoil, and division and dissension,
where the one who is seated is better than the one who is standing, and the one who is standing is better than the one who is running. And I tell you what, that there is a time when fitna can become so bad that inaction is actually better than action. Where it's better to actually suspend your deeds, not your deeds of ibadah to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, worship of Allah, but you're acting in accordance with what you're seeing because even right and wrong become so diluted that you can't tell which side you're supposed to be on, and things become deeply confusing. So the one who's sitting down is better than the one who's standing, the one who is standing is better than the one who is running. And he said salallahu alayhi wa sallam that when that time comes, when it's that confusing to you, if a person has a camel, stick to your camel, if a person has a sheep, stick to your sheep, if a person has a goat, stick to their goat, and flee to the valleys if you can, get away from it. Don't find yourself in the middle of these types of fitna, of these types of confusion. And a person said to the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam, ya Rasulallah, what if a person has none of that? A person has nothing to sustain themselves with. Meaning a person cannot flee a bad circumstance. They have to stay in the middle of it somehow. Because the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam is necessarily speaking to someone that has a certain level of economic privilege, even if that means owning a goat to go suffice yourself within a valley. Now for us, that could mean you have enough to keep yourself going and to get yourself out of a really bad situation. But this man is saying, what if I don't even have that? What if I have to be in the middle of it all because my poverty, my economics, make it as such? You know what the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam said? He said, ya'midu ila sayfihi faya duqqu ala haddihi bihajarin thummal yanju in istata'in najaa. The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam said, if that's the case, if Muslims start killing each other,
people start killing each other and you don't even know who's the oppressor and who's the oppressed anymore, and you're still stuck in the middle of that, the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam said, the first thing you do is go to your sword and break it. Break the edge of the sword. Take a stone and crush the edge of the sword. You're thinking to yourself, wait a minute, people are killing each other. That sounds counterintuitive, right? That means arm yourself and be ready for the battle, right? The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam is saying, before it even breaks out then, go break your sword. And if you can find a way to free yourself, then free yourself. And he says, biya Rasulullah, what if I end up in one of the ranks or what if an arrow comes towards me? The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam says, then the sin will be on the one who threw the arrow at you. The sin will be on the one who killed you. But he said, salallahu alayhi wa sallam, be the one that is killed, not the one that's killing. In that situation, don't find yourself as an oppressor. Be the one that is oppressed, not the one that's oppressing. What is the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam talking about here? He's saying that at some point, you can't even trust yourself. And you might think to yourself, I would never raise a weapon against another believer and hurt someone like that. But he's saying, salallahu alayhi wa sallam, that the desperation might get to a point that you're going to betray your principles. So before that even happens, break your sword. Because you don't know how you would act. You don't know how you're going to respond to that particular trial because you've never walked in those shoes before. You've never been in that test before. And the fitna should remain in your dunya, not in your deen. Let it be a trial and a tribulation with your worldly affairs, not with your affairs of the afterlife. It's a very powerful thing that the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam is speaking about here. You don't know if the test got that severe if you're still going to respond that way. Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa sallam said, even those of us who might live to see al-Masih ad-Dajjal, the Antichrist. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala spare us from his fitna. Allahumma ameen. What did he say, salallahu alayhi wa sallam?
A person might think to themselves, I've got this covered. I already know what's written on his head. I know he's got one eye. I know he's a kafir. I know he's nothing. I'm not worried about him. I'll go approach him and tell him he's a liar. I have faith. I pray in the masjid. I know my Rabb. I know my Lord. I know my Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. I know my Quran. The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam said, Man sami'a bi-d-Dajjal, if you hear about Dajjal coming, fa firru minhu, run away from him. And he said, salallahu alayhi wa sallam, inna ar-rajul laya'tihi wa huwa yahsibu anahu mu'min. See that's the thing here. A person will go walking up to him thinking he's a believer. He might actually be a believer when he's walking up to him. But he's like, I've got this. I'm not worried about him. I'm not worried about his fitna. And he said, salallahu alayhi wa sallam, fa yatabi'uhu mimma yuba'athu bihi minash shubuhat. And then he ends up following him because of the feats of Dajjal. Because of the doubts that he's able to put in people's minds. He dove into it. And he thought that he was ready for it. And he wasn't ready for it. He thought that his belief was strong enough. And maybe it wasn't strong enough. The point is, Allah and the Messenger salallahu alayhi wa sallam are telling you, don't go test yourself. Say, alhamdulillah, you haven't been put in that test. And if you're put in that test, it's because Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala knows you're capable. Because Allah is not unjust. If you end up in that test, it is because you're capable bi'idhnillahi ta'ala. Because Allah is not unjust. If you're not in that test, say alhamdulillah and ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for the rank and ask Allah to be spared from a test that you feel like you will not be able to handle. But you don't know yourself until you're in that situation. And that's why when we see someone who's sinning, or we see someone who's going through a difficulty, even in regards to their faith, we don't mock them, we don't taunt them, we don't make memes about them,
we don't circulate it on our groups, we don't taunt them. We say, alhamdulillah ladi a'fani. Alhamdulillah Allah spared me. May Allah guide that person. I'm not gonna make fun of that person. That might be me one day. Maybe something happened where there was a perfect storm that shaytan was able to capitalize on and take that person down that dark, dark, dark path. I'm not gonna mock him in that path. I'll extend my hand while praising Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala that I'm in a place to extend my hand to that person. And not the one that's having the hand extended to them. Because spiritual poverty is even worse than physical poverty. And if I still have my spirituality, if I have my deen intact, and I see someone that's suffering in that regard, I'm not gonna kick that person down. I'm not gonna make fun of that person. I'm gonna say, alhamdulillah, I'm not in their situation. I don't know what led them to that situation. I'm not justifying the sin. But I hope they get out of it, and I'm glad I'm not in it. Alhamdulillah, the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam taught us to praise Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for sparing us. Because you don't know how you would respond to that test. You might hear about fitna, breaking out, trials and tribulation between people, division, masjid politics, communities fighting each other, this person fighting this person, this imam taking shots at this imam, this group of brothers, this group of sisters, and something's going on and it's circulating in the groups. You know, subhanAllah, one of the most profound statements I've ever read from Umar ibn Abdul Aziz rahimahullah ta'ala. Umar ibn Abdul Aziz was asked about some of that dissension between the companions of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. When the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam was talking to the sahaba about fitna breaking out that would cause people to raise swords on each other, so many of them thought, no way this would happen to us. We'd never see this in our lifetime. We'd never see ourselves fighting each other like this. We'd never fall to that. We'd never let our enemies pit us against each other.
We'd never become those people. But it happened to some and fitna broke out. And Umar ibn Abdul Aziz was asked about the fitna. And he said, what do you say about this person, what do you say about this person? You know what he said? He said, دماء كف الله يدي عنها وانا اكره ان اغنس لساني فيها He said, that is blood that Allah spared me from dipping my hands into? Why would I go dip my tongue into it now? If Allah spared me from putting my hand on a sword or from hurting someone or from getting involved in it, why am I going to go put my tongue in it? If Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala protected me from that fitna? You think about it. You hear about something going on, you hear about the latest gossip in the community, you see something breaking out between brothers and sisters in the community, and you better believe that's shaitan because shaitan paralyzes us when he pits us against each other. He gave up on disconnecting us from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala with our salah. So the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam said what? He turns Ahlus Salah against Ahlus Salah, the people who pray against the people who pray. Divides you and causes you to fight each other. You see people getting into it, don't make fun of them and don't get involved unless you're getting involved to solve problems and to make peace. Don't jump in the latest gossip, don't jump in the latest drama, don't jump in the latest whatever it is. No, alhamdulillah, Allah spared you from drama online or on-site. Allah protected my hands from getting in it, why would I go dip my tongue in it and risk making a miscalculation and saying something that's not right by which Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala holds me accountable. I was spared, alhamdulillah I was spared. Let me stay spared. Because I don't know what I would do if I was in that situation. I will not put myself in that situation. This is also the case when it comes to the blessings that come to people.
Ibn Mas'ud radiyaAllahu ta'ala anhu when he narrates that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala decrees a blessing to come towards someone. حَتَّى يُيَسِّرَ لَهُ Until it is on its way to him. And then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says to the mala'ika, to the angels, أَصْرِفُهُ عَنهُ Take it away from that person. And the reason being, because if I give that person this blessing, أَتْخَلْتُهُ النَّارُ I'll enter that person into hellfire. Because it's going to change them in a way that it's going to be a fitna for them and their religion. It's going to mess their religion up. They think it's just the next step in their career. They think it's just the next advancement. They think it's just the next blessing. They're pursuing it in a halal way. And they think if Allah gives me this, I'm not going to mess myself up. My religion will stay intact. I'm still going to do everything I'm supposed to do. They don't know what they would do. But they feel relatively certain about it. And Allah says أَصْرِفُهُ عَنهُ No, no. Take this away. Do not let this reach that person. Because if I give it to that person, then I would end up entering them into hellfire. And Ibn Mas'ud radiAllahu anhu narrates that that person continues to say, سَبَقَنِي فُلَانَ دَهَانِي فُلَانَ وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ That person keeps on saying, this person beat me to it, this person beat me to it, this person got it, this person got it. وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ And all it was the whole time was Allah's blessing upon that person. You don't know when it comes to matters of the religion. And people start talking about some of the restrictions. What's the wisdom of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala making this haram and making this haram? When they get relaxed when it comes to certain relationships that they have with people. Why do I have to abide by some of these stricter things in the religion? I know myself. I don't have to worry about khalwah, seclusion. Even if shaitan is the third when the two of us are alone, it's okay. I know how to keep myself in line. I'm a good Muslim. I practice right.
I'm old enough. I'm married. I'm whatever it is. I'm well grounded in my religion. I'm not attracted to her anyway. I don't really care about this. And then what happens is it starts going and going and going and going. And by the time you recognize that you've made a mistake, it's too late. You thought a certain thing about yourself. You thought you had a certain level of control over yourself. But then it went somewhere that you would have never anticipated before. How many cautionary stories do we have from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam about that? How many cautionary stories of people that fell from grace because they gave shaitan an opening. And they neglected a certain restriction from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala because they thought that restriction was unnecessary for them. A little bit of this, a little bit of that is not going to hurt me because I'm grounded enough in my religion. And the reality is there's wisdom in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala holding us back because you don't know how you would react if that restriction was not there. You might think you know, but you don't actually know. Now all of this leads to a particular place in our relationship with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. We trust Allah's wisdom in His legislation. We trust Allah's wisdom in His decree. We don't trust ourselves in every circumstance, but we trust Allah in every circumstance. I don't know how I would be if this change happened in my life or this change happened in my life. I hope Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala would grant me firmness and thabat. I hope Allah would grant me istiqamah, steadfastness, but I don't know. So I don't ask Allah for the trials. I don't mock those who are in trial. I don't ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to make things so fundamentally different for me as a condition for me fundamentally changing myself.
I am in a constant state of growth towards Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to where circumstances should matter less and less and less and less in regards to my thrust towards Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Circumstances have to become irrelevant to your relationship with Allah as much as possible. As much as possible. But don't put yourself to test. And don't sit around too long wondering why you are in a particular place that you are in. Instead, respond with how you can turn this place that you are in right now into an eternal place of the pleasure of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And how you can help that person. That might not be responding to their circumstances because you are looking at it from a different view than they are. That might not be pleasing to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in their circumstances. And help them out of their circumstances and help them to see how they can also be pleasing to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Because the Prophet salallahu alaihi wasalam was not satisfied with his own food. He wasn't satisfied with his own stomach being full. He wasn't satisfied with his own heart being full. He wasn't satisfied with himself salallahu alaihi wasalam alone being in Jannah. He wanted to bring as many people along with him. Pull as many people out of misery as possible. Not wonder why they are acting in the way that they are or why they are in that misery. No, no. How do I get them out of it? Whether it's spiritual misery or physical misery or emotional misery or mental misery. And at the same time to say Alhamdulillah, Ya Allah, whatever circumstances you have put me in, I know are the circumstances that are best suited to me attaining your pleasure. Because Allah did not send you here to fail. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala did not send you here to fail. Every single one of us was sent here with an opportunity to pass or else it wouldn't be a fair test. But Allah azza wa jalla says, وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala does not wrong them. وَلَكِن كَانُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
They only wrong themselves. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala protect us from wronging ourselves. And may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala enable us to help others who may be wronging themselves. And may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala spare us from tests and trials that may affect us in our deen. And may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us the best of this dunya and the best of the akhira. And protect us from the punishment of the fire. Allahumma ameen. وَاستَغْفِرُوا إِنَّهُ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على رسوله الكريم وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين اللهم اغفر المؤمنين والمؤمنات والمسلمين والمسلمات الأحياء منهم والأموات إنك سميع قريب مجيب دعوات اللهم اغفر لنا وارحمنا واعفو عنا ولا تعذبنا ربنا ظلمنا أنفسنا وإن لم تغفر لنا وترحمنا لنكوننا من الخاسرين اللهم إنك عفو كريم وتحب العفو فاعفو عنا اللهم اغفر لوالدينا رب رحمهما كما ربونا صغارا ربنا هب لنا من أزواجنا وذرياتنا قرة أعين واجعلنا للمتقين إماما اللهم انصر إخواننا المستضعفين في كل مكان اللهم أصلح أحوال إخواننا المستضعفين في كل مكان اللهم أهلك الظالمين بالظالمين وأخرجنا وإخواننا من بينهم سالمين عباد الله لله يؤمن بالعدل والإحسان وإيتاء للقربى وينهى عن الفحشاء والمنكر والبغي يعظكم لعلكم تذكرون فاذكروا الله يذكركم واشكروه على النعماء يزد لكم ولذكروا الله أكبر والله يعلم ما تصنعون وآخر من الصلاة
Welcome back!
Bookmark content
Download resources easily
Manage your donations
Track your spiritual growth
1 items
1 items
1 items
25 items
50 items
9 items
