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Acts of Worship

The Pursuit of Balance | Khutbah

October 21, 2022Sh. Suleiman Hani

In this khutbah, Sh. Suleiman Hani talks about how we as Muslims, pursue success in this life and the next. The Qur’an and Sunnah outline the balanced approach towards fulfillment of our responsibilities and desires.

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Transcript

This transcript was auto-generated using AI and may contain misspellings.
We praise him and we ask for his help, his guidance, and his forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evils of our sins and the evils within ourselves. Whomsoever Allah guides because they are sincerely looking for guidance, none can misguide. And whomever he rightfully causes to be led astray because they are prideful or arrogant or refuse to be guided, none can guide. And I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone. And I bear witness that Muhammad, peace be upon him, is his servant and final messenger. For our success and salvation eternally, forever in bliss, Allah created us and commands us, O believers, O you who believe, be mindful of Allah as he deserves, as is his right upon you. Fulfill that right of the creator upon the creation and do not die except in that state of fulfillment, except in that state of submission, in that state of silm, in that state of Islam. May Allah allow us to live sincerely upon Islam and to die upon iman. Allahumma ameen. A few years ago, I remember at a conference asking the audience to take out their phones and to record a video message, a very short message to their loved ones about their departure from this world, meaning a message for their family members and this would be a message that they would see, in other words, watch after that individual who recorded the message would pass away. And some individuals said they couldn't do it. They weren't able to complete the video recording. Some people started tearing up. And a few people said they did record a message. They sent it to their family members and some of them expressed, especially some of the brothers who came up right after, the younger guys as well, they said we felt like we were really preparing to leave this world,
like we really left something behind, an advice, a reminder, a message, appreciation, that helped us to reflect on our departure from this world. But then the question is, once you leave that gathering and we go back home, you go back to your work, you go back to school, you go back to raising your children, what happens to that feeling in which in a gathering perhaps, a lecture, a conference, a khutba, something you heard, your iman increased? You found yourself going back home and saying, you know what, now I have to fulfill my responsibilities. Now I have to work, now I have to study, now I have to take care of family, I have errands, responsibilities. And this question constantly comes up. In almost every major conference or class or convention, someone asks, how do I balance properly my fulfillment of what I have to do, my responsibilities, without getting distracted with my pursuit of the afterlife, for the akhirah? And what does Islam say about this balance that we're supposed to achieve? Where's the equilibrium, the perfect moment in which there's a balance and you're doing everything right? And of course we all know that the perfect moment is when you're doing everything right. And of course we all know it fluctuates at times, we may find ourselves focused more on one thing than the other. What does Islam say about this? And I started thinking there must be amongst all of the excerpts and passages of the Qur'an, at least one ayah that gives us a very clear balance in terms of something you can do with what you have now, but it's for a purpose, it's for the afterlife, it's not distracting you. And I found it in the story of Qarun, the wealthy man, and I'm not going to go into the story for this khutbah, but the wealthy man who was given a lot of wealth and power and he abused it, became arrogant and essentially started to say,
I earned this from my own intellect, my own knowledge, meaning I did this. He became arrogant and Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala caused basically the earth to swallow him up. Now this man Qarun, in the context of the story in Surah Al-Qasas, we have a particular ayah, one ayah only, so this is Surah 28, verse 77, in which, yes it was in that context, but we can take it for ourselves today. And Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala says, وَابْتَغْي فِي مَا آتَاكَ اللَّهُ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةِ وَلَا تَنْسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَأَحْسِنْ كَمَا أَحْسَنَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ وَلَا تَبْغِي الْفَسَادَ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُفْسِدِينَ This verse sums it all up. Seek the reward of the Akhira, وَابْتَغْي فِي مَا آتَاكَ اللَّهُ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةِ Use what Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala gave you, here and now, to pursue the hereafter. So if you want a short answer to the question of balance and equilibrium in Islam, use what you have of the dunya for the Akhira. Now practically what does that mean? Because we have to live, we have jobs, we have studies, we have children we have to raise, we have things we have to do. It doesn't mean you're going to do rituals day and night. It doesn't mean you're going to sit in the masjid from morning to night. It doesn't mean you're going to disconnect from society altogether and abandon the pursuit of livelihood. That's not what it means. But what Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala gave you in this world should be used 100% in terms of its intention. Should be used as a stepping stone for your existence, meaning for your Akhira. For the destination that you seek and that is the destination of Jannah.
What Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala gave you and a question we should all ask ourselves. Of the things you can recognize for there are many blessings we cannot even think about or comprehend. The blessings that you can think about that are more obvious. Maybe for example you have a really good job. Maybe you have a family, you have children, you live in a good place, you're safe, you have shelter, you have security. Maybe you're working for certain organizations or you're connected politically. Maybe you're a volunteer or an activist for a number of campaigns or causes. Maybe you have following and influence in different forms. Whatever platform you have, whatever good Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala gave you of this world, use it for the hereafter. So the intention must be my job is not for Al-Dunya. My work and the income that I receive, it's not because I just want to eat and I want to thrive and I want this and that or I want pleasure of Al-Dunya. No, it's because I have to work for my Akhira. It's because I have to get through this world. It's because I have to give back to society. It's because we need Muslims to be educated and working in different fields and giving da'wah through their character and sometimes directly as well. And using all that we have of our resources for the sake of Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala says, وَلَا تَنْسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا Do not forget your naseeb, your share if you will, of this life. And some people might misunderstand this part of the verse. First note that Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala started with an emphasis on the hereafter before Al-Dunya. So if you were to ask where is the balance for the believer, the balance starts with you recognizing that the only thing that matters is the eternal life. Does that mean that Al-Dunya does not have livelihood? No, it's part of it. But what really matters in the end is not the 100 years and even the ripple effects you leave behind, but it's going to be an eternal life. When the priority is there and you recognize the value of the Akhirah, your efforts in your job, in your studies, and everything else you do start to shift.
And even behind the scenes, our hearts and our minds, our thoughts start to shift. Now I'm working with more meaning. Now my studies have more meaning. Now the raising of these children has more meaning because it's connected to the Akhirah. وَلَا تَنْسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا Do not forget your share of this life has two meanings according to the scholars of Tafsir. The first is that because you're so focused on the Akhirah, because now you know the value of your existence and where you're headed, if you're just pursuing the Akhirah, you might forget to take care of your Dunya. Now most people are struggling with the balance that is the opposite, where they're focused so much on Al-Dunya, they're not feeling like they're working for their afterlives. They don't feel like they're sending ahead any good deeds. And that is a problem because we want to make sure that the equilibrium that we're seeking is constantly there. And that when we fall short, we shift our priorities, our habits, our thoughts, we reflect, we ask Allah for forgiveness, we try again, we try better, we try harder. Don't forget your share of this world. Why? Because the one who's so focused on the Akhirah and really knows the value of Jannah might forget about the reality of this world, might forget about their livelihood, but Islam doesn't say you cut off your livelihood. It doesn't say you sit in the Masjid literally all day and you do nothing else. Do not forget your share of this world. Some scholars say enjoy the things that are permissible in this world, while of course working towards the Akhirah, but it comes second. It comes after the establishment in this verse, it comes after your pursuit of life after death. Furthermore, some of the scholars say, of course, the things that you take of this world to the afterlife are the things that are your share. Some scholars say, is the share of good deeds that you can do in this world. So the obedience towards Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala is what you can possibly take while you are here. And when you pass away, that's all you have with you.
We've seen so many people pass away with millions of dollars completely disconnected from the hereafter or disregarding it or abandoning faith altogether. What good did all that wealth do for them? As active as they may have been in this world, as active as they were in even projects of goodness in this world, if they disbelieved and rejected the truth and didn't pray and didn't fast, what good is that money going to do for you? And those who did pursue this life, knowing as believers, knowing as believers that it is a distraction against something more important, they regretted it towards the end of their lives, and those were the individuals that had a chance to repent before they passed away. We mentioned before the example of a dear brother from Australia. I never met him, and I don't think maybe none of us here have ever met him, but we've seen his story. We saw his videos going viral years ago. Ali Benaz, rahimallah, multimillionaire, living a lifestyle that some people look up to as ideal, as entertaining, as leisure, as fun, driving a brand new Ferrari Spyder. They went to his home, they interviewed him. He was open to this interview. And they're looking through his house, and he has basically all these brand names, I can't pronounce, of shoes and watches and hats and everything else. And this was right after he was diagnosed with cancer, and they told him, you have three months to live. And he said, everything changed for me. That diagnosis changed my life for the better. He said it was a blessing from Allah, and I'm really grateful for it. Because he started shifting his attention to the things that matter. And the interviewer was asking him, what does this brand new, for example, Ferrari Spyder mean to you? He's like, wallahi, it means nothing to me anymore. Like these things that I have don't mean anything to me anymore. He started selling off everything that he had. Everything that was considered extravagant. Started getting rid of it left and right.
Opened up a non-profit charity organization. Started building wells and masajid and schools in different parts of the world. And he didn't live for those three months, he lived longer, alhamdulillah. Was able to do a lot of good work as he was going through chemotherapy. And throughout the process, throughout his entire journey in those three years, every now and then there would be an update, a video, an interview. And you could slowly see his health deteriorating. And towards the end of his life, he's sending messages, sharing messages with people. Brothers, sisters, don't get attached, do not get attached, don't get distracted, wallahi, it's not worth it. And he said, I may have heard from a doctor that I'm going to die in such and such time, but we already know we're going to die at any time. He said, so don't get attached to this world, it's not worth it. You don't take those brand name things to your grave, you don't take that car to your grave, you don't take that wealth to your grave. All you will have with you is your good deeds and your sins. And may Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala protect us from having any sins before we pass away in this world. And the brother, subhanallah, more than three years later, and it was in the month of Ramadan, I remember when this happened and I'm sure many of you are familiar, passed away in the month of Ramadan, may Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala have mercy on him and all of those who passed away before us, Allahumma ameen. What are we taking with us and what are we leaving behind? We reflect on this ayah and we recognize that if there are things you find yourself attached to, let's say you're someone who is attached to like chasing after worldly things, chasing after wealth, and Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala granted you something of this world, if you really want to succeed and find equilibrium and tranquility and peace, the things that you love of this world, send them ahead to your afterlife. What Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala gave you that you love in this world, send it ahead to the akhira. What does that mean?
If you really love the blessings that Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala gave you of material things in this world, send them to your akhira so they have an eternal impact, an eternal form rather than a limited temporary form, both in quality and quantity. In the famous hadith in which Aisha radiallahu anha was asked by the Prophet ﷺ about some meat that she had donated in charity. She said all of it has left, all of it is gone except for the shoulder. That's all she kept. Everything else is gone. She donated it in charity. The Prophet ﷺ corrected her and said no, it has all remained except for the shoulder. Meaning in other words, what you gave in charity, you sent it ahead, you transferred it in a way to the akhira and you're going to find it in your account of deeds and it's going to be multiplied beyond your imagination. So the things that you love of this world, you really want to enjoy those things, send them ahead to the next life. Forward it to a place in which you will appreciate it and it's going to be in a much different form. In a form you can't imagine in this world. أعددت لعبادي الصالحين ما لا عين رأت ولا أذن سمعت ولا خطر على قلبي بشر In the hadith Qudsi Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la says, I have prepared for my righteous servants that which no eye has ever seen. Forget your brand name, watches and cars and purses and pursuit of this life in a very superficial sense. It's something you've never seen in Jannah and you've never heard the sounds of it in this world. Unlike anything of a dunya and most importantly, it has not even crossed your mind. It's not even been conceived of in anyone's thoughts or hearts in this world. فَلَا تَعْلَمُوا نَفْسٌ مَا أُخْفِيَ لَهُم مِّن قُرُرَةِ آيُنٍ So the Prophet ﷺ said recite if you will, no soul knows what has been prepared for them as a source of joy, as a coolness of their eyes in Jannah.
جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ As a reward for what they used to do. What did you used to do in this world? What are our habits? Are we focused on the pursuit of Jannah? Are we focused on the afterlife? Are we focused on Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la? Some people misunderstand the part of this ayah وَلَا تَنْسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا And they think it means just go ahead, pursue this life with no concern. And then they delve deep into it and then they forget or they get distracted. May Allah protect us. We know how easy it is for us all to get distracted. We could go to a janazah prayer, a funeral prayer and go to the burial site and pray and make dua. And after we make dua and we come back to our homes, our lives, our jobs and everything else. For many people aside from those who know the deceased well, for many people they simply get sucked back into the routine. Because we have responsibilities no doubt. And the wise believer recognizes that when Allah says وَلَا تَنْسَ Do not forget, it's because you have realized the value of chasing after the akhirah. And because your heart and your mind are so focused on what's coming after death, this dunya will come to you in spite of it. The responsibilities of this world, you'll take care of them inshallah ta'ala. But will you take care of the akhirah? Will you take care of your position in the next life? When we want to fuse together the pursuit of two worlds, sometimes for many people they're considering the pursuit of a dunya as a completely separate endeavor than the afterlife. And this is why many people struggle because with regards to our responsibilities, they are many, no doubt. And often times we struggle because we don't realize a few points. Number one, everything has its right, including your family in terms of time. Everything has its right in terms of your studies, in terms of your work. But it should have a purpose. It's not mindless. You're not with your family for no reason. You're not studying without purpose. You're not working without cause.
There's some purpose behind it that's connected to your existence in this world. That your work, essentially, yes it's for a source of income or it might be because of the impact you're doing with your job. And at the end of the day, you realize, and this is the second point, that it could be an act of worship, if you are intending it as an act of worship. And here we say that with regards to rituals, ibadat, like salah for example, or fasting, that it has to be done in a very specific way, and the intention has to be purely for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Otherwise, it's rejected. The prayer, the fasting, it has to be for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And also condition number two, it has to be done correctly. Whereas with general activities of this world that are not considered rituals, like ibadat, they could still be rewarded for as acts of worship in a different form. But all it takes in this case is for something that you're doing that is permissible to be intended for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And one of the easiest ways to remember that, for those who are, for example, in college, high school, university, is that, Ya Allah, I'm intending all my studies for your sake, and follow through with that sincerity. That as you're studying, this is for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Whatever it is that you're studying, you're studying for His sake. So that when you graduate, you're graduating for His sake, you're working for His sake, you're working to take care of your family, the ummah, society, charities. And every time you study, you find more meaning in it. For those who are working, your jobs, that you're doing this for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And many other examples. Now these are obvious examples because they're common things that people do. Even your sleep. Even your socializing with your family. Even the raising of your children. You are fusing here together the pursuit of the akhira with the responsibilities of the dunya. So you're not abandoning the responsibilities that you have, in terms of the pursuit of what's coming next.
And in fact, there's an example given to us from Mu'adh bin Jabil radiallahu anhu. He asked the famous companion as well, Abu Musa al-Ashari radiallahu anhu, Oh Abdullah, how do you recite the Qur'an in the night? He said, I read a portion and then I take a break. So I read some Qur'an and then I stop. And then he asked Mu'adh radiallahu anhu, how do you pursue your education? Your relationship with the Qur'an at night? What is it that you do? What's your habit? And then Mu'adh radiallahu anhu said something very crucial for our topic today. He said, I sleep in the first part of the night and then I awaken to recite what it is that Allah has written for me. Meaning I awaken to recite Qur'an during that part of the night if it's decreed for me to wake up. And I hope for the reward from my sleep the same way I hope for the reward from my qiyam al-layl. I hope for the reward of my sleep the same way that I'm hoping for the reward of my qiyam al-layl. However, don't misunderstand this hadith. Some people will hear and say, well, I'm hoping for reward from my sleep and then they'll oversleep. They'll never pray qiyam, they'll never read Qur'an. Say, well, it's my act of worship. For sure, it is an act of worship. If before you slept, you did your adhkar and you intended, my sleep is for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And I sleep, I experience this temporary death and my life, my soul is in the hands of Allah. He's the one who can give it back to me in the morning. And when I wake up, I'm waking up with energy on time for fajr prayer at the very least, if not tahajjud. I'm waking up on time for fajr prayer for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And to carry on with my day for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala with everything that I do. That's the least we should be doing. And if you're hoping for more reward from your sleep, you're sleeping with the intention to wake up for qiyam al-layl. You're sleeping with intention to wake up to recite Qur'an or to make dua if you cannot pray. Mu'adh bin Jabir radiallahu anhu, one of the greatest examples from the companions in terms of the scholarship, in terms of the implementation of the rulings of Islam.
If you're sleeping one third of your day, eight hours a day on average for some people, and some people of course less, maybe some more, already one third of your day is gone. One third of your day is gone. 33% of your life is gone in terms of how much potential do you have to do things. And if you're working eight hours a day, it's another 33% of your time. And if you're studying full time, university, high school, whatever it may be, if you're raising children, it's beyond one third of your day. That's another one third. All that's really left for everything else of your day and your entire life essentially is that last one third. And it seems like we have a lot of time but we don't. It's not much time because that includes the time that you're eating, you know, one or two or three meals a day. That includes the time you're talking to people, includes the time you're on social media. Especially if you're not conscious of the time that's passing by. It includes the time you're watching TV shows or entertainment. It includes the time you're going to the restroom, you're doing this, you're doing that, cooking and so on and so forth, transitioning between activities. We don't have that much time in this world. And we know the value of the time in this world, the opportunity in terms of what you have in this world, is simply to increase and maximize your sadaqah jariyah and your reward that's waiting for you in the next life. That's essentially what it is. وَلَا تَنْسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا Do not forget your share of this world. Don't forget what you're required to do for your akhira. Don't forget the acts of worship that Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala gave you an opportunity to pursue. وَأَحْسِن كَمَا أَحْسَنَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ And Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala continues, and the reminder here is what? Be good in a way, ahsin, be good, excel, as Allah was good to you. أَحْسِن كَمَا أَحْسَنَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ Has two meanings at least. The first is that you are good in terms of fulfilling the commands of Allah as Allah was good to you. He created you. He gave you what you have. And the second is to use your blessings for the sake of Allah, including to help other people. So if Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala blessed you with wealth and you're doing good,
then you're doing good in terms of fulfilling the commands of Allah, including to help other people. So if Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala blessed you with wealth and you have a job, that you're thinking in the freezing cold of the months that we're in right now, about the number of people around us in this community and all around the world that we know of, who don't have blankets, who are living in tents literally, and their tents are falling down with the weight of the snow and the ice, and many of them are orphans and children, some are raised by single mothers. And in other parts of the world, in the paradise that people are living in many countries, people are complaining about first world problems. People are complaining that they don't have the newest phone. People are complaining about the brand name this and brand name that. May Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala forgive us. May Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala use us for the sake of others, for the relief of others, for the justice that should be there for others. Use what you have that Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala gave you to bring some good to the lives of other people, and Allah will bless you even more in this life and in the next life. We ask Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala to forgive us and elevate our ranks, and guide us to pursuing the Akhirah as our main concern, and to give us with it the blessings of the dunya for his sake. Allahumma ameen. Seek forgiveness from Allah. He is the All-Forgiving, the Ever-Merciful. I say this and ask Allah to forgive me and you, so ask Him to forgive me. He is the All-Forgiving, the Ever-Merciful. Alhamdulillah. And peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, his companions, and those who are with us. One of the famous duas that we all know of, part of the Quran as well, رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ When you make dua, think about one aspect of this supplication. Our Lord grant us the good of this life, the good of the next life, and protect us from the fire.
And some scholars say if you notice in this dua, there's an emphasis, two-thirds of the dua pertains to the hereafter. And the first part of it is during your time here, the limited time that you have in this world. One of the best things that we can do to really recalibrate and focus on this equilibrium is write a will. Make sure you have a wasiya. And the will here is not just for legal reasons, and it is very important, and I encourage everyone to have a will, especially as Muslims we know it's required in fact to have a will that everything will be done according to the sharia when someone passes away. But also with that will, some advice. Write your advice to your family. Write a letter to your loved ones, to those who are living with you, to friends, to someone that you cut off or someone who cut you off. Write something down or record a video message and see how you feel after that. And review this kind of thought process of preparation to depart in a very serious way, especially when it becomes legal for some people, that's when they start to take it seriously. Write that will and write that advice with the intention that, ya Allah, I'm doing this so that I'm preparing more for my reality. One of the earliest of scholars, I believe it was Sufyan al-Thawri, rahimahullah, he said, Strive for this world or work for a dunya in proportion to the amount of time that you'll spend in it. And work for the akhira in proportion to the amount of time that you'll spend in it. In other words, there's no comparison between the two. So take what you can of your responsibilities of this world. Be very efficient and productive. Manage your time and master it so that you do have time beyond your responsibilities for ibadat as well, for additional ritual worship and use everything that you have. Whatever platform Allah gave you, whatever wealth Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala blessed you with, or influence or the ability to write or speak eloquently or creativity or the raising of your children, whatever Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gave you of this world, use it for khair, use it for good. And may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make us amongst those who give everything its right and are working towards that balance day and night.
And may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala forgive us for all of the instances in which we forgot about the akhira. And may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala detach our hearts from a dunya and attach our hearts to Him and to the afterlife. Allahumma ameen. Allahumma arzuqna husna al khatima, wa aj'al khair ayaamina yawma nalqaak. Allahumma ya muqalliba al quloobi wa al absaar, thabbit quloobana ala dinik. Allahumma inna nas'aluka min al khairi kullihi aajilihi wa aajilih, maa alimna minhu wa maa lam na'lam. wa na'udhu bika min al sharri kullihi aajilihi wa aajilih, maa alimna minhu wa maa lam na'lam. Rabbana aatina fi al dunya hasana, wa fi al akhira hasana. wa minna a'zab an-nar wa aqim al salam.
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