# Juz 26: Don’t Run From Struggle | Sh. Mikaeel Smith

**Author:** Dr. Omar Suleiman
**Series:** Qur’an 30 for 30 | Season 7
**Published:** 2026-03-15
**YouTube:** https://youtu.be/WodoQu3VGf0
**URL:** https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-26
**Topics:** Faith, Quran

## Summary
This episode of Qur'an 30 for 30 covers Juz 19, featuring Ustadh Roohi Tahir alongside Shaykh Omar and Shaykh Abdullah. The discussion centers on the profound question of what gives a person value in the sight of Allah, anchored by the verse from Surah Al-Furqan: 'Say, what would my Lord care for you if not for your du'a?' [Al-Furqan 25:77]. The speakers explain that du'a is the outward manifestation of iman, and Ibn Abbas interpreted this verse to mean that it is one's faith that gives them worth before Allah. A key distinction is drawn between Allah's general love for all of creation and His specific love reserved for the believers — with iman being a gift Allah grants only to those He loves. The episode also explores Surah Al-Furqan's description of 'ibadur-Rahman (servants of the Most Merciful) and the verse 'Sufficient is your Lord as a guide and a helper' [Al-Furqan 25:31], emphasizing that hidayah (guidance) and nusrah (divine support) together empower believers to withstand any opposition. The discussion transitions to Surah An-Naml and the example of Prophet Sulayman (عليه السلام), who recognized his extraordinary blessings as a test and responded with gratitude, acknowledging 'whoever is grateful, is grateful for their own good, and whoever is ungrateful, my Lord is Self-Sufficient and Most Generous' [An-Naml 27:40]. The speakers connect these themes to contemporary suffering, particularly in Gaza and Palestine, affirming that Allah is with the believers in their hardship, and encouraging those in positions of privilege to reflect on how they use their blessings in service of others.

## Key Points
- Du'a is the manifestation of iman — you would not call upon Allah if you did not believe in Him, and it is what gives a person value in Allah's sight.
- Ibn Abbas interpreted 'if not for your du'a' [Al-Furqan 25:77] as meaning 'if not for your iman,' equating supplication with faith.
- Allah gives worldly blessings to both those He loves and those He does not love, but He grants iman only to those He loves — making faith the true marker of divine love.
- There is a general love of Allah for all creation and a specific, elevated love earned through faith and righteous action.
- The combination of Allah's hidayah (guidance) and nusrah (support) together is what empowers and protects believers against all forms of resistance and oppression.
- Every prophet faced enemies and tyrants — this is a universal principle — but Allah's guidance and help are always sufficient to overcome that resistance.
- Prophet Sulayman (عليه السلام) exemplifies the correct response to immense blessing: recognizing it as a test and responding with gratitude rather than arrogance or tyranny.
- Those in positions of privilege should reflect on how they use their blessings, knowing that even small sincere efforts are not wasted by Allah (Al-Karim).
- The steadfastness and resilience of those suffering the most intense oppression, such as in Gaza, is itself a sign of their connection to Allah through du'a and iman.
- Gratitude to Allah is ultimately for one's own benefit — 'whoever is grateful, is grateful for their own good' [An-Naml 27:40].

## Chapters
- 0:00 Introduction
- 2:40 Sh. Mikaeel Smith’s favorite name of Allah
- 4:22 You are in need of Allah
- 11:00 Fitnah is there to mold you
- 14:32 Struggles are an opportunity
- 17:00 None of us deserve this
- 19:44 Victory comes in different ways
- 21:28 Meaning of Allah being a witness
- 26:00 Why do you need to know that Allah is a witness

## Transcript
**[0:00]** We're all going through something tough right now, but maybe you need to reframe that. We will never cease to be amazed by what Allah chooses to do. With Gaza, right, it doesn't look like victory. This doesn't look like victory.

**[0:16]** This doesn't feel like victory, but there are different shades of victory. As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh, everyone. Welcome back to Qur'an 30 for 30. Alhamdulillah, we are in Juz 26. As we come up to the most special nights of the year, as we come into the 27th, we want

**[0:35]** to remind you all to please, insha'Allah ta'ala, support the work of Yaqeen. Fun fact, between the 27th and 29th is when we get the most support for Yaqeen throughout the year. So it's very important, insha'Allah ta'ala, whatever you can give. I hope you've benefited, bismillah ta'ala, and I hope that you want to see other people connect to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala as well, insha'Allah, and want to invest in that work.

**[0:54]** So we want to remind you to please give out that link, whatever it is. Even if you've already given, insha'Allah, and please also make du'a for us. May Allah azza wa jalla allow us to be amongst those who observe Laylatul Qadr. Allahumma ameen. We're blessed today to have Shaykh Mikail Smith, alhamdulillah, Shaykh Mikail, how's it going?

**[1:10]** It's good to be here. Amazing. Amazing how fast the year goes by, but it's good to be here, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah. Shaykh, man, like I was reflecting, I'm going to tell you, but I have you in my phone still with Baltimore. Oh, man, we got to switch that out, yo. Shaykh Mikail, Baltimore. I'll have to change it. The DMV going to love that one, bro.

**[1:26]** I'm Dallas through and through now, bro. You officially adopted Dallas. Yeah, I mean, we could do that some other night. The DMV, like, khalas, Baltimore. They're good peoples. I love them. MashaAllah, donate to heavy DFW, y'all. Heavy, we love y'all, alhamdulillah.

**[1:41]** But Dallas is just different, man, alhamdulillah. But the believer is wherever Allah wants us to be. We're just doing the work, man. Sahaba moved. How much did they love Medina? But then when it was time, they had to go, you know. Okay, there you go.

**[1:56]** That's a good way to save yourself. So, you know, they had to leave Medina. You got it, Shaykh. You got it. Shaykh, why do you speak Urdu, man? How is your Urdu so good? I have to say, your Urdu is better than Mufti Abdur Rahman Waheed.

**[2:13]** In my assessment. No, no, no way. In my assessment. Yes, I'm involuntary. They're next level. They're next level. They're next level. And anyone who actually knows Urdu very well will know, my sentence was really like fabish. Oh, okay. Fabish. Oh, fabish.

**[2:28]** You know, fabish. You know what I mean? Is that a bad word? Is that okay to say? No, it's okay. Okay. We can run that back. It's accepted in the mustalahat, you know. Shaykh Mikail, on a serious note. Yes, yes. MashaAllah, you teach the names of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. My family has benefited tremendously from it, alhamdulillah.

**[2:43]** But I mean, may Allah bless you. What's your favorite name of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala? Oh, a name that has changed me drastically in the last, like, month is Ash-Shakur. Ash-Shakur. And the reason is because I think a lot of us put so much pressure to do and produce

**[3:03]** and to, like, reach high standards that have been set maybe because of our childhood or whatever. Like, I got to get this done. I got to do that. I got to do that. But the name Shakur, it does two things. It reminds you that it's the little bit that you do that Allah loves.

**[3:18]** It's the little bit that you do that Allah loves. And then it shifts your mind from focusing on needing it from the people and only wanting it from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Now, there's a whole lecture to give on we need to become man lam yashkurin-nasa lam yashkurillah

**[3:34]** Like, that's there. But for me, man, I felt like so many parts of my life, I was seeking approval and appreciation from the creation. And it's not just he appreciates. When the scholars define it, they say he appreciates the little bit.

**[3:52]** And to me, man, I think so many of us from childhood were told, you know, you got to get good grades. You got to do this. And so the levels of where we got to get to are high. And we live with that burden on our shoulders.

**[4:07]** And so that name Shakur, for me, has whenever I feel stressed to produce and do. Now, don't get me wrong. We have to grind it. But sometimes it's stressful. And that's where I just Shakur. May Allah bless you.

**[4:23]** JazakAllah khair. Beautiful, beautiful reflections. Shakur. Allahu Akbar. Alhamdulillah. With that, I know we're going to have a rich discussion insha'Allah. So I actually want to purposefully not take too long at all with the overview. But how is Allah azza wa jalla talking about himself in this juz in particular?

**[4:39]** Something really interesting, you know, and you go from one of the sequences. I'm sure I've mentioned this in the past, but I absolutely love it. It's one of the ulema had mentioned that you have first Al-Ahqaf, which is the warning, right? And then you have Surat Muhammad, right?

**[4:56]** Which is Surat Al-Qital. And then you have Surah Al-Fath, right? The victory. And so as the scholars mentioned, the call is always followed by the fight. The fight is always followed by victory. That even in the way that those surahs are laid out is absolute beauty.

**[5:11]** But Allah azza wa jalla mentions here, wa in tatawallaw yastabdil qawman ghayrakum famala yakunu amthalakum That if you turn away, Allah will replace you with another group of people and they will not be like you. Wallahu al-ghaniyyu wa antumul-fuqara'

**[5:26]** Right? Allah azza wa jalla is free of need and you are entirely needy, right? So even though Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is giving us the opportunity and saying like, look, you either take it or leave it. But Allah will replace you with another group of people if you don't take it.

**[5:44]** And whether it is you or them, Allah azza wa jalla is al-ghaniyyu wa antumul-fuqara' Allah azza wa jalla is the one who is free of need and you are the one who is entirely needy. So it is really interesting here that you have that warning of istibdal.

**[5:59]** May Allah not replace us. Istibdal is to be replaced. Allahumma ista'milna wala tastabdilna Oh Allah, use us and don't replace us. Allahumma ameen If you don't do your job, Allah azza wa jalla will find other people to do the job. And subhanAllah you find in the next surah

**[6:14]** huwal-ladhi anzala as-sakina fi qulubil-mu'minina li yazdadu imanan ma'a imanihim wa lillahi junudus-samawati wal-ard wa kanallahu aliman hakima that he is the one who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the believers so that they may increase in faith upon their faith

**[6:29]** and to Allah azza wa jalla belongs the heavens and the earth and Allah is all-knowing and all-wise. So Allah azza wa jalla mentions how he prepares your hearts for the mission should you go forward. You know subhanAllah relating to this concept of Ash-Shakur that if you show that you are up to it, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will make you up to it.

**[6:47]** Allah azza wa jalla will bring you to the level that you need to be to meet the task. Because otherwise carrying this amanah of the religion is way too heavy. We are all going to fail. But if you are sincere Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will bring you to the place that you need to be with success.

**[7:02]** Now here is the last verse that I will mention here. Surah Al-Fath. Bay'atur-ridwan. The pledge under the tree. This is istibdal in action. How? You know there are these major markers in the seerah.

**[7:19]** There is as-sabiqun al-awwalun from muhajirin. Those that first embraced Islam with the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. Then you have ashab al-hijrah. Those that made the hijrah to Abyssinia. Then you have those that made the hijrah to Medina. Then you have ashab al-hijratayn. Those that made both hijrahs.

**[7:35]** Then you have the Badriyyun who are the highest caliber of the companions. Then you have the Uhud group that stayed with the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. Thabatu ma'an-nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam The last major marker is bay'atur-ridwan. It is the pledge under the tree.

**[7:51]** After that, la hijrata ba'dal-fath. There is no hijrah after the Fath. Obviously, kullun wa'adallahul-husna. Allah azza wa jalla grants everyone their customized rank and reward. But as a group, those that embraced Islam after fath Makkah.

**[8:06]** La yastawī minkum man anfaqa min qablil-fathi wa qatal. So they are not the same. Those that came after as a quality of people in terms of overall caliber. So this is istibdal in action. Truly, Allah chose Salman al-Farisi radiyallahu anhu

**[8:24]** to come from Persia to be in your place, O Quraysh, because you failed. Allah chose Suhayb ar-Rumi. Allah chose Bilal ibn Rabah. Allah chose the Ansar of Medina because you failed him in Mecca. Then Allah brought him sallallahu alayhi wasallam and his companions

**[8:39]** to the place that he promised to bring them, which was the victory. Innal-ladhina yubayi'unaka innama yubayi'unallaha yadullahi fawqa aydeehim Verily, those that give you the pledge, verily they are pledging to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

**[8:57]** And yadullahi, the hand of Allah is above their hands. So they are coming to Allah azza wa jalla. The victory sometimes is found in the sakinah that Allah gives to the believers in their hearts. And then the one who commands the armies also commands the hearts

**[9:14]** and Allah azza wa jalla commands the outcomes as well. So this is sunnatul-istibdal. Allah chose another group of people because the people of Mecca, those that rejected, were not up to the call, were not up to the challenge. And Allah did not need any of them throughout this entire process. But Allah wanted to choose some of them in this process.

**[9:31]** As in our time, of course, he's chosen the people of Gaza. He's chosen some of those people that have stood up when other people have turned on their heels. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala protect us from being amongst those. Allahumma ameen. So I want to open that up first and foremost to discussion.

**[9:47]** Shaykh Abdullah, Shaykh Mikail, any observations, insha'Allah, then we'll get into the specific ayah for discussion. No, I mean, yes, subhanAllah. I mean, again, you know, when looking at how Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala chooses people, you can never domesticate the power of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala,

**[10:05]** never domesticate. Sometimes we may think that the capabilities of Allah is within our minds. Therefore, we have expectations of Allah, even though sometimes, you know, it's personal, insha'Allah, it's good thoughts about Allah, but we will never cease to be amazed by what Allah chooses to do.

**[10:21]** And I think that's a beautiful opportunity for the believer to realize, I don't have it all figured out and I will never have it all figured out. But the fact that I make an effort to trust in the one that does have it all figured out is the process of ibadah, that's servitude in and of itself.

**[10:36]** And, you know, subhanAllah, I love being surprised and saying subhanAllah and saying mashaAllah. It always reminds me that Allah is in full control of all of this. And Allah is the one that tells us consistently that he will replace the people. So again, history is a huge opportunity for the individual in general to remember God,

**[10:55]** but for the Muslim in particular, to increase their iman with the names and attributes that they know of God. So when you see what is happening throughout history, when you see what has happened to the people of Gaza and the Sudan and nations before, it's always a reminder for us. It's a huge opportunity for us.

**[11:10]** It can be a fitnah for us at times, but the fitnah is there to mold you as fitness, you know, something that you put iron in under heat. And then after it's cooled down, how have you been molded mentally, psychologically, spiritually? So when we see what is happening to peoples and nations,

**[11:25]** know that it's within the qadr of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. That knowledge may be hard to grasp at times, but the heat, quote unquote, being that it's hard, that it's a struggle, does that cause an emotion, elicit an emotion to make you more vulnerable to him,

**[11:40]** to where you call on him and further understand the relationship between you and Allah, number one, and then understand the sunnatullah fil-kawn, and to understand Allah's methodology in the existence, in time and in place and with people and what happens and how it happens and,

**[11:56]** you know, things that we don't want to happen, obviously, what do we learn from that? And the time that you can really learn from that is when you are alone with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So thinking about, you know, how Allah replaces people with people, how you mentioned Salman al-Farisi,

**[12:12]** you know, these companions that were not particularly Arab, but Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala chose them to be vanguards, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala chose them to be the one that came with the adhan, originated the adhan that we all call on now, subhanAllah. It's a beautiful way in sunnatullah, it's the way that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has chosen for us,

**[12:29]** but it's important for us to always reflect on that and to think of how Allah's names is manifested in that particular situation, in that person, in that era, in that time. Beautiful, beautiful. You know, you said sunnatullah, right?

**[12:44]** And the first thing that came to my mind in this juz is, as Shaykh was mentioning the verses about laqad radiyallahu anil-mu'minina idh yubayi'unaka tahtash-shajarah Like, this moment was crazy because,

**[13:00]** like, in life we have our expectations, but the believer has to be like that blade of grass that blows with the wind. It just goes with the wind. When the wind blows, it bends. There's a hadith about that. But the idea here is they set out and they thought,

**[13:16]** we're going for this. This is where we're going. This is it. But they were ready to pivot when the time came to pivot. And to me, that's so profound. And in that moment, with no weapons, with flip-flops on and their ihram on,

**[13:32]** the Prophet ﷺ, he says, it's time. They killed Uthman. They martyred the most innocent and gentle of people. It's time, y'all. And in that moment, they didn't blink. Like, they didn't blink, man. Like, and they said, let's go.

**[13:49]** And immediately Allah fa'anzalas-sakinah Immediately Allah says, then the sakinah came down. And so for me, there's these moments, these quintessential moments in history where you prove in your life, where you prove and can gain that radiyallahu anhu.

**[14:06]** And so that's the first thing that comes in my mind is that moment of bay'ah ar-ridwan and how they proved themselves in that moment. And they had nothing in their hands to fight with. But their heart had firm conviction in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

**[14:25]** The second thing that I wanted to reflect on was what you shared, Shaykh, which was wa in tatawallaw yastabdil qawman ghayrakum thumma la yakoonu amthalakum that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala

**[14:40]** wants us to see this deen and the struggles of the deen as an opportunity. Like the verbiage is like get in where you fit in or you'll miss the opportunity. Right? Like you need to see this not as something to run from,

**[14:56]** but something as a great opportunity for you. And I want our listeners to think in life right now, we're all going through something tough right now. But maybe you need to reframe that. Maybe you need to reframe that and see that this is that moment where you can gain God's pleasure. wa in tatawallaw

**[15:12]** Now, if you don't take this opportunity, Allah says yastabdil qawman ghayrakum Like there's somebody else in line that will take this opportunity waiting. And He just wants you like subhanAllah with our kids sometimes,

**[15:28]** you probably did this. Sometimes your kid will be acting up like they don't want something. And then you offer it to the other kid. You offer it to the other kid and they'll be like, yeah, yeah, yeah, I want it. And it wasn't until you saw other people's desire for it that you wanted it.

**[15:43]** That's our human nature sometimes. And so Allah is tapping into us like, Oh, you don't want this, deen? And hopefully the child in us will go, yeah, I want it. Give it to me. And then the end part to me is, because once you get the motivation to do the work of the deen,

**[16:02]** Shaytan will come in and start making you feel like you're doing something. Like this deen needs me. This deen needs Wednesday Night Halaqah. Man, you don't need Wednesday Night Halaqah. This deen needs the next book you write. This deen needs the non-profit that you started. No.

**[16:20]** wallahu ghaniyyun wa antumul fuqara When Moses helped the daughters of Shu'ayb at the well, when he helped them, fa istasqa ilayhi he went back and sat down and he said, Ya Allah, I'm in need of every good.

**[16:36]** So it's just a mentality that after we work and do the work of deen, you have to, you have to say, Ya Allah, you don't need this, but I need every opportunity to do khayr and do good. Wallahu a'lam, man, this is just this beautiful Qur'an.

**[16:54]** I'll tell you what, subhanAllah, it's not lost on me. The irony is that we're talking about istibdal and there are people that are watching this all over the world and some of them maybe have been struggling with their deen and both of you embraced Islam, mashallah. So your parents came from Ghana, you embraced Islam here in Houston.

**[17:09]** You embraced Islam, alhamdulillah, I mean, so both of you coming from that and then went to study the deen and alhamdulillah, you become torchbearers of the way Allah accepted from you. I mean, Shaykh, honestly, bro, but like, I worry about my istibdal, man. Of course. I was like, I honestly, man, like, I worry about my istibdal

**[17:29]** and I know it was nothing I did to deserve this. Nothing. Not, there's no, I look at where I was in my life at the time, I was 18, just 20 something years ago and I was lost in darkness.

**[17:44]** But Allah is Kareem and Kareem is the one who gives to those who don't deserve and some of our listeners right now, they're listening and they're like, but I don't deserve, I don't deserve. I was talking to someone last night and they're like,

**[18:00]** and they said all of my du'as are being answered, but I don't deserve it. I was like, none of us deserve this. I said, sister, get in line. None of us deserve any of this. hatta ar-rasul The Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, lan yadkhula al-jannah bi 'amal aw kama qal

**[18:17]** No one will enter Jannah by 'amal. The Sahabah were sharp. They said, wa la anta ya Rasulullah Because it was, was it anybody's 'amal or is it just, you know what I mean, right? So he said, they said, wa la anta ya Rasulullah He said, wa la ana illa an yataghamadani Allahu birahma

**[18:32]** Allah, Allahu Akbar. He said, I can't even enter except who? The Sayyid ar-Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. He said, except if Allah doesn't just shower his mercy. So if we have people on the 26th, 9th of Ramadan saying,

**[18:49]** I can't make du'a, Shaykh. I don't deserve. I don't, don't none of us deserve it. Stop looking at yourself and look at him. la ilaha illa huwa Right, subhanAllah. That was a tough one. You don't have to, you don't have to apologize.

**[19:07]** Beautiful reflections. So coming back to a very particular part of the surah. Now, you mentioned the sahabah were ready to go. So you have, you know, you'll see, you'll read in the biographies. You want to do the first, you know, ashab al-badr or ashab al-badr. Or, kana min ashab ash-shajarah.

**[19:24]** This was one of the people of the tree or one of the people of Badr. These are very special people, right? They were willing to go always, when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam asked them to. But sometimes withholding is harder than going, right? They were ready to go, but then once they were told not to go, it was like, oh, wait, like this doesn't feel like victory.

**[19:39]** This doesn't feel like fath. And so they had to see the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam shave his head and sacrifice at the advice of Umm Salamah radi Allahu ta'ala anha. And then finally, like they begrudgingly, right? They do it because like, man, we got into a zone. Now we can't go.

**[19:55]** You know, now we have to turn back, right? And this doesn't feel like fath. This doesn't feel like victory. But victory comes in different ways. So the verse, huwa alladhi arsala rasoolahu bilhuda wa deeni al-haqqi liyudhirahu 'ala al-deeni kullihi wa kafa billahi shahida

**[20:11]** Right, he is the one who has sent his messenger with the right guidance and the religion of truth to prevail over all else. And sufficient is Allah as a witness. What I think about is, you know, when Uhud happens and Hamza radi Allahu ta'ala anhu was laying in the battlefield with his torso opened

**[20:30]** and Abdullah, the father of Jabir, Abdullah bin Haram radi Allahu ta'ala anhu has his nose cut off and like people are mutilated in the battlefield and Abu Sufyan is gloating from the battlefield. And at that moment, the answer is qatlana fil jannah wa qatlakum fil nar

**[20:47]** Our dead are in paradise. Your dead are in hellfire, right? Allahu mawlana wa la mawla lakum Allah is our protector. You have no protector. It doesn't look like victory. Yeah, and a lot of people felt that after, right? Or feel that with Gaza, right? It doesn't look like victory. This doesn't look like victory.

**[21:03]** This doesn't feel like victory, but there are different shades of victory. Yeah, and the way Allah talks about this ayah sounds almost identical to surah as-saf huwa alladhi arsala rasoolahu bilhuda wa deeni al-haqqi liyudhirahu 'ala al-deeni kullihi wa law kariha al-mushrikoon or wa law kariha al-kafiroon

**[21:19]** The first one, kafiroon, in any case. Yeah, the order, I'm mixing up the order. It'll be here in two days. It'll be here in two days. I'll think of it inshallah shortly, but the end here is different. So in surah as-saf, it's even if they don't like it.

**[21:35]** Okay. Yeah, here it's and Allah was witnessing it the whole time. So Shaykh Mikaeel, what is the hikmah, the wisdom here of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala being the witness to it all and what true victory actually is in this context? The name of Allah is shaheed, like used in this context.

**[21:52]** Yeah, wa kafa. I think it's the kafa is an important part. The word kafa means sufficient, enough. And I think the way the verse is structured. By the way, before you finish, yuriduna liyutfi'u nurallahi bi afwahihim wallahu mutimmu nurihi wa law kariha al-kafiroon

**[22:08]** wa law kariha al-mushrikoon There you go. Sorry. You got it. It was stuck. It was like, I got to get it. I got to get it. We have that type of relationship. We can cut each other off. It's all good. Alhamdulillah, man. So wa kafa. So I'm going to back up, actually. The very, the verse right before this,

**[22:25]** wa fathan qareeba Like it's the promise that the fath is coming. Like it's coming, but I can't see it. I can't see it. So there's that yaqeen. Don't forget to donate, inshallah. There's that yaqeen that's needed. That yaqeen, that certainty.

**[22:42]** But right after this fathan qareeba, this prophecy of a fath that will be soon followed. And sure enough, it came quick. Right after that, in the very next verse, is what Shaykh Omar is referring to. He is the one.

**[22:57]** It begins with huwa. Ya'ni Allah. Allah. So right when the fathan qareeba comes, is the place you need yaqeen. Who do you need yaqeen in? Huwa. Ya'ni huwa, Allah. Who's in charge?

**[23:14]** Who did all this? Who set all this up? Going back to 19 years, right? We're at bay'ah ar-ridwan. Go back 19 years. Who set all this up?

**[23:29]** Why did he send it back in Mecca? 18 years ago, 17 years ago. Right? Because we're at bay'ah ar-ridwan. I think what it's trying to remind us is where did this begin? Who's been in charge from day one?

**[23:44]** And never forget who's in charge. Never forget who's running the show. That's the first part. A lot of us struggling with our children. Man, who gave you? Who set up that marriage? Who? How did your wife conceive?

**[24:00]** How did? Like all of this was part of God's plan. Don't look at this moment as a like a like a break in the chain of events. No, this is part of God's plan. He's the one that sent the prophets.

**[24:16]** The prophet. His prophet. With this guidance. And he sent him with this deen of truth. This way of life that would distinguish between false and falsehood and truth.

**[24:32]** Why though? The lam, the lam here is like the reason why, the 'illah. The only reason he brought this. So that this deen could rise above all of the other ways of life.

**[24:48]** The people of Palestine have shown how to rise above everything and the world has seen it. The world has seen it. Clear as day. Ya'ni adhara shay is to make it apparent. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is saying

**[25:05]** we're going through hardships, but you have to understand that those hardships are to make it apparent. What is the right way? What is the top way? But look how it ends. When we're struggling, whenever our children are struggling,

**[25:23]** it's important that they see or know that we're watching them. They just want to know that you see what I'm going through. When our wives are struggling at home, whatever, or at work, you know, whatever. When a spouse is struggling,

**[25:40]** what they want most is to know that that struggle is seen. You know what I mean? Like, when the family of Al Yasir is on the sand, the Prophet doesn't just walk by. He stops by. sabran Al Yasir Like, I see you.

**[25:58]** I think this name shaheed of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is to let us be reminded that he is ever present over the oppression that is happening. He is ever watching every single element. Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, he says,

**[26:20]** Like, everything that is visible, everything that is heard, and everything that can be witnessed, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is saying, I'm aware of that. Why do I need to know that? This is my question. In your life, why do you need to know Allah is a shaheed? That's the question I have for you.

**[26:36]** The reason you need to know that is because you will for sure go through hard moments. That it will be unbearable. But the only thing that will get you through it is knowing that Allah is watching. But here's the thing. Sheikh, this is, I've been thinking about this, man. A lot of us, we've been told Allah is watching.

**[26:53]** But we always were told Allah is watching in a way that made us scared. Think about it. Allah is watching. Allah is watching. Ibn Hazm in his Tawq al-Hamamah, don't read the book ever, but in his book Tawq al-Hamamah, you know what he says? One of the signs of love is you can't take your eyes off of the beloved.

**[27:11]** Allah's not watching us because he wants to catch our mistakes. Allah's watching us the way a beloved watches their beloved sleep. Think about when Abdullah was a little baby, how you used to watch him sleep. Maybe now your love, Allah isn't watching to catch a slip.

**[27:28]** Allah is watching because he loves us. And he's saying I'm enough. He's basically saying like who cares who doesn't know. Imagine a child, a young man under rubble

**[27:44]** who feels that nobody sees me right now. Imagine a wife being abused by her husband who's thinking nobody sees me right now. Imagine a husband who's going through domestic abuse

**[27:59]** thinking who can I talk to nobody sees. The only thing that will get you through that moment is knowing وَكَفَىٰ بِاللَّهِ شَهِيدًا They don't know a Facebook post is gonna go out and I'm gonna go viral.

**[28:16]** Not everyone had the the privilege of going viral when they were murdered. They just die. And Allah says who cares if the world didn't see you. I see you.

**[28:31]** وَكَفَىٰ So here's my question for me, Mikael. Have I made enough? Have I made Allah enough? That's for me. Have I made Allah enough? He's saying I'm enough for you,

**[28:46]** but I gotta accept that. And I think a lot of us run through this dunya and when we get to 60, 70, then we realize. But right now I'm thinking in my heart and Allah is telling me, Mikael, I'm enough. You ain't gotta prove nothing to nobody, habibi.

**[29:03]** I'm enough as your witness. And so the Sahaba in this moment, they felt oppressed. They had just watched Abu Jandal dragged away. Like context is crazy here. For those who don't know it, when we signed the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah,

**[29:19]** there were Muslims in bondage that were being dragged back into bondage in front of us. They were screaming at the top of their lungs. Are you gonna let them drag us? We were watching them. Sah, sheikh?

**[29:35]** Sahi? And in that moment, Umar. Umar has a moment there. He goes up to Abu Jundal and one of the, he goes, don't worry. Their blood is light in the sight of God. He's trying to tell him like handle business if you need to. But in that moment,

**[29:52]** I think Allah wanted, I know Allah wanted us to know you're gonna have these hard moments and the only way you get through them is number one. Know who set this all up. Number two. And what's the reason?

**[30:11]** Sheikh Abdullah, I'm gonna have you close us off with a thought insha'Allah ta'ala on this. I mean, subhanAllah. I mean, just mentioning how you contextualize it and then always knowing that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is watching. I mean, that's very, very important. He's well aware. I mean, the shahadah

**[30:26]** and this is why subhanAllah, the individual that dies in the path of Allah, dies in an honorable way, dies defending themselves, defending their community, defending the word of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Allah is well aware of that shahadah. And some scholars say that it's a shahadah

**[30:42]** that the angels witness and the angels report that to Allah and Allah is al-'Aleem at the same time. But Allah chooses his process of how he wants that name to be actualized. What's most important for us is we as Muslims have certainty that Allah is well aware and we are watching

**[30:58]** and that is what can be sometimes the only thing that will get you through. As you mentioned, how many people still currently, I think, currently right now are under rubble, you know, right now and there are people that are not being heard, you know, and knowing that Allah is a shaheed, that process,

**[31:13]** that emotional vulnerability is what is needed to find sakinah and tranquility and knowing that name exists and that it is jadid and that it is always there. May Allah bless you all and accept us on this night of Laylatul Qadr.

**[31:30]** If it is Laylatul Qadr, ameen. BarakAllahu feekum. Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. you

## Other Episodes in "Qur’an 30 for 30 | Season 7"
- [Juz 30: Love Al-Razzaq More Than Rizq | Sh. Navaid Aziz](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-30.md)
- [Juz 29: Your Spiritual Report Card  | Dr. Nazir Khan](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-29.md)
- [Juz 28: How To Truly Be Conscious of Allah | Dr. Jinan Yousef](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-28.md)
- [Juz 27: The Night You Give Everything | Sh. Abu Bakr Zoud](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-27.md)
- [Juz 25: God Is Not A Mystery | Sh. Ibrahim Hindy](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-25.md)
- [Juz 24: Candid Conversations with Allah | Mufti Abdul Rahman Waheed](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-24.md)
- [Juz 23: Facing Your Trials With Honor | Dr. Farah Islam](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-23.md)
- [Juz 22: Appreciating Muhammad ﷺ | Sh. Omar Hajjaj](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-22.md)
- [Juz 21: Allah Is The Author of History | Sr. Sarah Sultan](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-21.md)
- [Juz 20: Allah’s Loud and Silent Revelations | Sh. Hisham Abu Yusuf](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-20.md)
- [Juz 19: What Makes You Valuable to Allah? | Ust. Roohi Tahir](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-19.md)
- [Juz 18: The Qur’an Is A Cure | Dr. Tesneem Alkiek](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-18.md)
- [Juz 17: When Allah Chooses You, How Will You Respond? | Sh. Yousef Wahb](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-17.md)
- [Juz 16: Can You Be Patient With Allah? | Ust. Lobna Mulla](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-16.md)
- [Juz 15: Join the Heavens in Glorifying Allah | Sh. Mohamud Mohamed](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-15.md)
- [Juz 14: The Surah of Blessings | Ust. Taimiyyah Zubair](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-14.md)
- [Juz 13: What Is 1% of Allah’s Mercy? | Dr. Mohamed AbuTaleb](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-13.md)
- [Juz 12: Allah Is Not Far | Sh. Omar Hedroug](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-12.md)
- [Juz 11: Stop Playing Games | Dr. Ovamir Anjum](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-11.md)
- [Juz 10: When Allah Goes To War For You | Dr. Suleiman Hani](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-10.md)
- [Juz 9: How To Memorize Allah’s Names | Dr. Haifaa Younis](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-9.md)
- [Juz 8: Whose Validation Do You Need? | Sh. Shabbir Hassan](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-8.md)
- [Juz 7: They Know Al-Lateef in Gaza | Dr. Farhan Abdul Azeez](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-7.md)
- [Juz 6: Signs of A Hypocrite | Sh. Asim Khan](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-6.md)
- [Juz 5: You Can’t Fight Fire with Fire | Ust. Fatima Lette](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-5.md)
- [Juz 4: The Final Moments of This Life | Ahmad Hraichie ( The Muslim Undertaker)](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-4.md)
- [Juz 3: How The Qur’an Makes You Rich | Dr. Tahir Wyatt](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-3.md)
- [Juz 2: The Lord of Rituals | Mufti Menk](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-2.md)
- [Juz 1: Allah’s Names in the Qur’an | Sh. Mohammad Elshinawy](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-juz-1-mohammad-elshinawy.md)
- [TRAILER | Qur’an 30 for 30 Season 7 | Dr. Omar Suleiman and Sh. Abdullah Oduro](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/quran-30-for-30-season-7/quran-30-for-30-season-7-trailer.md)