# Ep. 25: Does God Really Care? | Road to Return **Author:** Yahya Ibrahim **Series:** Road to Return | How to Come Back from Sin **Published:** 2021-08-22 **YouTube:** https://youtu.be/2a_BqeVNEiI **URL:** https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-25-does-god-really-care-road-to-return **Topics:** Acts of Worship, Sharia ## Description Is it really a big deal if I eat with my left hand or if I don’t put my right shoe on first? It’s not about the habit, but about the mindset. We should ask ourselves: are we doing everything we can to fulfill the Sunnah and be the best of believers? ## Transcript **[0:00]** Does Allah really care? SubhanAllah. I remember one of my students asked me that question. He said, Sheikh, does Allah really care if I eat with my left hand with all the things that's happening in the world? Does Allah really care about it? Allah cares which hand I use to eat? Allah doesn't care about which hand you chose to eat. **[0:33]** Allah cares about whether you followed the way of the Prophet or not, salallahu alayhi wasalam. Whether you knew that the Prophet had given an instruction and you followed his instruction or not. Did you know the Prophet said to eat with the right and asked us to eat with the right? **[0:50]** And at the time you came to eat, you chose intentionally to go against what he said? Or was it just something that you had forgotten? Allah does care about you following the Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam for he is the one who told us in the Quran, wa ma aataakumu arrasool fa khudhoo **[1:09]** What the messenger gave to you, take it. wa ma nahaakum AAanhu fantahu What he prohibited from you, stay away from it. That is something that is central. Yes, Allah does care. Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala gives you a greater reward when you follow the simple common sunnah of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. **[1:30]** So when you come to get dressed and you put your right arm in the right sleeve before the left and you did it, not because you're right-handed, but because you know it's the sunnah, then you are rewarded for it. If you enter the masjid with your right foot before your left and you do it because you know it's the sunnah **[1:49]** taught by the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, you are rewarded for it. If you use the habits of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam in your day to day life, there is a reward. There's also no punishment for the one who doesn't do it absentmindedly. **[2:04]** There is held accountable for the one who does it intentionally against the order of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. And that's how we understand that hadith. When the Prophet saw a man eating with his left, he said, kul bi yameenik And the man is able to eat with his right. **[2:21]** The man says, no, I'm going to keep eating with my left. He disregarded, disobeyed, belittled the attitude and the tradition of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. So the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, seeing this, Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la caused that man's left arm to become paralyzed. **[2:39]** That's an authentic sunnah of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. So I want you to know, it's not about which arm do you eat with. It's about, do you obey Allah? Do you obey his messenger, Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam? It's about the mindset that Allah cares to see in the believer, **[2:55]** not necessarily the simple habits and actions that we perform in fulfilling our lifestyle of Islam, of submission to Allah. Do not ever transgress against Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la by assuming Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la doesn't care about simple things. **[3:16]** It's about how you view it. What is the reason it was ordered and instructed? And what is your intention in disobeying Allah and the messenger Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam at that time? ## Other Episodes in "Road to Return | How to Come Back from Sin" - [Ep. 40: Fake News | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-40-fake-news-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 39: It's Just a Joke | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-39-its-just-a-joke-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 38: Friday Prayer Is Not Practical | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-38-friday-prayer-is-not-practical-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 37: What Happens Online Stays Online | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-37-what-happens-online-stays-online-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 36: I'm Not A Racist, But... | Road To Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-36-im-not-a-racist-but-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 35: I Will Never Forgive Them | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-35-i-will-never-forgive-them-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 34: Isn't Zakat Like Sadaqah? | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-34-isnt-zakat-like-sadaqah-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 33: The Most Important Thing is Love | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-33-the-most-important-thing-is-love-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 32: Everyone is Doing It | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-32-everyone-is-doing-it-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 31: It’s Just a Video | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-31-its-just-a-video-road-to-return.md) - [Ep: 30 Always Put Yourself First | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-30-always-put-yourself-first-road-to-return.md) - [Ep 29: Marijuana is Not a Drug | Road To Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-29-marijuana-is-not-a-drug-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 28: God Knows my Intention | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-28-god-knows-my-intention-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 27: I Do Pray...Just Not Often | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-27-i-do-pray-just-not-often-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 26: Did You Hear? | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-26-did-you-hear-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 24: Just say Bismillah | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-24-just-say-bismillah-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 23: Parents Just Don't Understand | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-23-parents-just-dont-understand-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 22: Why Do They Have It So Easy? | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-22-why-do-they-have-it-so-easy-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 21: Going Against The Flow | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-21-going-against-the-flow-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 20: Hoping For The Best Without Doing Your Best | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-20-hoping-for-the-best-without-doing-your-best-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 19: Good Intentions With Wrong Actions | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-19-good-intentions-with-wrong-actions-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 18: Good Actions With The Wrong Intention | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-18-good-actions-with-the-wrong-intention-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 17: Letting The Qur'an Slip | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-17-letting-the-quran-slip-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 16: Resisting the Teachings of Muhammad ﷺ | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-16-resisting-the-teachings-of-muhammad-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 15: Deprioritizing God | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-15-deprioritizing-god-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 14: Resistance & Resilience | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-14-resistance-resilience-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 13: Shaytan's 6-Step Plan | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-13-shaytans-6-step-plan-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 12: No Good Without Evil | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/no-good-without-evil-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 11: Mastering Self-Control | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-11-mastering-self-control-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 10: The World And Its Splendor | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-10-the-world-and-its-splendor-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 9: An Enemy Within | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-9-an-enemy-within-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 8: Your Inner Voice | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-8-your-inner-voice-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 7: Four Dangers: Causes of Sin | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-7-four-dangers-causes-of-sin-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 6: Different Types of Sin | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-6-different-types-of-sin-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 5: Are All Sins Equal? | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-5-are-all-sins-equal-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 4: What Are Sins? | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-4-what-are-sins-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 3: Content with God | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-3-content-with-god-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 2: Finding Peace | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-2-finding-peace-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 1: Submitting to God | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-1-submitting-to-god-road-to-return.md) - [Trailer: Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/road-to-return-trailer.md)