# Ep: 30 Always Put Yourself First | Road to Return **Author:** Yahya Ibrahim **Series:** Road to Return | How to Come Back from Sin **Published:** 2021-08-26 **YouTube:** https://youtu.be/xUKCMCFuU_A **URL:** https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-30-always-put-yourself-first-road-to-return **Topics:** Acts of Worship, Sharia ## Description It’s very easy to slip into self-centeredness and make our personal problems the most important things in our lives. But Islam teaches us that we should flip our priorities around and make service to others more important than ourselves. In doing so, we avoid the transgression of arrogance. ## Transcript **[0:00]** It's all about me, me, myself and I. Arrogance, pride, self-centeredness, putting yourself before everybody else in everything, all the time, whether they're family or friends or acquaintances or workmates, having a self-centered approach **[0:16]** where you are the center of the world, center of everyone's universe, as you assume is one of the transgressions against the way Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la intended for us to live our life and the sunnah of our Nabi Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. **[0:43]** Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that you shouldn't value yourself and that you should put yourself in the service of others before you have assured for yourself what's good. Allah tells you in the Qur'an, Ya ayyuhal ladheena amanu qoo anfusakum wa ahlikum naara O ye who believe, save yourself first **[1:00]** and then your family and your loved ones and others. And you can't help someone, faqadu shay'i la yu'ti The one who has nothing can give nothing. But that doesn't mean that I will prioritize myself, prioritize my safety, prioritize my comfort, **[1:15]** prioritize my entertainment at the expense of others that other people find resentful in my attitude and in my way of life. All about me is a false transgression against Allah, against the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad **[1:31]** Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam counters that. He says, khayrukum anfakum linnaas The best of you is the one who is most benefiting to other people in society. The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said, ma damal abdu fee awni akhihi, kan Allahu fee awni **[1:48]** As long as a person is in the service of their fellow man, Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la will be in the assistance of that person who is serving others. Always look at adding value to your life, barakah to your life, blessing into your life by assisting others. **[2:05]** And the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said, nobody assists a believer with one of the pains that they're suffering in this worldly life, except Allah will alleviate one of their pains in this life or in the next life. The best way for you to invest in your future, to invest in your own self-preservation, self-protection **[2:23]** is to protect the weak, to assist the needy, to not have a proud, boastful presence, to not be arrogant and hold yourself at a higher level than others. May Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la not allow us to look at the world as being all about me **[2:39]** and it's me, myself and I, rather it should be about us along with other people. And that is the very basis of the reason we give sadaqa and zakah from the hard earned earnings that we have saved. May Allah open your heart to the service of others **[2:55]** so that we can be followers of our Nabi Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. ## 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 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. 25: Does God Really Care? | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-25-does-god-really-care-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)