Lecture - Lessons from the Pre Hijrah Era within Makkah | Mufti Menk

0:00Work moves fast. Every email, report, and proposal counts. That's where Grammarly comes in. It's your one place to think, write, and finish. Grammarly's AI agents help you find natural phrasing, fine-tuned tone, and confidently write wherever you work. It's the premier writing tool that 93% of users trust to get more work done. In a world of generic AI, don't sound like everyone else. With Grammarly, you never will. Download Grammarly for free at Grammarly.com. Hi, this is Alex Cantrowicz. I'm the host of Big Technology podcast, a long-time reporter and an on-air contributor to CNBC. And if you're like me, you're trying to figure out how artificial intelligence is changing the business world and our lives. So each week on Big Technology, I bring on key actors from companies building AI tech and outsiders trying to influence it, asking where this is all going. They come from places like Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, and plenty more. So if you want to be smart with your wallet, your career choices, and meetings with your colleagues and at dinner parties,

1:01listen to Big Technology podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Protect the cura, the one in whose hands lies, control of every aspect of existence, and everything in existence. We send blessings and salutations upon all the messages that were sent from the beginning, the messenger Muhammad peace be upon him, his companions, and all those who struggled and strove over the centuries in a way that the goodness has come to us. May the Almighty bless them and bless every one of us, and grant every one of us goodness.

2:06My beloved brothers and sisters, if we were to look at the time when the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him had received revelation from the Almighty, we would come to realize that he was already chosen by Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala and he was so concerned about the well-being of this community of his that we've just heard moments ago were involved in some of the worst crimes, the most ugly scenarios that one would have seen were those from Makkah to Makarama in a period known as the period of ignorance. And so he was an honorable man known as Assadical Amin, the most truthful, the most honest. How many of us are known as honest trustworthy and truthful?

3:06That's a question I always ask myself. If I want to be a follower of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, learn more about his Syrah and the Syrah here refers to his entire life. I need to ask myself, what have I learned from this? It's not good enough to just have the facts of history. Many of us would know a lot about the history but we've never thought about putting it into our lives or we've never thought about where we fit in. So if he was known as honest trustworthy, believe me, today we have a difficulty with being honest and trustworthy. Our own spouses no longer trust us. Why? Because we have a problem. Our family members don't trust us. Our communities don't trust us. When you see a Muslim businessman, people tell you be careful. It should not be the case. The Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him prior to Prophethood was already known as the trustworthy. It was something that the Almighty had kept so that the day he came to

4:13declare that none was to be worshipped besides the Maker alone, they would not be able to accuse him of being a liar. He was never known as a liar. If he did not lie, if he did not lie about money matters and materialistic items of this world, why would he lie about that from the heavens? So one day as he was sitting and meditating, introspecting, thinking of what was going on, thinking of how solutions could be made possible for these people of Makkah who were his own people, Kuraish etc. Something happened. Something huge happened. It was not the first time he went up into the mount, into the cave of Herah. He had been there many times and he used to worry and have a concern about the evil that was taking place. I pause again how many of us are concerned about the evil that is taking place or are we a part of that evil? That's a good question.

5:17Sometimes we are part of the problem. We need to ask ourselves here is a man the best of creation, the most noble of all messengers of the Almighty and even prior to Prophethood he was already concerned about the solutions to the problems that were being faced by the people. I think it should encourage myself and yourselves to think about solutions to problems that people are facing. No matter what those problems are, you need to introspect, you need to think, you need to discuss, you need to talk, you need to have a set of friends who are brilliant people because Muhammad peace be upon him had beautiful friends even prior to Prophethood. He had people like Abu Bakr As-Sidikh, who was also known as a person who never, ever indulged in that which was intoxicating and that's just one example. He was also truthful. He was also an upright business person. He was young Subhanallah. How many of us would be proud of the type of people we mix with,

6:17we interact with. Sometimes we interact with people simply because they're wealthy but they have nothing besides the wealth. Sometimes we interact with people simply because they're good looking. They have nothing besides looks. We need to ask ourselves when the Almighty's blessed us would we be the best of friends for others? And I know some people ask me sometimes they say, well you know what, I don't know if I'm in good company, if I'm in bad company or if they're in good company. Say for example, I'm trying to lead a good life, I'm trying to be honest, I'm trying to be trustworthy and honesty begins with honesty towards your makeup by worshipping him alone. And then people say, well all these others who want to be my friends, sometimes they may have qualities habits that are not that grand. So am I in bad company or are they in good company? Simple answer is you have to look at who is impacting upon whom. If their bad qualities are being eradicated bit by bit, then they are in good company. And if your good qualities and good habits

7:19are being eradicated bit by bit, then you're in bad company as simple as that. The Prophet Muhammad Peace be upon him had such a powerful impact upon people that when he did some work for a lady, for a woman known as Khadija Binti Khawayli, the radiallahu anha, at that time she was not a Muslim, Islam had not yet come about that region and she was so impressed by his honesty, by his uprightness, by his skills of business. Subhanallah, imagine being employed by a woman, MashaAllah Tabarakullah, I think when people look at us as muslims and some strict Muslims don't even realise that the Prophet Muhammad Peace be upon him himself was actually working for a female at a certain stage. Subhanallah, it's got to do with how you deal with the opposite sex. It needs to be respectful, it needs to be polite, it needs to be good, it needs to be based on that which is upright and that's exactly what it was. So she decided to do something very, very unique.

8:28What was it? According to the bulk of narrations she was 40 years old at the time and he was just 25. Imagine 15 years younger than her and she tried something. What was it? She sent out a what we would term proposal somehow that she wanted to marry this man. Wow, people say Allah forgive us. People say Muhammad Peace be upon him was a womanizer. I will prove to you within the next two days that that is the furthest from the truth. Here he is 25 years old at the peak of his youth basically just out of his teens into the 20s and there is a woman 40 years old and she is saying I'd like to marry this man. Thought about it and guess what? He agreed. He agreed. He married her. She was the only spouse he had until she passed away. Subhanallah.

9:29Now I want to take you right up to the Prophethood itself when he was seated in this cave and each one of us should be introspecting our own condition. Every day you need to have spent the day better than the previous day in every aspect of spending the day, better than the previous day and every day you need to think about how tomorrow can be better than that particular day. Then you're a true believer but if your days are equal you can do much better. You can do much more to improve yourself. In the same way when we have a business or when we have a salary we would not like to see that salary remain the same. We want to see an improvement. We don't want to see our business go down or be the same. We want to see it go up. We should also want to see our relationship with our maker improve and not go backwards. So the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him as he is in this cave. Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala sends the Archangel, Jibril, Gabriel may peace be on him.

10:35Jibril alaihi s-salam comes to the Prophet peace be upon him and instructs him with an instruction. Iqara. Now it was the plan of the Almighty that the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him was unleaded. Unleaded meaning he didn't recognize the letters. He didn't read or write. That doesn't mean he was not educated. He was the most highly educated. Didn't I tell you moments ago that he was a successful businessman, one of the best SubhanAllah. Today people will probably study for 30, 40 years and keep on studying and still they might not have even the slightest of understanding in certain topics but the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. He had knowledge of absolutely everything. After Nubua everything was given to him by Allah after Prophethood. Prior to Prophethood Allah had blessed him in so many ways. Here he is. Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam listening

11:41to this angel that had come to him saying Iqara read and he says ma anabikari. Ma anabikari he was not proud to admit that I am not a qari. I am not a reader. So the revelation comes again read and he says it for the second time I am not a reader. Where is the setting? It is in Makkah, the cave of Hera, the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam is receiving the first of revelation. He is told to read twice and twice he replies I am not a reader. The third time he is told to read and the verses are revealed and these verses are so powerful. Jibril alaihi sallam actually embraces him so tight that he felt that he was being choked. Iqara bis mirabbikalladi khaylaqah khaylaqah al insanamin alaqah

12:43read in the name of your Lord who has created. I want to pause there for a moment before I continue about Prophethood. My brothers, my sisters, nothing is impossible for the Almighty. In the name of your Lord, everything is possible. Don't underestimate the power of your Makkah, no matter what you are going through in life, no matter what you would like to achieve, seek the help of your Makkah, in the name of your Lord and at the same time the capacity that that Makkah has given you, you tell us it to try to achieve what you want. I promise you the Almighty will open your doors if it is written for you. Don't give up hope in the mercy of the Almighty. Here is a man being honest saying I am not a reader and the Almighty is telling him through revelation by the name of your Lord. If you take the name of your Lord you will go beyond the readers, those who read. What is there in reading and writing if you have not benefited from it? What is there in being

13:49computer literate if you are only using it for pornography and if you are only using it for harm, for robbery, for cheating, for deceiving, for stealing, etc. For spying. What was the point of becoming computer literate? I'd rather be one who does not know much but who is honest, trustworthy, developed character, conduct, I might have learned through different means. Gaspin Horror as the show spirals completely out of control. It's not just news, it's emotionally unstable. Lunatic in the newsroom. Listen today. Hi this is Alex Cantrowitz. I'm the host of Big Technology podcast, a long time reporter and an on-air contributor to CNBC. And if you're like me

14:50you're trying to figure out how artificial intelligence is changing the business world and our lives. So each week on Big Technology I bring on key actors from companies building AI tech and outsiders trying to influence it. Asking where this is all going they come from places like Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon and plenty more. So if you want to be smart with your wallet, your career choices and meetings with your colleagues and at dinner parties. Listen to Big Technology podcast wherever you get your podcasts. The same would apply to our mobile gadgets many of us are interested in the latest Subhanallah. We're interested in that which is such that if we had something today and tomorrow morning the same company came up with one notch higher our hearts would sink Subhanallah. I know of people who have the absolute latest and they even show it to you. Here's the latest. Moments later when there is one notch higher they are depressed. Depressed to the degree that you know what I need that one. Fair enough you want the latest but

15:54have you benefited from it. What do you do with your gadgets? What do you do with what Allah's blessed you with? I wouldn't mind the older people who don't even know how to use a phone but there is such a pleasure to speak with. How many of us speak to our family members and we can put our phones aside. Look at the lessons we are drawing and the reason why we have to do this is technology has advanced and in the same way they might have gone through something in their times they did not compromise what was right. They didn't. They made sure that they did it. I want to encourage all my brothers and sisters whether you're a child, a father, a mother, a spouse, whoever you are, however you fit into your family put aside your devices when it comes to the meals prohibit them on the table get together and eat at least once a day together as a family it is more valuable than you can imagine. You have a family that family was

16:58blessed or you were blessed by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala by being given them ask those who don't have that and yet whole day we're on our phones we come to the table we're eating one hand the phone the other hand I've seen young people mastering the art of operating a mobile device with one hand Subhanallah one hand and the thumb is moving like you don't even know even without looking at it they're typing they're doing things MashAllah TabarakAllah it's about time we put limits and we knew where and when to use that phone and how much to operate it so the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him is given revelation and like I said he's being honest it's not easy to say I know nothing about this phone today when we're in the age of technology and you know these mobile devices are becoming so sophisticated that I was told recently that a time will come when the

18:01radiological departments of a lot of hospitals will be redundant because you'd be able to do your scans and everything else with your mobile device imagine the scan you put it onto your your belly and a little while later you can tell oh wow it's a boy can you see Subhanallah wow I'm not trying to undermine those who are radiologists but I'm telling you what the reality is Subhanallah life has changed you remember something called post offices before we used to write letters now it's called snail mail and you know what if they didn't update they became redundant completely they had to start doing different things so here is the Prophet peace be upon him he's just achieved revelation and the first words came down the first verses came down and he was at the top of the mount and at the same time because of him being hugged so tight embrace so to speak he rushed down that mountain where did he go he wanted to

19:01relate this most important event in his life to someone he wanted to relate it to someone who do I go to think about it every one of us here if you had something extremely important that just happened to you who would you relate it to who would be the first person you thought of where would you go many of us we would not go to our spouses they would be the last people to know the world has changed right and if we did go to our spouses they'd probably say deserve it yeah you know didn't they scare you to death or something that's what we would say Subhanallah that's how we have actually degraded ourselves whereas if we were true followers of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him we would learn something from the fact that as he ran down the first person he embraced was this wife of his 15 years older senior he had all his children from her

20:03besides one all of them were from her Subhanallah and he comes down he says Zammiluni Zammiluni give me that hug I need a tight hug Subhanallah I just translated it into our language right how many of us when we feel that we need some form of reassurance we would go to our spouse and say give me that hug Subhanallah Subhanallah I don't want to actually hop on how we have become but I'm sure each one of us knows we have a lot of work to do how close are you to your spouse make an effort many men and even women try to impress those whom they're not even related to and their own spouses are looking out for any form of attention and it's not coming Subhanallah and we call ourselves Muslim we call ourselves followers of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him what an insult we are sometimes you have to work hard on your relations you have to work very very

21:08hard if you would like to truly be a follower of Muhammad peace be upon him so he comes to Khadija Binti Khawaleed Rady Allahu anna he embraces her he relates what happened you know what she says she knows the man is such a brilliant man he's honest he's trustworthy he helps people he fulfills his his duty more than the duty he looks after the widows and the orphans she says then they never impossible Allah will never ever let you down do you know why you're such a good man wow many men out here tonight can your spouses say you're such a good man wow would they say you're such a good man and if they did I think it would not be unless you were present they're saying yeah talk about me yeah let's hear what you go to say very good man really excellent lovely

22:12person et cetera why because you're standing there would your spouse be able to say you're a good man in your absence if that is the case the same messenger tells us the best from amongst you are those who are best to their wives the term un starts off with wife and then it goes on to your family members so if you are the best to your family members you are said to be the best of all of us and then he caps that by saying and I'm the best from all of you to my family wow that's what the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said you see this beginning of Nubua the wife says Allah will never let you down because you're a good man you fulfill all of the good things you look after widows and orphans you look after the neighbors you reach out to your family et cetera et cetera you if you don't do any evil how can Allah let you down and she took him to waraka bin

23:16Naufal who was a cousin of hers and what did he say he was a man who had knowledge of the scriptures and he says after asking questions he says a few things I will mention one or two of them he said that is the same angel that came to the prophets before you like Jesus and Moses et cetera and now the angel has come to you and I wish I was there the day you will be sent and instructed to give that message and convey it okay and then he says a day will come when your people will drive you out when your people will drive you out of your city and he was surprised he says how and why will they drive me out of my city but he made mention of the fact that whenever you have come and been chosen by the almighty for something

24:19there has to be persecution because that is your test are you truthful are you not fell a young man Allah who will be a sadakun while a young man Allah says do people think it will be enough for them to say that we are believers and then they are not tested and Allah says how he has tested all those before in order to distinguish the truthful from amongst those who are not well in order to distinguish the truthful from those who are not truthful those who are liars so this man being chosen by Allah and he's being told

25:24you are going to be persecuted but he was loved by his people prior to that how many of us when we choose to do the right thing we are not prepared to take a little bit of flak we'll give it up nowadays we'd rather give up what is just and right in order not to be stressed with what people have to say about us I just need to fit in I remember a young relative of mine telling me hey I'm Josh Spiegel host of the podcast lunatic in the newsroom if you enjoy journalism that drifts into mild panic wild overthinking and a guaranteed nervous breakdown lunatic in the newsroom is for you it's news like you've never heard before the only newsroom with a panic button you'll laugh you'll cry and gasp and horror as the show spirals completely out of control it's not just news it's emotionally unstable lunatic in the newsroom listen today hi this is Alex Cantrowitz I'm the host of big technology podcast a longtime reporter and an on air contributor to

26:27CNBC and if you're like me you're trying to figure out how artificial intelligence is changing the business world and our lives so each week on big technology I bring on key actors from companies building AI tech and outsiders trying to influence it asking where this is all going they come from places like Nvidia Microsoft Amazon and plenty more so if you want to be smart with your wallet your career choices and meetings with your colleagues and at dinner parties listen to big technology podcast wherever you get your podcasts that I am inspired by being you know appropriately dressed and being upright but all my friends and my family members etc meaning the others young my age they are so so into the latest in terms of fashion and design and they don't mind compromising what is right and wrong in order for them to fit in with the latest trends and I said you know what you need to remain steadfast upon what the almighty is placed in your heart and you will be

27:28a leader I promise you years passed and this young relative of mine became a leader became someone who's considered a role model amongst the same circle of friends had she given up what she considered correct because of what they were all saying everyone would have lost this is why when the almighty is blessed you with guidance with goodness with morality with uprightness when he is placed in your heart the flicker of that demand the faith and the conviction don't give it up smile be the best behaved person be polite be absolutely brilliant in your character and conduct but be upright at the same time no need to give up what is right just because you want to fit in the Prophet Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam was told you're going to be driven out anyway now let's move ahead if you look at Makkah at that time they love the Prophet they had a problem in the period of

28:31ignorance with the black stone and with helpful for all where there was a a businessman who had come from outside who was cheated by the people and they all got together in order to promise that they will fulfill the rights of those who come from afar when they come in for some reason and they will stand up for justice they had involved Muhammad peace be upon him in solving those matters even though he was young but now when he called the people up later on Mount Safa he called his family members come along he called the others come along part of the the tribesman come along and then he says my beloved tribesman this is the Mount Safa if I were to tell you that there is an enemy on the other side of the mountain the reason why he said that is because they were down they couldn't see the other side but he was on the top he could see the other side if I were to tell you there is an enemy behind here would you believe me they said indeed we would because obviously you're a truthful

29:33he says well I want to tell you that there is a day of reckoning that is coming he says I am a warner to you about a punishment that will be coming if we continue in this way there needs to be changed we need to worship the Almighty alone and stop every form of wholen every form of oppression and that which is wrong they looked at him from amongst them were the wealthy the cronies the others everyone else and they said is this what you have gathered us here for Ali Hada Jama'atana one of his uncles whose name was Abu Lahab he gets up and he says tabbal leka ya Muhammad destruction be upon you oh Muhammad is this why you gathered us here to tell us this whatever you're calling us towards and you know what they refuse to listen now I pause for another moment my brothers my sisters when we are going wrong in our lives how many of us would thank a person who corrects us how many of

30:40us would thank people who tell us what's right and wrong my brother you're going wrong my sister I don't think you should do this my brother improve your attitude the way you are speaking to the people who work for you is unacceptable and they would say you're telling me who do you think you are it's not that improve yourself are you not a follower of this blessed prophet Muhammad peace be upon him well if you are then correct yourself humble yourself no matter who you are except correction I can take you back to the story of Abraham the prophet ibrahim alaihi salam as young as he was he was correcting his father and the father was too arrogant he says who are you I will throw you into the fire look at the warnings just because he did not want to take advice from his young son how many of us when our children tell us mom you're going wrong dad what you've done is wrong we say shut up stop Irullah a word that doesn't even sound from my mouth anything positive mashallah it doesn't sound

31:40good keep quiet get lost etc we say that to our own kids when they have a point you just swore huge swear words and your son is saying hey your daughter is telling me hey please don't do that and you say who are you why me Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala grant us a deep understanding these people refused to listen to Muhammad salallahu alaihi salam but the flicker of the man was in the hearts of a few those who knew the prophet peace be upon him alaihi ibn Abiyat alaihi but Abiyat Allahuhan what a great companion of the prophet a cousin of the prophet a young boy at the time he accepted the dean I want to show you something very interesting the close circle of this man Muhammad peace be upon him immediately believe that what he is saying is the truth because he's never lied who was the first one Khadija the same lady Khawaleed Radya Allahu anha the mother of

32:41the believers may Allah bless her she accepted immediately I know my husband I know him very well he's an honest man if he says it's blue it's blue if he says it's green it's green he's not going to lie with us those closest to us actually know how bad we are that's how it is let's change that come on change it today by the will of Allah make it in your within your resolution for tonight that I'm going to change the way people look at me for the sake of Allah they must look at me and say honest person upright lovely dedicated far from sin and evil a family man a good man etc a lovely lady concentrating on what benefits rather than what is harmful etc hi this is Alex Cantrowitz I'm the host of big technology podcast a longtime reporter and an on air contributor to CNBC and if you're like me you're trying to figure

33:43out how artificial intelligence is changing the business world and our lives so each week on big technology I bring on key actors from companies building AI tech and outsiders trying to influence it asking where this is all going they come from places like Nvidia Microsoft Amazon and plenty more so if you want to be smart with your wallet your career choices and meetings with your colleagues and at dinner parties listen to big technology podcast forever you get your podcasts the sun shining birds are singing and all feels right in the world until the season changes and suddenly you lose your motivation to get out of bed in fact one in five people experience some form of depression no matter the season or time of year at the American Psychiatric Association foundation our vision is to build a mentally healthy nation for all because we want you to live your best life and be your best you all year round please visit mentally healthy nation dot org to learn more so the next Ali Abiyat Ali brother Allah and he was young he was brought up by the prophet peace be

34:46upon him he lived with him for a time he says I believe yes you're a messenger of Allah I believe there is none worthy of worship besides Allah and I believe that you're the messenger indeed who was then next from among the men the first was Abu Bakr as Sidiqa the Allah on what a great man his name was actually Abdullah ibn Al-Athman that was the name of Abu Bakr but his Kuniya was Abu Bakr and his father was known as Abu Quhafa so Abu Bakr ibn Abi Quhafa but his real name was Abdullah ibn Al-Athman this man Abdullah was the friend of the prophet peace be upon him for years when he came up with prophethood immediately Abdullah ibn Al-Athman the Allah on accepted it immediately if you're saying this correct i'm with you and he went to his own friends he says you know Muhammad peace be upon him is a messenger of Allah and he started convincing them one after the other and they came through you know the ten who are given glad tidings of paradise at the time of prophet

35:49Muhammad peace be upon him a lot of them were actually introduced to Islam by Abu Bakr as Sidiqa the Allah on they were part of the same click they were part of the same friendship how many of us when we do something upright we phone our friends listen there's a good deed to be done we'd like you to contribute and let's come through the ten of us i'm sure we can handle this we'll manage it on our own a good deed if that's the case well done your friendship will come to fruit inshaAllah not only in this world but even in the year after but if that friendship is only when you're going to hang out doing the wrong things and i don't want to mention the wrong because it's so much then what's the benefit of the friendship let that friendship be of benefit as well let it be of goodness not just evil this is the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him his best friends were the ones who were closest to him even after he received this beautiful prophethood thereafter comes the period of persecutions so now there was a bit of a shock around Makkah there is a man challenging everyone

36:53he wants to change the religion of our forefathers who is he he is Muhammad the son of Abdullah they said but he was a good man he was a really good man you know when Saleh Ali his salam came up with the message to the people they said before you came up to us telling us to worship God Almighty alone we had a lot of hope in you you were a good guy we knew or we thought you were going to be one of the successful of our community and then you came up with revelation and you lost the plot that's what they told Saleh similar they told Muhammad peace be upon him what are you coming what do you want are you after money are you after women are you after power authority and the same questions are asked today when people do something nice sometimes they're after something

37:57it's only those who believe that have sincerity they're doing it for the Almighty I always tell people when I am taught to do good as a Muslim I am taught to do good to those who deserve goodness but more than that to those who don't even deserve it I don't do good to people because they've done good to me alone but I do good to people even if they've not done good to me and even if they've done bad to me simply because the Almighty loves those who do good and I want to be from amongst them haven't we heard in revelation what you love you love you love you love you love you love those who do good indeed definitely Allah loves those who do good so do good because Allah loves those who do good you don't have to do good it for tat they did good I do good I do good because they deserve good no a winner is he or she who can do good to those who do bad wow this is Muhammad this is his message sallallahu alayhi wa sallam they began persecutions one after the other we know

38:59the story of Bilal ibn Rabah how they had to stop your Allah what they did to him I don't even want to go through all of that in the sun the heat of the desert and they dragged him with rocks in order to persecute him punish him you want to follow that man we're going to punish you he didn't give up ahadun ahad ahadun ahad he continued saying I believe in the one God my maker no one else I'm not going to worship anything and anyone else you worship your maker alone that is what Islam says whoever created me is the only one who deserves that my head goes on the ground five times a day for him and him alone no one else the beauty was the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him was not calling towards himself he was calling towards Allah to this day when you hear scholars when you hear preachers when you hear people who are calling you towards religion if they are

39:59calling you towards themselves they are at a loss they are wrong but if they are calling you towards the Almighty and getting closer to your maker then they are indeed giving you a message they are messengers of the messenger they're doing the right thing so don't be fooled by one who is calling you towards himself because he wants to be popular and famous but rather one who is calling you to worship Allah and Allah alone that was the message of Muhammad peace be upon him when they persecuted Bilal Ibn Urabah alayallahu an he didn't give up whoever they persecuted at the time they did not give up today mashallah today we have a minimum of two shahada people already declared their faith by the will of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala here here tonight and I want to tell you something interesting about it when people enter the fold of Islam today I pray for them more than ever before because this is a time on the globe

41:02it is not easy to be a muslim but they're coming into Islam and I have seen people who are born muslim who do not value that religion and Allah says it clearly wa in ta'ala wa l-lau ya stabad il kaum and raikum thum alayakunu amthalakum if you are going to turn away we will replace you with others who are not going to turn away the way you did when you see people who are born muslim turn away from the goodness of that religion I have been to the rural areas of Africa where I've seen people more keen on Islam than anywhere else on the globe I've been to parts of northern Nigeria and we know that when you hear Nigeria people quickly hold their pockets right it's unfortunate because that is wrong it might just be a small group of people but in actual fact if you knew

42:04the people from the north and the people from a lot of the poorer nations they're actually more connected to the Almighty than a lot of us myself included I've been brought to tears when I've seen how they learn the Quran without even having a mushaf they learn on parchment they write it on slates and on pieces of wood to this day and we are sitting here giving up our faith slowly but surely giving it up to what the pressure of what materialism modernization everything else you can be as modern as you want you can have the most sophisticated living ever but don't give up your connection with Allah you can have the best car the most luxury of homes you can have millions in your bank account that does not make you a person who is into the dunya but it just is your test is all of that going to bring you closer to Allah or is it going to take you away from Allah if it takes you

43:08away from your maker you have lost and if it takes you closer to your maker you have won so Muhammad peace be upon him persecutions began they did not give up how many of us because of what people think of us we give up we'll give up our hijab we'll give up our salat we'll give up our what is right and wrong we won't read salat we won't even read the Quran we won't want to be seen with anything even our name you have a beautiful name instead of saying it you've just chosen a small little you know nickname and you'd like to give it because you don't even want to come across as a Muslim I remember once I was in Switzerland and we were at the airport and there was no room to read salat and my father was with me and we decided to read salat in one corner and I felt a little bit uneasy but I knew this had to happen for the sake of Allah because I

44:13wanted to look for a prayer room but I didn't find it and the time was running out so I decided you know what we decided that we're going to read salat here and we have to read us or anyway you know a short and salat and we will go so Allahu Akbar and we quickly started and you'll be surprised people started watching and people gathered and people actually asked us questions when we were done what just happened there et cetera and it was such an opportunity I saw an elderly Caucasian lady who stopped and she said that was the most wonderful thing I've ever seen and I said as Tawfiullah to myself I said oh Allah forgive me a moment ago I thought that I shouldn't be doing this and look at these people you have shown them the way we worship in a way that was unique Subhan Allah and I wouldn't be surprised if later on one or two of them might have shown the deeper interest in Islam my aim and idea is not to convert people no that is in the hands of the Almighty but they have

45:14to know at least that we're good human beings we spread goodness and peace and we want to develop our character and conduct we will be kind to Muslim not Muslim to humankind and beyond even to the other creatures of the Almighty we believe that people have entered paradise because they were kind to an animal like a dog hi this is Alex Cantrowitz I'm the host of big technology podcast a longtime reporter and an on air contributor to CNBC and if you're like me you're trying to figure out how artificial intelligence is changing the business world and our lives so each week on big technology I bring on key actors from companies building AI tech and outsiders trying to influence it asking where this is all going they come from places like Nvidia Microsoft Amazon and plenty more so if you want to be smart with your wallet your career choices and meetings with your colleagues and at dinner parties listen to big technology podcast wherever you get your podcasts the sun shining birds are singing and all feels right in the world until the season changes and suddenly you lose

46:17your motivation to get out of bed in fact one in five people experience some form of depression no matter the season or time of year at the American Psychiatric Association Foundation our vision is to build a mentally healthy nation for all because we want you to live your best life and be your best you all year round please visit mentally healthy nation dot org to learn more wow what do you think being kind to another human being is going to get to he's going to get you to if that thing got someone to paradise may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us forgiveness so my brothers and sisters with without being persecuted we're ready to give up our faith those with proper persecution some of them were executed as well they did not give up their faith they didn't they kept it what a lesson we learned brothers and sisters don't give up what you stand for don't give up your faith in the face of whatever challenges you may have you don't give up your maker yes it's

47:21beautiful it's lovely we have a gift of the Almighty the problem is it's only those who understand that this is a gift who would be able to preserve it imagine imagine being given a stone and being told you know what go and sell this and you don't know it's a diamond and you take it to a butcher the butcher will say I don't need this right take it away you take it then to a carpenter he'll probably say you know what if you want me to dispose of the stone pay me and then I'll take it for you it's only when you take it to the jeweler and he sees that this is 10 million real for example he will close his whole store you know and bring you in and welcome you and offer you tea and drinks and everything else and give you some perfume and tell you can I make an offer wow and if you say no he will say listen where the advice don't walk out on the street alone you

48:27need a few bodyguards wow because he's the only guy who has recognized that what you have is something worth millions the problem with us we are just like those butchers and carpenters who don't know much about diamonds learn to understand that what you have is more valuable than any diamond it's the dean it's the religion it's the following of Muhammad peace be upon him but you need to learn because we don't want those who have a warped understanding of the faith to overtake our understanding of it and to make us people who begin to hate more than we love it's a religion of love it's a religion of peace it's a religion of tolerance the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him taught us how to spread the word because he spread it in the most beautiful way he was so tolerant in the mechkin period of people who harmed him such that after a time they had to declare wow this man is indeed something else he's a messenger so many such stories let me take you to

49:29something very interesting and obviously I'm not able to cover every aspect of this mechkin period but I'm going to take you through some of the aspects and draw lessons for us in our own lives we spoke about persecution we spoke about how the prophet peace be upon him and his companions were persecuted but they didn't give up they did not give up imagine giving up your goodness stops the day you give up but there was something beyond mere persecution there was a boycott that boycott entire banouhashing was boycotted by courage their own people boycotted them what must happen no food no drink no one comes no one goes why just because we're right that's why it happened for three whole years from the seventh year of prophethood all the way down to the 10th year they didn't have food they didn't have drink the companions say that you know what

50:29we ate the leaves of the trees but we didn't give up our faith we were determined that you know what we're going to come out of this much stronger than we went into it they prayed to Allah not for one day these were the companions of the most blessed the most loved unto Allah here is a prophet we believe he's the most loved unto the Almighty why is he going through such persecution for years on end and they're praying and praying and calling out to Allah and they're not seeing the result of it in front of them but they knew that when the time is right it's going to happen and when it happens we will emerge the most victorious so if you open the books of the Syedah you will find that there was a parchment and agreement that Quraysh had made with one another in order to boycott the Muslims in a place known as Shiab Abiyataleh and they hung that in the Kaaba the most sacred house in existence a day came when ants had actually eaten up that whole

51:33parchment when they went they saw the parchment is eaten that's the day the boycott ended three years later three years later they emerged from their victorious there is a lesson for that or from that for every one of us when people treat you in such a way you can only emerge victorious you can you need to be patient we call out to the Almighty one day two days five days one year and we say I called out to Allah he's not answering me and you know now I'm just going to be an atheist there was a brother three days ago sent me an email he said you know I'm suffering with this disease Melah giving cure say I mean and Melah grant cure to all those who are sick and ill from amongst us and from the Ummah and humanity at large say I mean so my brothers and sisters this guy comes sends me an email saying you know what I'm suffering this disease I've been calling out to the Almighty for a long time I've been a good person now I'm considering being an atheist because Allah is not coming to my health how long not even a year I replied saying my brother I know of atheists

52:39who have diseases bigger than yours and they're turning to Allah Subhan Allah look at that Subhan Allah it's a test of the Almighty don't lose faith keep it going we call out to Allah one day two days then we give up we call out for five days ten days one year two years we give up keep calling out when the day is right the time is right what you want will be given to you on a golden platter by the will of Allah do you believe yes well then keep on going keep on praying keep on trying if it's not coming perhaps the Almighty knows that it's not the right time or it might not be the right thing but my brothers and sisters take a look at the three years they were praying they kept on praying they asked Allah they suffered no food no drink they ate the leaves they started leaking or chewing on the hides of the animals the hides the skin of the animals they didn't complain no one told Muhammad peace be upon him you know what we're with you and we're losing

53:44so now we're going away nobody they took it what's the lesson keep praying keep having hope in the mercy of Allah don't give up there after the Prophet salallahu ala wa sallam suffered in the 10th year Amal Hussain they came out of what this hisar they came out of the boycott three years later and he lost his most beloved who was that his wife his wife Khadija Binti Khawaleem radiya Allahu anha the support the pillar the one who gave him every form of support he needed at the time the one who gave him his children besides one ibrahim was from maria al-Kibtiya radiya Allah anha he was sad one thing happened persecutions another thing happened the boycotts a third

54:45thing happened i just lost my wife a fourth thing happened i lost my uncle who was a pillar of support as well Abu Talib i lost him it was a sad year Abu Talib had not accepted Islam but he was a pillar of strength he didn't allow he did not allow the people of makkah to harm his nephew not at all hijra did not take place until after the death of Abu Talib when he was there he was standing as a leader of Quraysh he would not allow anyone to take the name of his nephew in a negative way but he passed away why why would Allah do this to the most beloved because life is a test and Allah wants every one of us to know that in your life you'll have one thing negative two things negative three things negative four things negative do not come and say someone's done black magic on me it's not always the case with us yes i do acknowledge that there is a rise in that i do acknowledge

55:50that people are doing certain things that they're not supposed to do i do acknowledge that it does exist but 99 times out of 100 the difficulties we have are not connected to superstition at all everyone's going through problem people say i have financial difficulty tell me who doesn't i met a wealthy man three weeks ago very wealthy he told me business is no longer as it was i said just thank Allah thank Allah that's it it doesn't mean anything has happened or hasn't happened in terms of superstition here is the prophet peace be upon him he lost his wife he was sad he lost his uncle he was sad he decided you know what i need to spread this message of Allah let me go further moments ago we heard Omar Aisa deliver a beautiful song about the incident

56:53of taif what happened in taif the prophet peace be upon him decided let me go to taif if the people of Makkah are not listening perhaps the people of taif might hear it was worse when he went to taif they didn't just reject no they rejected together with throwing stones and chasing and making the most blessed droplets of blood ever to exist actually Subhanallah bleed and thereafter the angels come and say if you ask us to crush them they will be crushed if you ask us to bring the two mountains together they will be brought together what would you do a guy from down the road who's been disturbing you with his motor vehicle and a big noise every night when you're trying to sleep imagine for a moment an angel came to you

57:57and said we can crush him you say crush him and his father that's that's how far we've gone from the Sunnah of the prophet peace be upon him nalla forgive us but the prophet peace be upon him he told the angels no if Allah hasn't guided them perhaps he will guide their offspring oh look at the hope he has he has hope that the next generation and Allah showed him already it wasn't even the next generation those guys themselves sometime later accepted Islam a lot of them today go to taif muslimin mashallah hope a lot of us don't have that determination that hope on top of that he raises his hands in order to pray I can just imagine I picture it all the time you know the angels are listening to the dua when you make a dua and I can imagine the prophet peace be upon him the most blessed to tread this earth and the most loved by the Almighty and he says

58:57oh Allah and imagine everyone's listening now all the angels are listening he says Allah humma oh Allah inni ay inni ashku ilayka I'm complaining to you I can just imagine I'm just imagining myself that the angels are listening to this complaint of the prophet who are you complaining about what are you complaining about we will deal with it here and now I guess what he complained inni ashku ilayka I'm so weak I've come to taif and these people are not even listening to what I have to say Subhanallah I'm complaining of myself not about everyone else many of us when we have a problem we blame everyone else but we never blame ourselves we don't even want to look at whether we are part of the problem like I said at the beginning of the store Subhanallah so the Almighty is teaching us through the lessons that the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him left for us but we call ourselves the Muslims we call ourselves people close to the prophet but we're

1:00:02far away from this beautiful life that he led even with hardship if you think you have hardship the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him had greater hardship but he was thankful his companions had greater hardship but they were thankful and trust me I want to prove to you that a day will come when the Almighty will shower some blessings in the midst of those hardships life is a struggle but now and again you go on a holiday you enjoy it right life is a struggle but now and again you have a good day a happy day a lovely occasion a memory Subhanallah life is a struggle but now and again you might have a child you are blessed with me Allah grant us all good families you might be blessed with something great you might have a bonus somewhere you might have found a good job something happened so these good things are intertwined in those things that seem negative to us I want to tell you something that was powerful that Allah blessed the prophet peace be upon him with

1:01:08me I already spoke to you about persecutions spoke to you about the boycott spoke to you about the loss of his wife spoke to you about the loss of his uncle spoke to you about taif it was known as Amul Huzan the year of sadness for who for the most beloved unto Allah and then Allah says we want to give you a gift do you know what was the gift of Allah Subhanallah Allah Almighty took the messenger peace be upon him in body and so miraculously from Makkah to Jerusalem and from Jerusalem all the way up to the seven heavens and he saw Jannah Jahannam he met with Allah according to some narrations and he saw and met with all the

1:02:15messengers in these heavens one after the other and he came down back to his bedding in a short space of time and that is known as the Isra and the Mirage Allah blessed him with such a great gift and we believe it happened you know today or was it last night I was talking to someone about Isra and Mirage and he was telling me do you know scientific evidence now proves through the black holes etc that this is actually very very possible very possible it can happen so I said well we believe it definitely did happen Miracle it's Allah Allah can take you up to the heavens and bring you back don't we believe that Jesus may peace be upon him is alive don't we believe that he is with Allah don't we believe that he is coming back don't we believe that he he never died he actually was taken up by the Almighty living alive don't we believe that how it's a miracle it's Allah Allah created Allah

1:03:17does anything so look at how Allah took him Allah showed him jannah Allah showed him jahannam Allah gave him the gift of prayer and Subhanallah he came back down and the people started saying things this is impossible how could it have happened they went back to this man Abdullah Hibnoh Al-Athman do you remember who is Abdullah Hibnoh Al-Athman anyone can you say it loudly Mashallah Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq his name was Abdullah Hibnoh Al-Athman Allah the prophet peace be upon him had come down the kufar of Quray started telling the people do you believe this they asked Abu Bakr Abu Bakr or the Allah who obviously he knew that this is impossible for it to happen to any human but when he was told your friend is claiming this he said if my friend is claiming this then I believe that it definitely happened he became known as As-Siddiq from that day on amazing the messenger salallahu alayhi wa sallam so that's the last

1:04:21point I want to mention for today before we inshallah will continue tomorrow by the will of Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala and that point is my brothers my sisters you will go through hardship you will go through difficulty in your lives but the Almighty will bless you with a lot of goodness he will show you miracles in your own personal private lives he will bless you in a million ways he will give you offspring he will give you offspring who will make you happy he will give you even if you don't have offspring he will give you something else he will give you a lot people are looking for spouses the Almighty may he bless you with spouses who will be the coolness of your eyes I didn't hear a loud I mean there mashaAllah that was now very loud I wonder what all the married men were saying I mean for mashaAllah may Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala bless you may Allah grant you goodness and when we have offspring SubhanAllah it brings the coolness of our eyes especially when we see them grow excitement

1:05:22SubhanAllah they go to school you know my friend Ghazil Mannai he was so excited to inform me about his daughter having graduated Al-Anud mashaAllah and when he told us I could see the love in his eyes I could see SubhanAllah and I'm telling myself these are the gifts of Allah that we need to appreciate all our children we congratulate them we are happy upon their graduation upon their happiness but I want to tell you the reality the day we graduate with janna that is the day we will truly be happy may the Almighty bless every one of us with paradise may Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us all the love that he has kept the special love that he has kept for us and may Allah