The Essence & Traits of the Righteous | Shaykh Yahya Rhodus

Thank our Lord subhanahu wa ta'ala and really if we stop to pause to think about the blessing of im the blessing of alhamdulillah we praise Allah subhana wa ta'ala and this is the blessing of Islam and sufficient indeed it is as a blessing that all of the other benefits that we have in our lives all stem from this blessing. This is the blessing of all blessings and everything else stems from this great blessing. The blessing of being gifted faith and without doubt the faith is a gift. It is divine gift from Allah subhanaa. Yes, that you can use your intellect to expose yourself to receive this gift. But ultimately it is Allah subhah who gives the gift of iman and he is the one that expands the heart of the believer to then be gifted the greatest blessing of all. And ultimately we don't realize this blessing throughout our lives. We take it for granted. And as as it has been said, the pitfall of blessings is getting accustomed to them. You get so accustomed to something that you actually forget the greatness of that blessing. And we will only realize the greatness of the blessing of Islam is that when we are in the very last moments of our life and just before we pass when we hope that we see that our place in paradise and then that we desire to meet Allah. And this is the secret of fulfilling what our prophet said is that whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him because the believers right before they pass that they see their place in paradise and thus that they want to exit from this world in order to receive the divine hospitality is what you prepare for a guest. But Allah subhana wa ta is the greatest of hosts and he's the most generous of all of those who show generosity. And he is the and he will receive us subhanahu wa ta'ala with infinite bounty and grace and mercy inshallah when we transition into the next world and knowing that he is theur is that he is the one who forgives the greatest of sins it is that we commit and he's also he's also the one who perpetually shows mercy to the believers specifically. And indeed that he is merciful with the believer subhanahu wa ta'ala. We recognize these meanings. And if you've ever been with someone just as they are passing, you will recognize these realities and see a stark difference between those who believe and those who don't believe. And this is what it is that we want. Everything that we do in our lives, the only thing that really matters is what happens when our soul is departing from our physical body. How are we? Well, how did we live? Because we die according to the way that we lived and then we'll be raised according to the way that we die. How do we live? What do we do? What are our priorities? What intentions do we make? What are the choices that we make and so forth and so on. All of that combined matters is when it matters most is what we hope is that when Allah subhana t is taking our soul and causing the angel of death and commanding him to take our soul is that we'll be in a good state. [snorts] But this gets back to how it is that we live and what it is that we do. And we have the opportunity while we are now still here alive to make our priorities right. And this is this is tested. Anyone that does anything for the sake of Allah subhana wa tala, Allah will place blessing in it. Anything that we leave for the sake of Allah, Allah will replace it with something better. And that we should know wholeheartedly with absolute certainty is that the the end result in this world even before the next world is for the these are for the people that are aware of their lord and do the right thing. This is for the people of tawa. These are for the people that obey the commandments of Allah tala and that they avoid his prohibitions. In other words is they remain principled. This is one of the hardest things to do and the f the first and foremost before other people which is one of the block part of the blockage comes from other people but first and foremost the whole reason it's so difficult to remain principled the whole reason it's so difficult to remain a state of uprightness is that Allah subhana wa t has given us enoughs he's tried us with enoughs and we have enoughs and we have a but when the is placed in this physical body is that we could speak about it as the enoughs and the all being one the internal dimension of the human being. But what dies ultimately is the nuffs and this is why Allah say he is the one that takes the he is the one who that takes the soul but here it's speaking here is say because the remains the spirit remains it is the nuffs that will taste which is ultimately you but the spirit goes on and the spirit that remains and that ultimately that of course they will be given a physical body once again and then live eternally inshallah and experience both physical and spiritual beauty. But ultimately what we need to be seeking is haya. Were there to have been a better supplication to make than haya guidance Allah would have placed it in the fatal is the opening book of the Quran and it has seven verses and it's the math the seven of repeated verses and as many of the said is that the Quran contains in it all of the previous divine messages and scriptures that came before and all of the meanings of the Quran are ultimately encapsulated in the fata and some even go as far as say is that all the means of the fat in the and all the meanings of the are in the first but the point here is is that the fat is the source as it said is which one of its names it's the source of the book and the very first dua that we have in the fat is what guidance it's asking for for guidance and then immediately after the fat of course we start and one of the very first things that we see that this is it is guidance for the people of tawa indicating this is a active process that you and I have to actively be seeking guidance to do things in order to be able to receive that guidance that taqua points that there is movement of the heart that is a perspective it is that we have there are things that it is that we do there's a learning component but there's an action component but it requires awareness behind all of that and then after that think about even in the prayer that it is that we recite how many references are there to hay to guidance that we're praying seven we're reciting the faty but then the dua of that prophet gave us and one of them is being is between the two sagas time and time again that we are called to asking Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for guidance because this is what we want and the entire book of course of Allah subhana wa tala and the sun of Our prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam is that guidance that it is that we need in order to live right while we here are here still on the face of this earth and have an opportunity to actually do something to be able to prepare to meet our Lord subhanahu wa ta'ala in the very best of states and this is why we congregate this is why we come together on a Friday night when there's so many other things it is that we could be doing but we come together to remember Allah we come remember to remember the beloved of Allah and if you really ponder This meaning it's a simple meaning to understand but it creates a great meaning in the depths of your heart and that state of heart when you reflect upon it. Why do we spend time remembering the prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wasallam? Because he is the most beloved of creation to Allah. Our love of the prophet sallall alaihi wasallam stems from the reality that he is the most beloved of Allah's creation to Allah. And just ponder that meaning and look what it triggers in your heart. Ponder that meaning over and over again. Every time that you come to a gathering like this, every time that you sit down to send upon the prophetam, every time that you are remembering the best of creation, just bring that meaning to heart that this is the most beloved of Allah's creation. And then the profoundity of that were not to be for him, none of this would exist. We would have no worldly or religious blessings without our prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam. He is the most beloved to Allah. And what that does is it creates true love in our heart from that stems that from a purity that is directly related to loving solely for the sake of Allah subhana tala which is what we've been canon as our prophet taught us and love me for the love of Allah literally love me for the sake of Allah because of the love of you have for Allah. this is why you love me. And when you spend these moments loving the prophet center, you might think that it passes and other people might pass by and like what are they doing? They're just moving their head. They're just reciting these poems and who knows what's going on. I don't even know what these words mean and so forth. But those moments where the reality of that love comes into the heart as some of said there is no scale big enough that can weigh the weightiness and the heaviness of these moments of loving our prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam and these things just pass. And this is the thing is that people don't realize is that any acts of the heart are they're part of your actions. They're part of your deeds and they're actually the very greatest of deeds. And they say that the acts of the heart are greater than the outward acts that it is that you do. And while we should outwardly act, what we should also inwardly act. And when we have this perspective, and as some of them said, this is such an incredibly beautiful statement if you think about it. It's very simple, but it's profound. They say the craft of the believer is is doing good deeds. The craft of the the ha of the believer is doing good deeds. What is a craft? Think if you're a wood if you work with wood or you're that you work with tile or you have some type of vocation. You have some craft something that is that you do something that is that you try to master that you learn about and that you are an apprentice at some point learning for people who know how to do and all of the time that has to go in to a particular craft. Righteous deeds are the craft of the believer. And if you think about that, how can we throughout our lives on a daily basis, on a weekly, monthly basis that have lives where in which is that we are doing righteous deeds of different sorts and of different ways? Whether it be making a child happy there's a special that palace in paradise for making children happy. Whether we're just trying to make a believer happy. This is one of the greatest of the of the acts that we could do that actually pierces veils. It's just making believers happy. Just smiling at people who are in need, calling someone when that you know that they need help, whatever it might be. Finding different ways. And this is the way that we approach life, our lives, is that how can we fill our nights and days with various types of good deeds of different sorts. There's a knowledge component to teach us how to do that. But then there's a ti component of actually being able to do it from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And this is what we want is we want to be ready to transition from this world into the here and have the scrolls that are filled with different types of good deeds. And whatever anyone might know about us, what we want is the things that people might know from the things that we do only be a tiny percentage of what we actually really did. Is that we want a lot our greatest deeds to be those deeds that no one even knows about. It's between us and Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. There's ways of giving charity where no one ever even knows what it is that you gave. There's ways of doing things where no one even knows that it was you. It's between you and Allah. And the nature of the nuffs that it wants to be recognized. This is actually one of the more subtle degrees of ri is that where people actually find out what it is that you did and you get happy that they found out. That's a type of ostentation of showing off. Why are you getting happy? Where is it coming from? that happiness is coming from the nuffs in its desire for a station in people's hearts because the are the of the various manifestations of caprice are the fuel of the lower self and so this is why that when we cut that off sometimes it's very hard for us to do things if the soul the nuffs doesn't have a portion in it but this is where if we want to move up in degrees if we want iat to solely for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is that it has to that has to be set aside and then there's degrees in this and that when we start to strive at first to be sincere you have what is called the mlas you have what is called the and then you have the okay so the mlless is the one who's sincere this is the one who strives to do whatever it is that he does or she does for the sake of Allah subhana wa ta'ala desiring closeness to Allah, desiring and there's five intentions that we can make are the overarching intentions that we make for everything it is that we do that we intend to that draw near to Allah. Number one. Second, we intend to receive reward for what it is that we do from Allah. Number three, we intend through it to be able to enter into Jenna into paradise. Four, we intend to receive the divine commit contentment as a result. And number five, we intend to gaze upon the noble countenance of Allah tala. These are the five overarching intentions that we make behind everything that is that we do. And then there's a number of other intentions that you can add to these. These are the ultimate ends. You have ultimate ends, worldly ends and then means. These are the ultimate ends. This is when our prophet was saying dua didn't understand is that he said I didn't understand. They said that he just asked Allah for paradise. He sought refuge in Allah from the night. Everything they were saying ultimately gets back to this. This is what it's ultimately about is entering into paradise and receiving bliss and blessings from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. But the mless is the one who strives to be sincere. And then what happens when we put in effort and strive to be sincere and that this of course correlates also to our state of faith and that when we strive to be sincere then what happens is Allah subhah assists us and he makes us moas and the meaning here is it's a type of purificatory process that we go through where Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala takes it upon himself to make our affairs easy and he transforms forms the heart of an individual where now that we are mlas is that we are made to be sincere. Allah removes some of those things from our heart but otherwise that there is no way for us to remove them in and of ourselves. There's a degree to which we can strive but then what happens is is that he is the one that purifies us and really what is happening he's starting to cover up some of the human tendencies that exist within us where they could manifest in bad character traits but then he starts to cover them. Subhanahu wa ta'ala in beautiful traits of character and then if we continue this process what happens is that we become which is the highest of all and that this comes on in the story of yam but then the take it as an is and the indication is that this they want with the king of all kingshal that I want to that save him for myself that's outwardly was what the king wanted in relation to St. Ysef but this is what the righteous want from the king of kings where Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala that this is what we want Allah is that he subhanahu wa ta'ala that selects all of us to solely be for him which is also indicated in the words of Allah in relation to see but where does this come in and so reality this is in the very highest of meanings to the sallallahu alaihi wasallam the prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wasallam I have made you for me. I have chosen you for me. If that doesn't move our hearts, what does who saying this? The Lord of the heavens and the earth is saying to Satan, I have chosen you from meahill. What kind of meaning is that? These special servants. And this is why how could you not love these people? How could you not speak about these people? How could your heart not be attached to these people? How could you not then want to follow in the footsteps of these people? How could you not want to be with these people? And this is why what's known as the ayat the verse of witness and togetherness is that it's connected to these blessed people and whoever obeys Allah and his messenger do your best to believe and then to follow them in whatever it is that you can do then what happens they are the ones that Allah subhana wa ta'ala that are they are with those that Allah subhah has bestowed his favor upon on is known as the they are with those that Allah has bestowed his favorite palm which is again a reference to the that were asked to so connecting right back to the four categories that Allahh gives us these are the people that we want to be with forever eternally in the hereafter. And there's certain people that when you're just with them, all good comes just by virtue of being in their presence. when you're in their presence, when you're in their m when you're physically with them or you're spiritually with them because you could spiritually be with someone or you could physically be with someone. And it's more importantly to be spiritually with someone because if you're spiritually with someone, you will receive blessings from that with them wherever you are on the face of this earth. Even if they're in the bar, even if they've returned to Allah subhana wa ta'ala, the reality of that will still remain with us. And there'll be fruits that continue to come in every season by the leave of our lord subhanahu wa'ta'ala. But this is what we should be striving for is that we want to be from these people that areas. It starts with doing our part trying to become sincere and hoping that Allah subhana ta that purifies us and then hoping that he chooses us and selects us to wa tala these meanings are that some of these meanings that are that between these lines of what it is that we're reading we read the blessed description of our prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wasallam these are moments that we can connect these are moments where we can have these blessed meanings even cross the And even just crossing the heart even one time in our life is significant. But we should never ever ever underestimate ever underestimate any moment in which we have these special meanings come to the heart because you never know what's going to be truly weighty with Allah subhana wa ta'ala. And this is why they say is that never underestimate or belittle any good action because the of Allah the contentment of Allah subhana wa tala might be in it. And when we understand this, then we can start to approach a understanding that we might have of the balance between the and the which is and is doing what it is that we can to worship Allah to fulfill what it is that we're supposed to do at the level of belief, at the level of practice, at the level of our heart points to the reality of the affair. We cannot do anything without Allah. And no matter how much that we strive to implement the sacred law, we'll always fall short. So we can't rely upon what it is that we do. We can only rely upon Allah subhana wa ta'ala and his help. And this meaning became very clear, especially with the passing of my mother. May Allah subhana wa ta have mercy upon her soul. You never ever know what act you could do that if it becomes accepted by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala kalas through the act that he might wipe away every other sinner every other thing that is that you've done you never ever know and this is a meaning that's so deep and enriching and powerful because how many people end up giving up because that they think is that kalas because of what I've because of the sins that we committed last Tuesday in the hikim class that we do at mkasid is that that blessed apherism is that don't let a sin that you commit lead you to yet where you have despair because and that you despair of ever having a state of and uprightness because it might be the very last sin that is written for you. It might be the very last sin that is decreed for you because it's what happens to us when we fall short. We think that okay, I can't do it anymore. There's nothing that I can do. There's no way that I'm going to retain these minions that someone is speaking about. But we keep trying. We turn to Allah subhana ask him to accept from us and remain broken. And then there's certain hadith that have to be understood very carefully because this is not opening up the door for people just to do whatever it is that they want. But it's a hadith in sahim Muslim is that our prophet sallall alaihi wasallam said were you not to sin Allah subhana wa tala would do away with you and bring about a people that would sin so that he could forgive them subhanahu wa tala and this is from the standpoint of reality this doesn't mean that we can leave as say okay it's okay for me to sin and if otherwise I'm going to be done away with what this means is we do everything we can possibly do to avoid anything that would displease Allah knowing that we're going to fall short and knowing that there because he is the he is the he is the subhanahu wa tala he is he has these beautiful names is that there's going to be ways that they manifest and the closest that we are to Allah subhana wa tala is when we're broken before him and usually most people are broken through falling short but really what we want is to inashmir where we're doing everything that we can and we still remain broken before Allah subhana wa tala that is one of the highest and loftiness of meanings where we are closest to him subhanahu wa ta'ala where we realize that we're in absolute need of him in the state of brokenness is almost a a weird meaning it's not really understood in the English language say some that we consider someone who's broken to be something that's actually negative no but before Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is something very positive this is how we're supposed to be because when you're broken in is that you realize that you're in absolute need of Allah subhana wa ta'ala. The more that we can realize that we're in absolute need of him subhanahu wa ta'ala in every single moment to the degree that we realize that is to the degree that he will replace our description with his description and our traits with his strength subhanahu wa ta'ala and will be to the degree that he takes over our fairest what is referred to in that incredibly blessed divine saying which summarizes the spiritual path in its entirety. But the second part of that is and once that we become beloved to Allah then the whole affair changes at this point is that he takes over our affairs to father and this is what we want. It's one thing to love Allah but it's a whole other thing to become beloved to Allah and then there's nothing you can really say to describe that and the language that is used is a language that you don't fully understand. You just know that it's something immense and it is something that is great. But this is what we come together to do. And these types of opportunities that we have with blessed hearts and blessed people that are here and so many people here could have said something much more important and much more than Abduk. This is an opportunity for us to all come together to speak about meanings that inshallah we'll build these states of heart that it is that we want to have before our lord subhanahu wa tala so that when he gazes upon our hearts he sees these blessed meanings therein and we ask Allah subhana t to give us and to bless us in all of our affairs and to accept accept us as is we as we are may Allah subh to have mercy upon us and forgive us of our sins to bless this very blessed community and to raise everybody here to the highest of degrees and bless us to come together time and time again here in this world and most importantly be together in the hereafter in the highest levels of paradise. Alhamdulillah.