 Alhamdulillah, my dear Muslims, my dear brothers and sisters, today is a beautiful day for us to rejoice and for us to say, Alhamdulillah, for it is Eid al-Fitr. And we have proceeded, we've stood in the nights standing for tarawih, we've completed our five daily salawat throughout Ramadan and as we did before and as we shall continue afterwards. Allah has allowed us to see this Ramadan which had many signs and implications in it that are good for us as believers. And Allah has bestowed this beautiful day upon us. As the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he walked into Medina and he saw the people celebrating and he asked, what is the celebration that's going on? And so the locals replied to him that these are the festivities that go on, meaning within the days of jahlia, the days of ignorance. And so the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, with the infinite wisdom that Allah Azza wa Jalla has placed into his beloved and blessed heart, told them that Allah has given us two better days, which is the two Eid, Eid Dan, which is Eid al-Fitr, that which we are celebrating today, the Eid of paying alms or zakat giving in the sins. And also Eid al-Aldha, which will be coming up soon. And just a reminder before we continue our khudbah, there's incumbent upon all of us men, insha'Allah, to pay, I believe the miktar, was $12 for each family member that's inside of the house. And know that this is extremely important to fulfill because all of your deeds that you have acquired during this time of Ramadan, all of your sacrifice, do not allow it to go to waste, for it'll be raised into the sky and it won't reach Allah until you pay your zakat. So again that reminder is $12 for each family member of your household. And so Allah Azza wa Jalla has given us this time to rejoice with one another, but a rejoicing in the most halal and healthy way, a rejoicing that is pleasing to Allah, and not the type of rejoicing that we are accustomed to to seeing in this country. Not the type of rejoicing that Alhamdulillah, Ramadan is over so now I can go back to my former and past self. Not a rejoicing too, Alhamdulillah, all of that struggle is over and now I can get back to what I had been doing before. This is a rejoice to show Allah Azza wa Jalla who we truly are because we were able to find out who we were during the month of Ramadan. When we, when Allah tested us with holding ourselves away from that, which is halal. So dear believers what has our Lord truly said about us, if you and I and those who are married are able to withstand from relations between the husband and the wife, which is permissible outside of Ramadan, or the daylight hours, to withstand from consuming food, to withstand from consuming drink. Allah gives us this test during Ramadan to show you and I that after Ramadan we are able to instill these actions and we don't revert back to our old ways. Every single Ramadan that Allah Azza wa Jalla blesses us with should be as if we're taking a step and we're climbing stairs. And when you climb stairs and you're going to something lofty, you don't go back down. So we'd like to take a few reflections inshaAllah. From the glorious Quran that Allah has reminded us and told us about certain people who if they strive and they continue to struggle, though we will fall short at times, but they take that which they did in their obedience from Allah during this month and they did their best to carry it out the rest of their lives. Another reminder before we get into the glorious Quran, my dear brothers and sisters, for some of us this will be our last Ramadan. How is it that we would like to return back to our Lord? The Shayyaltin had been locked up during the time of Ramadan, those who create certain fit in, those who whisper into the hearts of man. So whatever whispers that you and I have had in our hearts during the time of Ramadan, there's a bad thing to do. Well we know who that is and it's us. Do not allow the companion of shaytan and his minions to revert. Use Ramadan as your shield to avert the Shayyaltin. Allah Azawajal says in his glorious Quran, I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed shaytan. In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. So what have you given from a thing? So enjoy the life of this world. Allah Azawajal tells us inside of his glorious Quran, oh believers, oh Muslims, that which you have been granted within your life, all of the possessions that you and I have, there are nothing but pleasures and they are a fleeting thing. If you and I are to think about it, whether we have a spouse, a car, a home, food, any type of intimacy, we know that there is pleasure within these things of the world but then it goes away. And that's what we find ourselves reoccurring with the same thing. But that's the nature of this dunya, it's to rise and then naturally fall. But Allah therefore says, but truly that which is with Allah, if those people put their trust in Him and they continue to do the good, that Allah has commanded them to, that truly with Allah is an everlasting thing which never ceases to end. Allah is reminding you and I that this world is extremely temporary but the akhirah, the afterlife is forever and a peaceful abode for you and I to abide in. And Allah says, And Allah continues about these people who will ascertain the glory of the hereafter, that which never ceases, that which never ends. Allah continues describing these people and he says, so as for those who stay away from committing big sins, major sins, and those who stay away from indecency, and those when they become upset or someone makes them angry, they are always on the side of giving forgiveness. Allah continues to describe these people and he says, And Allah continues describing these people and he says, that these are the people who answer him, meaning they learn the glorious Quran and they learn that which their beloved Messenger Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has came with and they do their best to abide by Allah Azawajal and his commandments and stay away from his prohibitions and they do their best to know who is the Messenger of Allah Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and they do their best to follow in the footsteps of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Allah also says that the same characteristics that these people have, they take counsel within their Muslim brothers and sisters, meaning they seek advice on whatever issues or whatever matters that they have inside of their lives, whether it be a business deal, whether it be trying to marry a spouse or any of the things that we may need nasiha advice on. Allah also says that these people are those who give from what he Azawajal has given to them of your risk. You share from that which Allah has given to you because ultimately it is Allah and when you give from that which you have truly you are making the best deal. You're making a deal with Allah for everything is his and what you get in return in the Akhira is the greatest of things. This has been the first half of this beautiful surah that which we wanted to point out. Allah Azawajal wants you and I, dear believers, to focus on staying on how far we've come. If any of us knows about playing any sport or having any career and we strive and we struggle to climb up in rank, we do not go back to the lesser level that we used to be at. We continue to strengthen ourselves to build and grow and this is the point of our existence, my dear brothers and sisters, is to obtain taqwa by listening to the commandments of Allah and His Messenger Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam as we read in the beginning of this khidbah. This is the ultimate victory is the obedience of Allah and His Messenger and truly you and I will find that on Yomul Qiyamah, on the day of standing for all of that that we did inside of these days like Ramadan, all of this forgiveness that we sought out from Allah Azawajal, we will see it before us. All of our bad deeds that we committed, inshallah, Allah has turned them into good deeds. So how grateful should we be to Allah Azawajal on this beautiful day? Allah has given us gifts upon gifts. So let us not squander our gifts at the fact that we think we can return back to other ways because our Lord has been merciful with us. Our slates are clean, inshallah, may Allah accept our Ramadan, say, I mean, so continue to strive and work hard in your character and building yourself as an individual and as a member of the community and try our best to not transgress the limits of Allah. Yet if we fail, we must do taba yatubu, which is just like when we make a mistake on the road and we veer off the wrong exit, what do we do? We make a u-turn and we come back to Allah Azawajal. I say this, Astaghfirullah alayhi walakum walisa'ir al-muslimin walhamdulillahi rabbil alamin. Take this time right now to seek the forgiveness of Allah and to be reminded of your Lord before we start our next khudba, inshallah. Astaghfirullah alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi Astaghfirullah alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi walakum alayhi All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. The safety net for those who have taqwa, those who have dark consciousness, those of us who are aware of Allah Azza wa Jalla and those that He sees us at all times. There is no animosity towards us from Allah except for those who practice oppression. Now before we finish these last ayats from this beautiful Surah, we want to focus on what is oppression. Majority of the times you and I are able to notice oppression when we see others doing it. As we see what is going on inside the Philistine, in the West Bank, in the Ghazal, in the Horn of Africa with the Rohingya Muslims, dear Muslims, know that there are people around the world, our brothers and sisters, who are not able to celebrate like us. So Eid al-Fitr is about giving to the needy, is about giving charity in a beautiful smile and rejoicing about the accomplishments that Allah has bestowed upon us in His forgiveness of us and hopefully that we'll be able to see that exchange in return on Yom Kiyamah. But back to our message about oppression, generally you and I are able to look at others and we see them afflicting oppression upon others and we see that it's wrong. We say how can someone harm such innocent people? How can someone take the land of someone? How can someone starve others? Allah will deal with these people and we warn those who practice oppression inside of the land to take heed to the message of Allah and His Messenger Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam and for them to make a sincere repentance back to Allah before they return to Allah. But dear brothers and sisters, what about you and I? What about you and I when we become oppressors to our own selves because surely Allah hates the oppression of the self just as well. And to oppress the self is to commit indecencies within the land. And to forgo hudud Allah which are the limits of Allah Azza wa Jalla. Finishing the glorious Quran, these verses that we have been saying, we would like to take a message from Allah that He says. So Allah says, as for any of us who are afflicted with any affliction, meaning of oppression of wrongdoing, it is fine for one to take their recompense. But it is better for you and I as believers to forgive the wrongdoing that has been put upon us. Allah says that this is better for you and I. And Allah tells us that there is no way for those who practice oppression that they absolutely have no way that they will get away from what they are committing. And Allah is ever aware of the oppressors. So dear brothers and sisters, do not become fearful or feel like we are taking a loss when we see these things that are happening inside of the world. When we see the struggle of our brothers and sisters, we should do our best to strive and to help and to aid. And we should always stand up against oppression. But in the matter of when we cannot do anything, know that Allah is the most just and He takes everything into account. Continuing and finishing our last verse, Allah Azza wa Jalla says, Allah says whoever decides to go astray, He gives them rope because they are aware of Allah Azza wa Jalla. This is pertaining to every single oppressor and also to you and I if we oppress ourselves. Allah Azza wa Jalla says He will give them rope. He will continue to give them rope so much so that they can hang themselves with. Then these oppressors on Yom Kiyamah will say surely there is no way, oh Allah, is there a way for us to go back onto the earth so that we can correct ourselves? And Allah will say there is no way. So believers with this message, let us take heed of the words of Allah Azza wa Jalla. Let us celebrate in the name of Allah. Let us seek forgiveness from Allah. Let us continue to do righteous deeds and to build that upon which we have achieved in this glorious month. If we stop committing certain sins, let us continue to stop committing those sins after this Ramadan. And may Allah grant us another Ramadan. May Allah forgive us of our sins and our wrongdoings and guide us to the straight path. May Allah bring blessings and love in between the hearts of the Muslims. May Allah strengthen our communities. May Allah allow us to bring ourselves together before we have to be brought together due to a tribulation. May Allah rectify ourselves. And we also ask Allah to relieve the tribulations of our dear brothers and sisters around the world who are not able to celebrate in the way that we are today. And for us to take a moment to reflect upon this and be grateful to the blessings that Allah has allowed you and I to have. Allah commands towards justice, towards doing good and being generous towards relatives and those who are close to us, our neighbors, our family members, the Muslims. And he forbids that which is shameful, blameworthy and oppressive. He teaches you and I so that we may take heed. Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. My sister Ileena, she is here to take her Shahada, alhamdulillahi rabbin alameen. Okay. Oh, okay. Do you speak Arabic? Oh, you speak Arabic? Okay. Masha'Allah. So our sister is from France, masha'Allah. I don't speak French, so. But do you speak a little bit of English? Okay. So our dear sister is about to come into the fold of Islam and so we just want to give her a few messages before she fully takes her Shahada, alhamdulillahi. So our dear sister, even though forgive me again, I know that you don't speak that much English, but we want you to know that when you come into the fold of Islam, all of your previous sins or anything that displeased Allah is completely erased. But every single thing that you accrued in goodness is still kept with you. So you're a new baby in a sense with a bunch of goodness in your account, alhamdulillahi. So are you ready to take the Shahada? We're going to first say it in Arabic, you'll repeat after me. And then I'm going to say it again in English afterwards just because, okay. So say Ashadu, Allah, ilaha illallah wa ashadu anna Muhammadar, Rasulullah, takbir. Takbir, takbir. And so we'll just say again, I'm sorry about the English thing. Do you want to repeat it in English? Are you okay? So you said that and you will say in English, I bear witness. Yeah, I'm sorry. Forgive us, but alhamdulillahi sisters, please welcome our beloved sister to the community. May Allah bless you and please sisters, make sure that we get our sister's number and make sure we keep in contact with her and help her the best way that we possibly can to keep her striving and struggling in a way of Allah. Congratulations to your sister. Salamu alaykum.