 إن الحمد لله نحمده و نستعينه و نستهديه و نستغفره و نتوب إليه و نؤمن به و نتوكل عليه و نعود بالله من شرور أنفسنا و من سيئات عمالنا من يهديه الله فلا مضلله و من يضلله فلا هادئ له وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأشهد أن محمدا عبده و رسوله اللهم أسلي وسلم وبارك على سيدنا محمد النبي الأم و على آله و صحبه وسلم تسليم كثيرا يا أيها الذين آمنوا اتقوا الله حق تقاته ولا تموتنا إلا و أنتم مسلمون يا أيها الذين آمنوا اتقوا الله وقولوا قولا سديدا يصلح لكم أعمالكم و ينفر لكم دنوبكم و من يضع الله و رسوله فقد فاز فوز عظيما أما بعد الحمد لله و شكر لله ج坡نا الله أقل الله سبحانه وتعالى و أن نموم senatorship اكبرنا الله و يكاملنا الله و نجميع الننوح جيدا و میريا و المجرد الكبير و أسكسه سبحانه وتعالى لهم أن لا أدعا أعمالهم وأشهد سلوتي و حمدهم على أزياء أداء دجائية محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم و أمره و أدائكم و دائمك before time الحمد لله رب العالمين المؤمن صلى الله عليه وسلم was given جوامع الكلم صلى الله عليه وسلم one of his خصائص the unique traits that only he was given is universal comprehensive speech and but a few words صلى الله عليه وسلم and in one of those profound statements that Imam Muslim relates in his صحيه collection رحمه الله تعالى is that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم المؤمن القوي خير وأحبه إلى الله تعالى من المؤمن من المؤمن الضعيف وفي كل وفي كل خير احرس على ما ينفعك واستعين بالله ولا تعجز وإن أصابك شيء فلا تقول لو لو كان كذا لو فأنتوا كذا كان كذا ولكن قدر الله وما شاء فعل فإن فإن لو تفتعوا عمل الشيطان او كما قال صلى الله عليه وسلم that he says peace and blessings be upon him the مؤمن القوي the strong believer is better and more beloved to الله than the weak believer وفي كل خير but there is good in both there is good in both and the commentators explain that this the قوة that's being referenced at مؤمن القوي the strength that's being referenced here is strength in all dimensions of the human experience it includes physical strength and so it's from the sunnah to take care of our bodies to strengthen ourselves so that we can do more good because an able body is more able to do good it includes mental strengthening mental and this is something that is foundational in our tradition is intellectual strength the tools of learning were foundational in our history there was a profound emphasis on what are called the tools of learning grammar logic rhetoric and the other sciences that enabled people to think correctly to articulate themselves properly and to articulate themselves in a way that's effective grammar allows for a proper speech logic allows for a proper thinking valid reasoning and then rhetoric allows for convincing and speaking in a way that reaches the hearts of people and moves people inspires people to do more good it's all from the sunnah the strength includes of course spiritual and moral strength which is foundation on the most important strength it's the ultimate aim of all other strength is embodying prophetic virtue strengthening our hearts the spiritual faculty that each of us is given strengthening our moral capacity having the wherewithal to go against the negative تنينسي of the ego what's called مجاهة نفس which is again central to the sunnah and so المؤمن القوي the strong believer is better خيرا و أحب إلى الله and is more beloved to الله because again all of that strength enables more and more good quantitatively and qualitatively than what than the than the مؤمن دايف than the weak believer و في كل إن خير but of course because of the profound rank and and and sublime virtue of faith itself إيمان to actually believe in the oneness of god and in the messenger sent to the people of one's time that this rank means و في كل إن خير there's of course good in all believers even the worst of believers have a good that is to be respected and honored و في كل إن خير so in the prophet continue صلى الله عليه وسلم إحرس على ما ينفعك in other words seek to strengthen yourself seek to always increase seek قوة be people of fortitude be people of strength and this is if we notice the sunnah the sunnah employs what our scholars have called both شرية and حقيقة these terms are used in differently in different contexts but in this context when they're juxtaposed شرية refers to the human experience and the means that we take as human beings in order to live more lives حقيقة refers to the recognition of الله's oneness and the حقائق the realities of divinity in other words the قضاء and the قدر the divine decree and predestination this is that that consideration is from the vantage of حقيقة how things really are everything that happens in the world is decreed by الله سبحانه وتعالى and he is the only creator no one can co-create with الله he has no share in his act of creating سبحانه وتعالى he is as he says in the Quran more than once خالق خالق كل شيء خالق كل شيء the creator of every single thing that's the vantage of حقيقة but the vantage of شرية is what work do i need to do at the time when the task is before me in the moment that i am in how do i use the free will that الله has given me to best situate myself to employ the means at my disposal so that i can serve الله the creator and then through that through that service and devotion serve fellow man serve creation at large that's the vantage of شرية and if we see that the sunnah teaches both and neither negates the other and to have only one is a is an invalid view of the world if we only see the world through the lens of human beings human actions human choices and that's the only lens that's a falling short that's not recognizing the oneness of الله that's not recognizing the قضاء and the قدر which is a central pillar of our faith but if we only if we only engage in the world based on حقيقة and we use that as an excuse to not take the means then that's going against the sunnah because recognizing that الله is the decree of everything does not negate the fact that we have to do the work that is ahead of us and we see that throughout the read the seed of the prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم read the seed of all prophets they're always working and working and working and relying on الله reliance on الله does not mean let the rope go and then the animal will just wander away no tie the rope take the means that one's disposal so here in this part of the حديث this is an emphasis of that شرية vantage be avid it's not simply take the means subhanallah the sunnah is to be avid to seek every means of benefit wherever we find benefit the the mu'min has a right to it and should have a zeal to increase in that احرس على ما ينفعك the ما in Arabic is لن عموم it's general anything that's beneficial for us for our this worldly status situation or the next world and all of this worldly benefit should be oriented as a means for more in the next world احرس على ما ينفعك واستعين بالله this is حقيقة subhanallah right after that واستعين بالله and seek the help of Allah because who's creating the means in reality and who's creating the effort that we're putting forth in reality and who's creating the inspiration in the heart to move us to seek those means and who's creating all of the faculties that allow us to seek any means خالق كل شيء لا إله إلا الله it's only الله سبحانه وتعالى and so taking the means is for the limbs but the one recognizing the oneness of Allah is for the heart and this is how we don't fall into a dualism because each has its proper place the vantage of is in our actions what we choose to do and how we how we act the vantage of is in the heart that the site of the heart the recognition knowledge recognizing that Allah is alone in his decree and Allah is alone in his creative act that his action of creation and Allah is alone in arranging the world as it is our lives are but a creation of Allah والله خلقكم وما تعملون as he himself has revealed عز وجل Allah creates you and everything that you do and so the Prophet ﷺ teaching us how to find this balance be avid for everything that's beneficial and this comes after what the statement that yes be strong and seek be avid for the means of strengthening yourself but rely on Allah the whole time seek his help the whole time because Allah is the creator of us and our actions what that dodges again going back to sharia but don't be weak in other words don't let your reliance on Allah make you sit and not act don't let it let you fall into a type of fatalism or quietism where all you do is is you don't take any initiative and you're just focused only on theological concepts theological principles and realities no our theological realities that we believe in that we affirm that we have conviction is that we have conviction in those theological realities should move us to rise and and work harder and to take any means that we can find to strengthen ourselves and our communities this is the sunnah and then how does the حديث conclude how does the Prophet ﷺ say at the end but if anything afflicts you in other words it's out of your hands or the results of taking the means because when we take the means what's in our hands is just the means not the effects not the consequences not the outcomes not the results when in أصابك شيء ون if anything afflicts you فلا تقول لو أني فعلت كذا كان كذا if only i had done that it would have been this way if only i had done something else it would have been the other way if only if only if only no this is where we look we open the eye of حقيقة it was decreed our mistakes were decreed our slips and errors were decreed in other words when we're faced with the task we try our best to avoid error but if we end up slipping if it was a bad decision if it's something that proved that it wasn't the positive outcome that we had sought then we recognize the oneness of الله سبحانه وتعالى then we focus on حقيقة وين أصابك شيء فلا تقول لا تفكر بكتبك at that point we learned from mistakes it's not a prescription to not learn from one's mistakes but one cannot get weighed down by mistakes of the past again it should lead to positive action in the moment and so don't let that weigh you down فلا تقول don't say if only i did this it would have been this فإن لو but rather say ولكن قدر الله وما شاء فعل this is حقيقة الله had decreed it and whatever he wills he does سبحانه وتعالى فإن لو تفتحه عمل الشيطان because if only if we get into that negativity of had i only done that and it does not translate to learning from mistakes for the moment for the future it's only a past remorse that's it it's only a past whining about the past if it's if it's pure negativity about the past with no translation into positivity for the future and that's one of the tricks of the devil فإن لو تفتحه عمل الشيطان and if only this word if only it opens the workings of the devil and this word عمل it's as if it's his profession his profession is to create is to cause negativity the job of the shaitan is to fill us with as much negativity through وسوسة so that we're not seekers of good so we're not seekers of strength of strengthening ourselves and so this balance is something that all of us need to be reminded of because the lens of توهيد should never prevent us from action and the action that we take should never make us think that we're in charge of consequences the prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is teaching us this balance and this is in امام نوى puts this in the chapter in the real the salihin he puts this in the chapter on combating the ego because at bottom the most important work that we have is the work on our souls the most important task that we have the most important means that we have to take are the means of strengthening our relationship with الله سبحانه وتعالى in other words the foundation what the foundational issue that the hadith is talking about first and foremost is توهيد itself now in other words how do we go from disobedience to obedience how do we go from impiety to piety how do we go from a heedlessness of الله سبحانه وتعالى to the remembrance of الله سبحانه وتعالى that's the ultimate task all the other benefit in the world should be means to this reviving prophetic light and virtue in our own lives and in the lives around us worldly benefit are not ends worldly benefit are means to the end of pleasing الله سبحانه وتعالى and so امام نوى in his scholastic brilliance رحمه الله he places this hadith in the chapter of مجاهزة struggling against the ego working against the the the faults of the ego and the vices of the heart this is the ultimate task that we've been charged with and another حديث that امام نوى we places in this chapter رحمه الله is what امام بخاري relates the حديث قدسي that الله تعالى says إذا تقرب إليه عبدي شبران تقربت إليه ذراعن وإذا تقرب إليه ذراعن تقربت إليه بعن وإذا أتان يمشي أتيته هوا هرولا امام نوى we teaching us what's the point how are these حديث كنكتب when my الله تعالى says according to this حديث قدسي that the prophet relates صلى الله عليه وسلم that الله سبحانه وتعالى says when my servant draws near to me by شبران a handspan I draw near to him by a ذراع of four arms length and when he draws near to me by ذراع of four arms length I come near to him by arms outstretched metaphor or distances metaphors for drawing near to الله سبحانه وتعالى which is nearness of the heart recognition of the heart of Allah's nearness and presence and his معية سبحانه وتعالى his witness to the servant وإذا أتان يمشي أتيته هرولا and when he comes to me walking I come to him رشي الله سبحانه وتعالى أحب when we turn to him and Allah تعالى enables us to do more good when we start when we take these baby steps to do good Allah تعالى opens up more door to good when we take baby steps to get out of evil to get out of wrong to stop our bad habits الله سبحانه وتعالى enables it facilitates for us to get out of those bad habits the initial step is always the hardest the initial few steps are always the hardest and this is where many of us fall short we think it's too difficult how am i going to get out of this bad habit how am i going to get out of this spiritual fault of mine it's too hard it's too difficult that initial step is is difficult why because the other hadith mentioned in this حفة النار بشهوات وحفة الجنة بالمكاره the hellfire has been surrounded by appetites and desires and paradise has been surrounded by things that are disliked to the ego difficult things but المؤمن القوي the strong believer the one that can handle get get past more obstacles more مكاره is certainly more beloved to Allah better and more beloved than the weak believer and so but the initial because stuck in a شهوة and what and getting out of that شهوة is مكروه يعني to the nafs it's there's appetite that the nafs is attracted to and to let go of that for the sake of Allah is disliked but Allah in his infinite mercy once we take that first step we push ourselves with that first step الله تعالى opens it and makes it easier it becomes a distant memory and we've all experienced this at different levels various bad habits that we've had various wrong things that we might have been engaged in that when we found the strengths the door open to get out of it and Allah تعالى turned the chapter in our lives with the beautiful toba and then it's like you can hardly remember it subhanallah there's facilitation this is why one of the early scholars المزين says the sin that comes after an initial sin is the is the it's the punishment for that first sin but the good deed that comes after a first good deed is the reward itself for that first good deed الله تعالى opens the doors of the direction we choose to follow and this is why another of our he's a student of he says whoever flees from sins sins flee from that person whoever rushes away tries to get out of sins they run away from sins the sins run away from them why because it's all a manifestation of الله سبحانه وتعالى who comes to his servant and relents unto them so that they find in their hearts this strength this power and they find in themselves this this and they find in their hearts this I'm going to turn to oh Allah help me get out of this and they find in their hearts this propensity to not have عجز ولا تعجز they find all of these realities because الله تعالى has manifested himself to the servant as اتواب oh my beloved come back to me my door is always open my door is always open and if you're with me you'll have joys that you'll never have without me one of our scholars defined طوبة as تركة تسويف to not procrastinate طوبة a repentance is to not procrastinate and the Prophet تعالى there are two blessings that many many many people are cheated out of in other words they're so valuable but the person doesn't invest them for value they let they let it fall to the waist side without actually using it to get an investment back and what are these two blessings good health and free time good health and free time and if we're in the company of people who lack one of these we'll start to appreciate how great these blessings are some of the Salaf would visit hospitals daily just to see the states of people who are ill so they can recognize the blessing of اسحة والفرق and so to not turn to الله when we're well to not go back to الله when we have that strength when we have all of these blessings showering upon us day in and day out to not go back to to not take الله seriously this is غبن this is to lose out on these blessings to not invest them properly a proper investment if you own a big real estate land that's the most precious land in the in the in the town and if you just let it fall to the wasteland and you don't build anything on it and you don't sell it for value and then you end up selling it for one tenth of the price you got cheated only a foolish person would do that and so the prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is teaching us if you have blessing سحة والفرق لا this is the time for طوبة إبراهيم إبن أدهم one of the early scholars he used to say take me out of the abasement and humiliation of disobedience to the might honor and triumph of obedience and we'll conclude with a an aphorism of Imam الجناد رحم الله someone once asked him what is the way to becoming realized in the sunnah what is the way to becoming realized in the sunnah the first thing he says be طوبة تزيل الاسرار by a sincere repentance that does away with persisting and sin finally getting out of those bad habits and that disobedience that's that that might be persistent in one's life and the second thing he says وخوفن تقطع تسويف or يقطع تسويف and a fear of god that makes one stop procrastinating and a fear of god that makes one stop procrastinating ورجاء يبحثوا على مسالك العمل and hope and optimism in الله such that the person starts seeking good deeds in their lives they get up and start doing good instead of wasting time and wasting their lives and being uh treating the ego as something negative by recognizing putting the ego down by recognizing that the lifespan might end any day this could be my last day on earth and to not think that i have perpetual life and then the person said وكيف سبيل العدارك the person said well how can you accomplish all those things these are lofty high matters how does one get that and what does he say رحمه الله امام جناد he says بقلب بقلب فريد فيه بقلب مفرد فيه توهيد مجرد بقلب مفرد فيه توهيد مجرد by a heart that is singularized containing only the pure oneness of الله in it the recognition of الله's oneness a heart that is singularized in purpose oriented purely to the oneness of الله and his majesty a heart that's filled with the remembrance of الله and recognizing that he is once uponه تعالى filled with the love of الله filled with the desire for الله filled with longing for الله filled with a relationship with الله we ask الله تعالى to make us realize in these meetings we ask الله تعالى to grant us the توهيد the success in implementing and operationalizing the sunnah in our lives step by step step by step improving every day improving every week improving every month improving every year always seeking increase for our worldly benefit and our other other worldly benefit and that الله تعالى to grant us the توهيد to become strong believers and pillars for ourselves and our families and our friends and companions in the community and the entire creation الله مئنى نسرك العفو العافي المعافة تامة في الدنيا والآخرة إن الله وملاقيكته يسادون على النبي يا أيها الذين آمنوا صدوا عليه وسلم وتسليما الله مسلي وسلم وباركة راسي بنا محمد النبي نمي وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم والحمد لله رب العالمين وأقيم السلام