 We begin by praising Allah, by thanking Allah, by reminding ourselves we weren't made for this world. And by warning ourselves that we are returning to Him. We are here for a temporary short period of time to obey Allah. This world is a flash to God's way, hold fast. When your ego wants more than it has, tame yours to like what it has. Bismillah, Alhamdulillah. Sometimes we don't understand or comprehend this world, it's beyond our comprehension. Sometimes it's difficult for us. And when we look at it in a very small lens, it's never going to make sense. Yesterday someone gave Shahada, may Allah bless him, Amin. And we shared with him that that moment when he enters Islam is a moment beyond time and space. You have something within you, we each have something within us beyond time and space that defines our essential purpose. Inside of you is something greater than your looks, greater than your bank accounts, greater than everything and greater than anything and it's your soul, your God given soul that Allah breathed into us in a manner that's befitting to him. And that is the purpose of our existence, but sometimes we forget. And we come on these Fridays to remember. And so the world we look around and it doesn't make sense. But when we look, when we look up, when we pause, when we look further beyond the 70 years in this life, beyond the space of this earth, of this universe, then it can make more sense. It makes more sense when Allah is part of the equation. But if we try to make sense of it with only our own mind and all faculty, we will lose. We will be from the losers. If we try to make our marriage without Allah, we'll be from the losers. If we try to make our life without Allah, we'll be from the losers. If we try to make justice, make sense of justice without Allah, part of the equation, we will never succeed. And so how, what can we do as we look around? What can we do for the ummah? What can we do? Do we surrender? Do we give up? Do we despair? No, despair is a tool of shaitan, despair is a tool of the devil. We are Muslims, we will continue to try until the day we die. We will, even if the sun rises from the west, we will still plant that tree, even though it will never bear fruit, because we will always continue to try. Why? Because we live for Allah, we breathe for Allah, we act for Allah, we walk for Allah. Allah is before everything, after everything, enduring everything. And that is the lens in which we live in this life. And that is how we can experience peace, and comfort, and security, and serenity. But sometimes our sight gets clouded, our inner sight gets clouded, gets obstructed, gets veiled. And so we see with confusion, and we want to remove that veil so we can see with clarity. So our inner sight, our basira, the eyes of the heart, and our basar, our eyes of our physical eyes, and our spiritual eyes can see with clarity. We have to see, as Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said, And ta'budallah ke aninakatara Worship Allah as if you see Him. And if you don't see Him, know that He sees you. And so we live for Allah, and we obey Allah, not obey our nefs. There's enough people obeying their nefs. Adadu wikabayna jambayk Your greatest enemy is in between your own two sides. Really? Really? I thought following my own, what I want, I thought that's my salvation, and that's my happiness and freedom. No, that's not the correct way. We pursue paradise. We don't pursue our passions. We submit to Allah. We don't submit to our ego. This is a different way. And when we submit and surrender to Allah when we do Islam, we experience peace and serenity. And some people search for that freedom and happiness in the wrong way. And so today we look around, and there's enough people submitting to their nefs, submitting to their ego. And we want to be people that choose Allah over ourselves. That's why we're here today. So we can tell Allah we choose you over ourselves. And when we choose Allah, Allah chooses us. Ifadullah yafath. Take care of Allah, Allah will take care of you. Ifadullah tajidhu tujahak. Take care of Allah, and you'll find Him by your side. And when you ask, ask Allah. How am I going to ask the created person? Who the created can't even take care of himself. I'll ask the creator. I'm too embarrassed to ask the created for something. When I can ask the creator. And when you seek help, seek help from Allah. And so we live in this world. And we want to struggle and strive and serve Allah. We live for Allah. And the ummah is in a condition that is a difficult place for us. It's difficult for us to see the commercials that come on on you too. I can't even bear to see the commercials. They're too heavy for me. And so I want to be in almost a willful denial. Staghfirullah al-Azim. But we have an obligation to the ummah. We have an obligation to humanity. I'm not a selfish person. I don't live for myself. I don't live to serve myself. That's not our way. We live to serve others. To take care of others. To take care of Allah. Obey Allah. Worship Allah. And so how can we do that? Give victory to Allah. And Allah will give victory to you. And Allah will give victory indeed surely. To those who give victory to Him. I can give victory to Allah. The all-powerful, the one who says be and it is. The creator of the universe and the stars and the planets and the earth and everything. I can give victory to Allah. How do I do that? By choosing Allah over my ego. By choosing Allah over my nefs. By resisting that argument. When I want to continue arguing. By forgiving my husband or my wife when I don't want to forgive. By connecting my relationship with that uncle or cousin or brother that I've severed for so many years. That's how we give victory to Allah. By living for Allah and obeying Allah instead of this ego that commands us to do the wrong. I seek forgiveness from Allah for He is indeed the all-powerful. Alhamdulillah Allah is in control. Allah is in control. Whether we understand or we don't understand Allah is in control. Sometimes we don't see the wisdom in things. Perhaps you like something and it's bad for you. Perhaps you dislike something and it's good for you. When we understand Allah withholding and preventing. When we understand that Allah can give us by depriving us or depriving us by giving us. So we want to care for others and care for the woman. And all the institution building and all the involvement and all the service. And all the levels and all the different ways is healthy. But it has to start in here. Because sometimes forgive my neighbor when they mistreat me. My brother or my wife or my sister or my mother or my son or my daughter. And so this is an invitation to us. And one time I was with young men giving a talk about temptation and relationships. And this was about three years ago. And it was a group. And I shared with them, I said every time that one of us or someone looks at a picture that they shouldn't look at. That's why the Al-Aqsa Masque is where it is. Are we giving victory to Allah in our actions? Are we protecting our eyes from looking at the haram? Are we protecting our hands from touching the haram? Are we protecting our feet from walking towards the haram? Are we protecting our ears from listening to the haram? That's how we give victory to Allah. And when surely and deep Allah gives victory to those who give victory to Him. Allah doesn't need us. Allah could have made us all Muslim, all angels, all of us worshipping, all of us bowing, all of us prostrating every single moment. But Allah sees us striving and struggling for Him. And we commit to striving and struggling for Allah and to Allah until our last breath. La ilaha illa Allah until our last breath. Ya Allah we will obey you until our last breath. And when Allah sees us doing that, and when we continue to take care of each other and to stop fighting with each other, we begin forgiving each other. Even if we don't want to. Even if we don't want to. Even if you don't want to forgive your aunt or your uncle. We say Ya Allah for you. You own me. I don't own myself. I'm going to forgive my aunt or uncle. That brings these metaphysical ripples. That brings victory to the ummah. That we don't see and don't comprehend. Allah doesn't need us. Allah would say the Mariam gave birth. And after she gave birth to Sayyidina Isa A.S. A.S. He said shake the tree. No matter how strong the strongest man shakes a palm tree, the dates are not going to fall. But he said shake the tree. And when she shook the tree and did that to the tree, the dates fell so she can get the nourishment. And we all have to shake the tree. Even if we don't see the tangible physical manifestation of that benefit, we will all shake the tree for Allah. We will all resist our temptation. We will all do what Allah asks us to do. We will wake up for Fajr. We will make wudu. We will spend where Allah wants us to spend. We will read Quran. And then Allah will give us victory. May Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala forgive all the Muslims and all the Muslims everywhere in the world. May Allah forgive all the Muslims everywhere in the world. May Allah forgive all of us. Ya Allah we turn to you collectively as a ummah. Dooboo ila Allahi jamiaa ya Allah. We turn to you all of us as a ummah. We turn to you collectively ya Allah. So you can be proud of us. We turn to you. We forgive each other. We ask you to forgive us ya Allah. Ya Allah we ask you to be pleased with us and to be proud of us. Ya Allah the ummah is in our heart. Is in our concern. Is in our care. And sometimes we feel helpless. But you are the mighty. The powerful. The wise. The generous. The merciful. And we accept your qadar. We accept your decree even if we don't understand you. And we look at this life with the lens of the afterlife. We know there's not enough justice to go around in this world. And we look forward to the mercy in the akhirah. We look forward to the akhirah to make all things straight. And ya Allah we ask you to take care of the oppressed everywhere. Ya Allah. We ask you to give us victory over our own selves. And we ask you to give us victory over any criminals or any transgressors or any oppressors. Ameen ya Rabbil Alameen. Ameen ya Muqtiyah Wahhab. Ameen ya Kabir ya Ali. Ya Allah we turn to you ya Allah. And we ask you for everything good that sallallahu alayhi wa sallam asked you for. And we ask you to protect us from every harm that sallallahu alayhi wa sallam sought protection from. Ya Allah you own us. Ya Allah we belong to you. Ya Allah help us love you ya Allah. Help us submit to you ya Allah. Help us taste the sweetness of Islam ya Allah. Help us taste the sweetness of iman ya Allah. Ya Allah Ramadan has disappeared ya Allah but you are still with us ya Allah. Help us continue to do three things after Ramadan. Help us continue to have a portion from the Quran. Have a portion from the slayam. And have a portion from the qiyam. Ramadan has finished and went away. But ya Allah help us every day read some Quran. And every month fast something. And every day, every night pray at least to raka'z ya Allah. Ya Allah as a group we are turning to you. We are committing to you and turning to you ya Allah as a group. And we are submitting to you. And we promise to commit to you until our last breath. And we promise ya Allah when we make mistakes to turn back to you. To follow our mistakes with something beautiful. And we commit ya Allah to fix and connect these severed relationships ya Allah. Ya Allah it's going to hurt us to make that phone call but we will make that phone call ya Allah. And fix that severed relationship for your sake ya Allah. For your sake. And we ask you from that ya Allah to give us jannah. And our parents jannah. And our grandparents jannah. And those who have passed away from our family jannah. Amin. Amin. Amin. And protect our teachers and protect our scholars. Amin. Amin. Amin. And send peace and blessings on our beloved Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Subhana rabbika rabbil azzati. Amin. And send peace and blessings on our beloved Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.