 Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim, wa sallatu wa sallamu ala as-shif al-anbiya wal-mursaleen Sayyidina Muhammad wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa sallim al-ameen. We begin in the name of Allah Subh'ana wa Ta'ala, the most compassionate, the most merciful. Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah. It's a great blessing to be able to pray Isha'ah in congregation in the Bashar. It's a great blessing to be able to pray behind Qada Umar and to listen to the recitation of the Qur'an. It's a great blessing to join together with other Muslims in a time of difficulty. And it's a great blessing even to recognize that it's a blessing. Alhamdulillah. And sometimes when we're dealing with very difficult things, it may seem inappropriate to mention blessings, but it's a good reminder to the believers. And it's a way that we can strengthen one another. Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la says, Al-Mu'minina wa al-Mu'minat ba'aluhum awliya wa ba'af. The believing men and the believing women are supporters of one another. One of the ways that we can support each other is by consoling one another. So when we're witnessing what's happening right now in Mzazza, and we all know that it didn't start a week ago or two weeks ago, but our brothers and sisters there have been suffering occupation and brutality and the stealing of their land and ethnic cleansing now for over 75 years. So it didn't start two weeks ago, but it's read such a level of horror that the whole world is watching in disbelief. And everyone with iman in their heart watches this and we feel pain. We find it difficult to go about our daily lives. We can't just eat ice cream and drink cappuccinos and go to work. All the things that we normally do, we can't just go along with our daily lives when we know that our brothers and sisters are suffering unspeakable horrors. And that, unfortunately, the government that we pay our taxes to is supporting that horror. So we have to do a lot of things. There's a lot of dimensions to this Dean of ours, the outward and the inward. So there are many actions that we need to take outwardly as a way of an excuse to Allah, even if there's no tangible outcome from it, which inshallah there will be, but even if there's not as an excuse to Allah, so we can say we didn't turn a blind eye to the suffering of our brothers and sisters. We tried. We did something. We called our politicians. Even they didn't answer. We called. We left the voicemail. We sent an email. We protested. We donated to relief organizations. We donated to American Muslims from Palestine and care and other groups that are doing the important work on this issue. So that's part of it. And we should keep doing that, inshallah, and we should encourage one another to do that. But we also have to strengthen ourselves inwardly. And we also have to console one another and strengthen one another in this regard. So that's what I'm going to do, inshallah, a little bit here. And I'll also mention, Alhamdulillah, great appreciation for Brother Muneed and the MCC team. There's going to be multiple events in the next week about Palestine. The one that I'm most excited about is on Monday evening, we're going to have Dr. Hatim Bizian speaking here at 7 p.m. So I know it's a Monday evening, not the most convenient time, but I hope as many I'll be there, inshallah, and I hope to see as many of you as possible. And obviously, Dr. Hatim is a worldwide expert on this issue and I think will benefit a lot, learn from him in terms of the history and the politics and also framing it in terms of us as believing Muslims, inshallah. So I'm really very much looking forward to that. But the topic for what I'm going to speak about is going to be different. So I'm going to mention just some things that I was reflecting on myself that gave me some solace and I hope it can do the same for you, inshallah. So the first has to do with this hadith by the Prophet, peace be upon him, Qadir Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallamah, Salah al-Mu'mina fi tarahumihim wa tawaddihim wa ta'al-tufihim, Kamathari al-Jasadi al-Isstaka al-Udwan, Tada'a lahusa il-Jasadihi al-Sahri wal-Humma. Allah's Messenger, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallamah, said, The parable of the believers in their affection, mercy, and compassion for one another is that of a body. When any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever. So why can this hadith give us some solace in a time like this? Because the Prophet, peace be upon him, is describing the believers. He's describing the believers. So if we feel the pain of our brothers and sisters, and that's even a little bit, inshallah that's a sign of iman. That's a sign that we really believe what Allah SWT says, which is they are our brothers and sisters. They are our brothers and sisters in iman. And when they are in pain, we are also in pain. And not just our brothers and sisters in al-Qasda. Obviously, we feel, and I've seen some of the horrors coming out of the oppression of our Muslim brothers and sisters in India by the Modi regime, and these people who hate Muslims and openly show their hatred for Islam. Or our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan who are affected by the earthquake, or our brothers and sisters in Iraq, we're all over the Muslim world. So when we see those things and it hurts us, that's a sign, inshallah, of iman. So we can take some solace in that, because there's nothing more important than iman. That's, iman is the criteria for entering jinnah. Iman, and then righteous actions. And jinnah is the most important thing. The acceptance of Allah is the most important thing. So, you know, one of the things that there's a lot of lessons to take from that hadith, but that's one that sticks out to me is that, inshallah, if you've been disturbed by this, if you're horrified by this, it's a sign that our hearts are alive, Alhamdulillah. There's some part of our heart that's alive, that's connected to Allah and connected to the love of the Ummah of Rasulullah. The second hadith that I wanted to mention, Qadr Rasulullah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallamah, in Hajj al-wada'a, ala inna ahram al-ayyami yawmikum haadah, ala wa inna ahramal shukhuri shahrukum haadah, ala wa inna ahramal baladi baladukum haadah, ala wa inna dima'ukum wa amwalukum, alaykum haramun kya hurmati yawmikum haadah, fi shahrikum haadah, fi baladi kum haadah, ala halbalagdu qalu na'am, qalu allahum mashhad. The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, has said during the farewell pilgrimage. So the context in this hadith is really incredible because the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, is obviously Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, who created time and space and the universe of everything in existence, of all of the creations of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, including his aarush, including his kursi, the greatest of the creations of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, is Muhammad alayhi wa sallam, our beloved Messenger. And that man who is the greatest of all of the creations of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, is saying in the farewell hedge in the last year of his life, on the most holy day, in the most holy place, in the most holy month, he's mentioning this hadith. He's mentioning this point, which he says, he asked the people, and these are rhetorical questions that he asked them, and he says, is not the most sacred of your days. This day, you know what I'm saying? It's not the most sacred of your months, this month, Dhul-Hijjah, is not the most sacred of your lands, this land. And then he says, your blood and your wealth are as sacred as this day of yours in this month of yours, in this land of yours. So the blood and the wealth of the believers are sacred, are priceless in the eyes of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. So sometimes it hurts us because we see that the world doesn't value the blood of the Muslims. But even if they don't value it, the one who created the whole world values it. He says that it's priceless, it's sacred. It's as sacred as the most sacred place on the most sacred day in the most sacred month. So sometimes, you know, we need to be reminded, we need to read the Quran, we need to listen to the words of our Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, to be reminded of the ultimate reality because what we see doesn't match that. So this also can bring some solace to the believers to know that regardless of what the people say and do, even if nobody sees that value, which they do, Alhamdulillah, we have Muslims all over the world who see that value. Even if nobody sees it, Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says it and he mentions it and he's telling us. He's telling us that Allah, that he loves these people. And if you've seen the reactions of our brothers and sisters there who their children die and they are stable in their Eman. And they're saying, Alhamdulillah, and they're making dua for us. So the people there, they have shown their Eman and they are strong in their Eman and we ask that they're an inspiration for us. So may Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, make us among the people of Eman. And the last point that I'll mention or related to that point actually, I'll mention one ayah of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says, Never say that those who are martyred in the cause of Allah are dead. In fact, they are alive, but you do not perceive it. So again and again, Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is telling us that you may see something but there's a deeper reality that we don't perceive. And so those people who are dying there, they are shuhadaa. May Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, reunite us with them in Jannah. And the last point that I'll mention is something that I think a lot of us can relate to, which is that one of the ways that you can console somebody who's suffering a very difficult loss is to remind each other that it can always be worse. It's always possible to be worse. So Abdullah ibn Abbas said that in every worldly affliction, there's at least three blessings. The first one is that it could have been worse. I never think that it can't be worse because it can be worse. So the first blessing is it could be worse. And the second blessing is that it happened in our dunya and not in our deen. So it matters of dunya, so if you lost wealth or health or anything else, at least it wasn't your iman. And iman is the most important thing. And the third one is that it was in this life and not in the akhirah. Because this life is temporary and it ends. But if there's an affliction in the akhirah, that's eternal. So, Alhamdulillah, that hadith that meant that statement of Ibn Abbas with La'am who reminded me that the greatest affliction to ever come upon the Ummah of Rasulullah A.S. is the death of Muhammad A.S. He's the one who, he's the reason we have an Ummah. He's the reason we know La ilaha illallah. And he passed away. And because that was such a great affliction, it could only be dealt with by the best people after the Prophet Bashar al-Sahada, La ilaha illallah. And the way they responded to the death of the Prophet A.S. in their courage, in their steadfastness, in their commitment to Allah and his messenger even after his death, in their fidelity to him, they are an example for us. Because if they hadn't reacted to that catastrophe, with courage and with resilience, none of us would be Muslim. None of us would know the Qur'an. None of us would know the hadith. All of that comes to us, to the Sahabah of La'am. So, witnessing or reminding ourselves of greater tribulations that the Muslims have faced in the past and have overcome can also strengthen us and remind us that if we hold fast to the rope of Allah, if we are steadfast in our commitment to Allah and his messenger and we are true in our commitment to our brothers and sisters, we can, insha'Allah, make this tribulation a source of benefit for us on Yawm al-Tiyanah, that we can say, we loved our brothers and sisters and we did what we could. Whatever we could do, we did it. We made dua, we prayed, we fasted, we donated, we protested, we called. Whatever we could do, we did it. And at least in that sense, we have an excuse in front of Allah, Az-Zawaja. So, I already took up too much of your time. Jazakum Allah khair. And... Jazakum Allah khair. JazakAllah khair, Dr. Asad. I just want to read this ayah and Dr. Sahab would read English, insha'Allah. I know everyone gets hurt and everyone is sad. Okay? So, Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala said in the Qur'an, wa la tahinu wa la tahzalu wa an tumul a'launa in kuntul mu'miniya. Which means? So, do not weaken and do not grieve and you will be superior if you are true believers. Alhamdulillah, this is a word from Allah because anything happened, Allah allowed that to happen. So, I know it's very hard to see the children, but Allah is more... Insha'Allah. So, why that's happened? The next ayah, insha'Allah, is going to explain, insha'Allah. It says, If a wound should touch you, there has already touched the opposing people a wound similar to it. And these days of varying conditions, we alternate them among the people so that Allah may make evident those who believe and may take to Himself from among you martyrs. And Allah does not like the wrongdoers. Martyrs, Shuhadah, we are mad, sad, and they are happy. And it goes on, alhamdulillah. So, every one of us wishes to enter a Jannah and the Jannah is in, you know, you pay price for it. And this is what the ayah talks about. Waliyumahis Allahul Izzat wa yamhaqal ka'a Tum an tadkhulul jannatah walamma ya'alamillahul ladina ja'adhu meekum wa ya'alama al-sabiri. And that Allah may purify the believers and destroy the disbelievers. Or do you think that you will enter paradise while Allah has not yet made evident those of you who fight in His cause and made evident those who are steadfast? So, inshaAllah, I know, human, we get sad, we get mad, but Allah allows this to happen as, you know, the test for us to see what we can do as Dr. Saad. Alhamdulillah, we should do what we can do. We should call and help and make dua, inshaAllah. And we have to wake up and know Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, he's a great. He can save things. When there is no more Muslims to save, he can do it by himself. Well, you know, all of us, we know the story of elephants. When elephants came to destroy Ka'bah, there was no believers at that time to, you know, to defend the Ka'bah. Allah defend the Ka'bah by himself. He stopped the elephant and he sent his army, birds, tyrants, ababis, to defend. But now Allah wants, there are many Muslims. They need to do something, they need to talk about it. We are against killing any innocent people, no matter where they are. But unfortunately, what we do, before the war, only man and man, now women and children are getting killed for no reason. Children are scared. We see some videos, Subhanallah. I don't know how this world is. You know, we can't even sleep these days. So, let's recite, yes, inshaAllah, in our prayer tonight. What intention that Allah will bring, inshaAllah. Victory to our brothers in Gaza, Palestine, and also to make attention, Allah SWT will free the Aqsa Mosque, inshaAllah. Make attention, we can go there and pray Turk, inshaAllah. What he can, ayaa, monuda, we loha, baina, nas. Yes, it's our time now, we see in what's happening for more than 75 years, inshaAllah, it's not going to continue. Nothing will continue. Al-Dholm will never continue. Allah SWT will bring victory. But we have to wake up and realize that we should do more toward Allah SWT. We should worship Allah SWT more, unlove him, unlove each other to be united, inshaAllah, as one body and as a doctor said, inshaAllah, one body Muslim. So, we should do that. Starting here from this mosque, inshaAllah. We should feel like we are one body. And, Alhamdulillah, there is very good share in Muslims. They are helping with their money, they are helping with... I think that's great, inshaAllah. Let's continue to do that, love each other and get to each other like one body, inshaAllah. Jazapullah khair. InshaAllah, let's do some four rakats, you know. Just let's relax, don't be in hurry. Make sure you have ozo. You need to go to the bathroom, go now. So, it's a little bit long. It's not going to take more than 35 minutes for it. InshaAllah, let's be with Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala. Let's think more, we are in insala, which is we live the dunya, we live everything. We just, inshaAllah, focus on Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala. And ask Him from all your hearts, your body, that to bring, inshaAllah, the victory to all Muslims anywhere in the world. Make it easier. As doctor said, a lot of things happen to Muslims you know what happened in Libya, in Morocco, and in Afghanistan now, in the other countries, Palestine, Yemen, Iraq, Syria. So, let's ask Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala. It's never too late, let's ask Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala. Allah ta'ala, Allah ta'ala, and more. I was watching this kid, he was playing something, just came to my mind. And he was hitting this rack many, many, many times. He doesn't get destroyed until like, many times, he said subhanAllah. We make du'a one time, we want the du'a to be answered. Look this guy how many times he was eating. That's it. So it looks like we need more, inshaAllah. More du'a, okay? So we need more than Arab du'a, inshaAllah. Then Allah will answer. Because Allah said, He will answer your du'a, inshaAllah. Zatmallah. I'm sorry to keep you here, inshaAllah. Salatu jami'a, inshaAllah. Qaretaib, come here please. There's any Hafid also. Look, this one is good, this is good. Staqimu atadilu, please make the line straight. Al-Ratim, mustaqim, saddaa, fa aghshaynaum, fa umlaa yubasiroon. Wa sawad niqra wa khashiyar rahman abil ghaib. Fabashirahubi, wa ajrim hi il-mawta. Wa kulla shay'in ahsaynaaw fi. Abwarib la wumma tala al-asha. Zazla bi thali abasharun shay'in rahman min shay'in in'aa takdiboon. La narju manirukum ma aakum aakum. Bal aakusul madinati rajulu hi yashaa. Wa la ya qawmit tabi'u al-mursali. Yas'alukum aajra bi wa ilay'i turja'u. Takd min rahmanun ni shafaatum shay'u wa la yumtidun. In'a kum fa sma'u ila dkhul il-jadin as-sirata al-mustaqeem. Sira as-sama'a hata wa ahidatun. Fa izahum khabi ahasratan ala al-aibaa. Ma ati'im mir rasul ila kanubi yas tahz'u. Wa ja'alna fi aajan wa min anfusim. Yunas lahumil naslahumil na haara fa izahum muzlimun. Wa shamsu tadjereel mustaqaril lahaa. Lalika taqadil as-sirata aadaka al-arjunil qadeem. La shamsu yamil saabqun wa kullun fi falaki yasbah. Wa aayatul laum anfulkil mash'un. Wa khalaqana laumlihi ma yarkabun. Wa inna sh'annu ghruqun fa la sarikh laum walahu rahmatan. Wa mata'an ilaheen. Wa idha qeel laum uttakum a bayna aideen. Fa kum la'anlakum tur hamoon. Wa ma ati'im min aayat. Min aayat rabbihim ila kanu anhab wa aridin. Wa idha qeel laum anfikum ima razakakum. Allah khala al-ladeena kafaru. Wa nuta'imu man law yashaa Allahu at'ama. In an'atum imubin. Wa yakul wa adu'in kuntum sadiqin. Ma yalla sayhatan wahidatan. T'akhudum wa hum yakhissimun. La sayhatan wahidatan. T'akhudum wa hum yakhissimun. Fa la yas-tati'oon tausiyatun. Wa la ila ahleem yarji'oon. Wa nufiqafis sarin al-ajda siloon. Qalu ya wa ilana ma min marqadina. Hada ma wa adar rahman wa sadaqal mursaloon. In kanat illa sayhatan wahidatan. Fa idha hum jamia mohbaroon. Fa liyawm la tublam nafsun shay'aa. Wa la tujzaun illa ma kuntum ta'maloon. Wa la huwa kbar. Sami'Allahu liman hamidah. As-salah din al-sharat al-mustaqeem. Sharat al-ladina an'am maghdoobi an'afi shughul ibn faqih. Wa azwajum fi d-raheem. Wa mta'zul yawma ayyuha al-mujrim. Abud al-shaytaan mustaqeem. Afalam ta'qulu ta'qeem. Islahu hal yawma bi maa kuntum takfiruim wa tukalimun. Wa tashadu arjunum sibun. Walawna shay'in fa astabaq al-sirata fa anna yubasiruim. Fa mas taqaaoom adiyan wa la yarji'oom. Kisoo fi al-khamidah. Immaniki yawka nasta'een. Ihdina al-sirata al-mustaqeem wa masyarib wa afa la yashkuru. Al-sirahum yastaqii'oom al-sirahum. Wahum lahum jum halakanaahum min l-lutfah. Min la khasimum na matalaan wa nasiyahalqah. Walawna shaa'a min al-shajar al-akhbar naraan. Fa idha yakhalqa al-samaa bi qadir. Bi qaa balaa wa huwa al-khalaad as-shay'an aayih. Fa subhanal adiyy bi yadiyy malakutu kulli shay'in wa ilayhi to makbar. As-salamu alaykum wa abud wa iyaykin asta'een. Ihdina al-sirata al-mustaqeem wa sirata al-ladina an'am. Illaa maa shaa'a Allahum al-jahra wa maa yahfaa. Wa nuyassirka lilyusra. Yadzakkar maa yahshaa. Wa yatajannabuha al-ashqaa. Al-adiyy aslan nara al-kubra. Thumma wa la yahyaa. Qad aflah man tazakka wa dhakkar asma rabbi. Fa sualla. Bal tu'afirun al-hayat al-dumiyaa. Wa al-akhirat khairu wa abaqaa. Al-suhufi al-suhuf ibraheem wa musaq. Al-hamida. Wa kbar. Wa kbar. Wa kbar. Allah wa kbar. Al-hamdu lillahi. Al-Rahman al-Raheem. Maliki yawm al-deen. Iyaka na'bud wa iyaka nasta'een. Dina al-sirata al-mustaqeem. Siraata al-ladina an'am ta'al. Lakum deen ka nasta'een. Iyaka nasta'een. Siraata al-mustaqeem. Allah al-samad. Lamyalid wa lamyulad. Wa lam yakullahu kufu wa an'ahad. Qul a'udh bi-rabbil falaqa. Min sharrima khalaqa. Wa min sharri ghasiqin idha waqab. Wa min sharrin na'fathati fil aqad. Wa min sharri hasidin idha hasad. Qul a'udh bi-rabbin nasi malikin. Nasi inahi innaas. Min sharril wa swasil khannaas. Fal adi wa swisufi sudor innaas. Min al-jinn. Allahumma salli salli wa sallim. Nashkuru kawla. Al-kabar, al-kabar. As-salā, al-raḥmatu l-lā. Bismillāhi r-Raḥmā salli wa sallim. Wa barik ala sayyidinā wa habibinā muḥammadinā. Allahumma hdina fi man ha'dayt. Wa āfina fi man āfayyiklana fi man. Allahumma qinā wa srif'annā bi-raḥmatu kasharra wa su'a ma qadayt. Fa innaqt nastaghfiruqa Allahumma min jami'a ibn lūbi wa l-khatāyā. Nastaghfiruqa l-astaghfiruqa l-lā gani wa n'ahlu l-fūqa. Hamd hatta ta'rghā wa laka'l-hamdīt wa laka'l-hamdū ba'ad ar-rīqā. Ma laka'l-hamdū bil'īmān wa laka'l-hamdū bil'islam. Laka'l-hamdū kulluh wa laka'l-shukr kulluh. Wa ilayka yurja'u al-amr kulluh. Laka'l-hamdū bi-jami'a il-mahāmid. Subḥāna kala nuhsītana an-n'alayk. Anta kama an-nayti'a al-n'afsik. Allahumma yā wāsil al-munqatīn. Awsil lā an-n'sālih li'qarribu lā ilayk. Allahumma la tukhzina yawm al-hārḍi alayk. Allah al-hārḍi alayk. Wa la tukhzahna gadan bayna yadayk. Wa la bayna halkik. Allahumma n'as-tawdi an-n'sīrā. Allahumma n'as-tawdi an-n'sīrā. Allahumma khaffif an yas-sūdūrana. Wāsūdūrahum wa tashfi'a amr. Wa an-sūrum wa la tan-sūrā. Is tajib du'abatika yā lamin. Allahumma jamshabna al-musribīn. Fī jami'a al-arḍiyā rabbalā'a. Rabbana Ātina fī al-dunyā Ḥasana. Wa fī al-ākhirāt Ḥasana tawwā al-murḥibīn. Wa min sifqidimā il-āminīn. Allahumma n'attā'addi alā ahadim min khanqika ajma'īn. Yā hayy yā qayyūn yā dhal jalaam wa la izzat illa tīlā tū'ālamīn. Allahumma al-limnā dīlā ummar-zūqnā umma ibn kullā ʿakta'nā fā tajā wa l-ahsītā nā'an alik. Lā ilāha illā'an wa sallillā umma wa sallim wa bārik'ā lā sayyidina wa Ḥabībina ummad. Wa sallillā umma wa sallim wa bārik'ā lāhi wa ʿālih. Wa l-hamdu lillāhi rabbil ʿālil.