ICC | Assalamu Alaikum and Eid Mubarak everyone! I hope you all are enjoying the festivities, I don't really know what I mean when I say "festivities", I guess we meet, greet, and eat on Eid, sounds like a good plan. Anyway, today I went to ICC for Jummah, and the khutbah was really nice. What? Don't believe me? Read for yourself! |

Allah has given us these days [Day of Arafat, Eid al Adha],
If we look at Ibrahim (A)'s life and the sacrifices and how much he had to give up. His whole life was a test.
He lived in a house that did not worship Allah, but he left it, leaving your family and the tradition you were brought up in is extremely hard to do. He continued to be tested even after this huge test. These tests were a sign and showed how much he loved god. This example was followed by his children and his descendants, namely the Prophet (S).
Not only did he have to leave his home and go to war against his own people like Prophet Ibrahim, he went through test after test.
Through those tests it shows how much a person can endure and be elevated by Allah, this is an example for us.
Khatib recited an ayah from Surah Inshara:
We can say, "They are prophets, so they are protected." But we have many people in this world that endure so much but keep their imam, for the love of God.
This day is a day to think of the example and legacy of Prophet Ibrahim (A) and the Prophet Muhammad (S).
There won't be a single person who isn't tested.
This dunya (world, life) is a test. It's designed that way. If we go through this test properly Allah promises us eternal paradise.
If I claim I did this test, such as pay a parking ticket, if I go to court, I have to provide the evidence.
In this dunya. When we go to the court of God, our trials are our evidence, these tests are the evidence.
Allah will have all the evidence to tell between those who are telling the truth and those who are lying.
Sometimes these tests are very evident for us, like waking up for fajr (morning prayer). There are tests that are very clear and those that are not. We may not now we are going through a test and we might fail it.
Certain financial transactions, relationships we have with people, if we read Qur'an, go to the mosque are all tests demonstrating how much we love Allah.
We love our time in this world, we like to have a good time and that's human nature. We are created to do the least work possible [referring to our animal state). Time is given to each of us as a test, how do we spend our time? Sinning or worshiping?
Relationships are a test. It's a mercy we are not asked to sacrifice our children. God could have easily asked us to sacrifice our children to show our love for Him, but we don't have to do that, we are given an example in Prophet Ibrahim. It's a mercy that God allows us to sacrifice an animal instead. Spend some money and time and even use that meat ourselves.
Sometimes we have to sacrifice for the sake of God.
One little drop of saltwater, a tear, that you shed in Arafat is enough to wipe away a lifetime of sins.
He has given us these tests and we have to give up some of these things.
Are we giving back? Are we proving our love to Him. Is there some money we can give back to Him [charity] or some time that we are wasting that can be used for God.
May god hive us the tawfiq to recognize the legacy of Prophet Ibrahim (A) and our Prophet (S). May He help us to pass these tests. And love God so that he will love us in return.
Eid Mubarak.
On a side note, it was nice to see so many men covering their heads, it's not common to see men wearing topix or kufis or turbans. Speaking from a traditional standpoint, it would not befit a mosque-goer to attend any prayer without their head covered.
ICC is probably the most open to this, I know MEC and MCC make a big fuss over it. I have been unjustly chastised for wearing a turban at MCC. People really need to take a chill pill. How you like that 90's slang? It's good right? Still works. Anyway, time to eat some mutton! EID MUBARAK! |