The Christchurch Mosque Massacre: Pain, Certitude, and Positive Concern
Shaykh Faraz relates this to a relevant passage from the Qur’an:
“Do not think of those who have been killed in God’s way as dead. They are alive with their Lord, well provided for, happy with what God has given them of His favour; rejoicing that for those they have left behind who have yet to join them there is no fear, nor will they grieve; rejoicing in God’s blessing and favour, and that God will not let the reward of the believers be lost.”
“Do not think of those who have been killed in God’s way as dead. They are alive with their Lord, well provided for, happy with what God has given them of His favour; rejoicing that for those they have left behind who have yet to join them there is no fear, nor will they grieve; rejoicing in God’s blessing and favour, and that God will not let the reward of the believers be lost.”
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah
00:08All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds
00:11The Sustainer of the heavens and the earth
00:14The Sustainer of all creation
00:17The Sender of the Messengers, the Merciful to the worlds
00:21O Allah, send blessings and peace and blessings upon our Master and Prophet Muhammad
00:28The Master of the first and the last
00:30The Imam of the pious
00:31And upon his family, his companions and his followers until the Day of Judgment
00:57So seek the remembrance of Allah
01:27Sometimes big and sometimes small
01:30Sometimes obvious and sometimes we are not even sure why we feel troubled
01:38Why we feel down
01:41But this is the nature of this life
01:44Allah SWT tells us in the Quran
01:50Allah is the One, He tells us Himself
01:53Allah SWT in Surah Al-Mulk
01:56Who has created death and life
02:02To try you as a test
02:07And Balaa is a tribulation, it's an intense test
02:14It's not just a small end of the week test
02:18It's like the final examination
02:20It's a big test, it's a big exam
02:23To examine you
02:25Like a test just tests a few things
02:28An examination is thorough
02:31To truly examine you
02:34And what is the examination?
02:38Which of you is best in action?
02:43And because of this, the believer approaches the trials and tests
02:51The difficulties in life with perspective
02:55With perspective
02:57One of the beautiful things about our beloved Prophet SAW
03:01And everything about our beautiful and beloved Prophet SAW is beautiful
03:08Sayyiduna Anas once said
03:11I was walking outside one night
03:14When the moon was full
03:17And I was looking at the moon
03:21And sometimes we don't appreciate the full moon
03:24Because in the city, the artificial light sometimes drown out
03:29The natural beauty of the sky
03:32The natural beauty of the moon when it's full
03:36Medina didn't have this kind of lighting
03:40And sometimes it's good to go out
03:43Outside the city and reflect on nature
03:47Reflect on this creation of Allah SWT
03:51So Sayyiduna Anas was looking at the full moon
03:55And then he saw the Prophet SAW pass by
04:00And he said, so I began looking from the full moon
04:03In it's radiant beauty
04:05And the beautiful face of the Prophet SAW
04:08And I could not distinguish which was more radiant
04:13Because of how beautiful our beloved Prophet SAW was in form and in character
04:20The Sahaba though found it strange
04:24That the Prophet SAW would frequently cry
04:30At worldly events that would take place
04:33When his own son Ibrahim died in near infancy
04:43The Prophet SAW cried
04:46And Sayyiduna Umar Ibn Al Khattab
04:50This paragon of the strong believer was surprised
04:55But the beauty of the prophetic teachings
04:58Sayyiduna Umar did not hesitate to ask the one crying
05:02The beloved Messenger of Allah SAW
05:04That oh Messenger of Allah, what makes you cry?
05:08Because he thought if you have faith
05:10Then nothing should move you at all
05:15And the Prophet SAW said, truly the eyes tear
05:22And the heart feels the pain
05:26But we do nothing that displeases our Lord
05:31Similarly when Sayyiduna Sa'd was sick
05:38And he was so sick that people thought he's dying
05:41In fact when the Prophet SAW went to see him
05:44You could say he'd croaked
05:47People thought, khalas he's dead
05:50And they said, he's dead
05:52And the Prophet SAW said, no he's not
05:55But then he started crying
05:58And several companions were wondering, why is he crying?
06:02And there's many instances of that
06:06Of the capacity to feel pain
06:09Why? Because our beloved Messenger SAW
06:12Is the Messenger of beautiful balance
06:15And we see in his example
06:18How we deal with trials and tests and tribulations
06:23Throughout his life
06:26The ninth year after the message came to him
06:31When they were still in Mecca
06:33That year is referred to as
06:37The year of sorrow
06:41Because in that year the Prophet SAW suffered two great losses
06:46He lost his uncle
06:49Who was like his father
06:51Quraysh used to refer to his uncle Abu Talib as his father
06:59And they referred to the Prophet SAW
07:02Tell your son
07:04Because he was the guardian of the Prophet SAW
07:07He was the one who raised him in his household
07:11He passed away
07:14And then Sayyidah Khadijah Al-Kubra
07:17The first believer
07:19And these were two great worldly
07:21And in the case of Sayyidah Khadijah
07:23Spiritual supports
07:25Not just for the Prophet SAW but for the community
07:28And it was not just, oh well they're dead
07:31Oh sorry, let's do this and that
07:33He felt the pain
07:37And we have many lessons in how we respond from this
07:44So when we witness distressful things
07:48Whether around us in the world
07:50Like what happened in one of the most beautiful countries in the world
07:54New Zealand
07:55And Allah SWT has blessed this servant
07:59To have visited New Zealand repeatedly
08:02On teaching trips there
08:04And have many friends across New Zealand
08:09And many wonderful experiences
08:12Both of the country but also of that beautiful community
08:16And it is natural
08:18And we have people from New Zealand right here in this mosque
08:22In our midst who have family there
08:25Who have close relatives there
08:29Who have friends and others and they don't know
08:32Whether even their immediate circle has experienced loss
08:36How do we deal with this?
08:39The believer realizes that we respond to things at three levels
08:46In our heart we feel sorrow and pain
08:52But that's not the only response of the believer
08:56The heart has an aspect that is emotional
09:03But we also have an aspect of the heart that is spiritual
09:09And Allah SWT has blessed us with minds by which to think
09:15And by which to balance out the emotional and the spiritual
09:20And the practical
09:23So we respond to things with our emotions
09:27And with our spiritual faith
09:31And we channel these practically with our thinking
09:39And how do we do this?
09:42Let's look briefly at the Quran
09:45Because it is the best of speech
09:49Allah SWT tells us
09:52Regarding those who are wrongfully killed
09:56Regarding those who are martyred
09:59In Surah Ali Imran Allah SWT says
10:03وَلَا تَحْزَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتًا
10:09Do not imagine that those who are killed
10:14In the path of Allah
10:16In the path of Allah's pleasure
10:18And this can refer to those who are in genuine jihad
10:21But anyone directed to anything pleasing to Allah Most High
10:27And then who were wrongfully killed
10:32Or who died in that state
10:34Allah SWT, the Lord of the world says
10:37Do not deem them dead
10:42Why?
10:44Because Allah SWT tells us
10:47بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ
10:51Rather they are alive with their Lord
10:56And are provided for
10:58They are alive with their Lord
11:01And are provided for
11:03Without that faith
11:06That gives us life
11:08Without that consciousness
11:10That there is a hereafter
11:12This world is miserable
11:15We look with the eye of faith
11:17Yes, we feel the pain for the loss of those
11:20Who have experienced loss
11:22But that pain is tempered
11:25With the spiritual calm
11:28And contentment
11:29And certitude
11:32That we have a Lord
11:33And they have a Lord
11:35There is a hereafter
11:37And the merciful Lord
11:39Mighty and majestic
11:42Is the most just
11:44The most merciful and the most generous
11:46Yes, they suffered
11:49They lost their lives
11:52But they are alive with their Lord
11:54And provided for
11:57And not just that
11:58Allah SWT describes for us
12:00Their state
12:02فَرِحِينَ بِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ
12:07Rejoicing
12:10In what Allah has granted them
12:13Of His favor
12:15Of His honor
12:16His fadl
12:19So we feel the pain
12:21But we recognize the mercy
12:24We recognize the mercy
12:28وَيَسْتَبْشِرُونَ بِاللَّذِينَ لَمْ يَلْحَقُ بِهِمْ
12:32مِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ
12:34And they rejoice
12:36And those who suffered loss
12:38Rejoice
12:39يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ
12:40They take a bishara
12:41They take glad tidings
12:43From those who remain behind
12:47After them
12:48Why?
12:49Because when they look back
12:53They look back
12:55At their families
12:57At their communities
12:59At their ummah
13:00They see families of faith
13:03Community of faith
13:05And ummah of faith
13:08We are people who respond with faith
13:10We feel the pain
13:11We respond with faith
13:13So therefore we are saddened
13:15But content
13:17Saddened
13:19But certain
13:21Saddened
13:22But unshaken
13:24So
13:26In looking back
13:28Those who were lost
13:31Who were martyred
13:33Who suffered
13:35They look back
13:36And they rejoice with what they have with their Lord
13:39And they rejoice at what they see
13:41Of the states of the believers
13:43That are here
13:48أَلَّا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ
13:51وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
13:53And
13:54Affirming that there is nothing to fear for them
13:57And they will not grieve
14:00So that's theirs
14:01The ones who suffered loss
14:02This is what their state is affirming
14:05How do we know?
14:06Our Lord tells us
14:08They say
14:09Do not fear for us
14:12And we have nothing that we are grieving about
14:16So we do feel the pain of that loss
14:19And we realize we have responsibilities
14:22But we can never be dejected
14:26يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ بِنِعْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَفَضْلٍ
14:31وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
14:35And Allah continues
14:37To detail the states of those who are lost
14:40Why?
14:41Because for the living
14:43The pain of loss is intense
14:48And we should be grateful for feeling intensity of pain
14:52Because that is the beginning of mercy
14:54Mercy is softness of the heart
14:59That's the beginning of mercy
15:01If you can't feel
15:03Then you're not really human
15:06You're not really human
15:09Right?
15:12So
15:14What do they declare?
15:16They are rejoicing in mercy from Allah and in His bounty
15:22And that Allah does not allow
15:26Any of the actions of believers to go unrewarded
15:33Imagine
15:34People who went to Friday prayer
15:37The greatest act of worship of the whole week
15:41We feel the pain
15:43We feel the fear
15:44That oh my goodness what happened
15:46But
15:48What better state to die than to die on a Friday
15:52Headed there for the Friday prayer
15:56In a house of Allah
16:00And then for one's life to be taken wrongfully
16:03Spiritually we see the honor of that
16:07So let's not be dejected
16:08Let's not be down
16:09Because we are people of faith
16:12We feel the pain
16:15But that pain is channeled spiritually
16:18That we see that this is part of Allah's mercy
16:22And how do we channel it?
16:24We channel it through prayer
16:27And channel it through resolve
16:31To be strong both personally
16:33But as a community
16:34And we are blessed communities
16:36Sometimes we take it for granted
16:39I was up at night because I have friends
16:42Across New Zealand
16:44But subhanAllah
16:46The Muslim Council of Peel
16:48There's a WhatsApp group
16:49And they're going back and forth immediately
16:52There's a press release
16:54They're contacting the police
16:56They're contacting politicians
16:58I felt sad for those politicians that late at night
17:01But you know
17:03People putting in a lot of effort on our part
17:07So we say okay
17:09Instead of worrying
17:11The believer does not worry
17:12The believer has concern
17:15The difference between worry and concern
17:17Is worry just leads to fear
17:19Concern leads to plan and action
17:24What am I supposed to do?
17:25I'm supposed to renew my faith
17:27And I'm supposed to see
17:28What should I be doing in my life
17:30At work
17:31I need to be a lot more open as a believer
17:34Don't just hang out with the other fellow Muslims
17:36Share your food with others
17:38Have conversations with others
17:40Be a believer with others
17:44With your excellence of character
17:46You are an ambassador of faith
17:48Renew your commitment for that embassy
17:52Likewise
17:54In the community
17:55Give up your time
17:57All our institutions in this community
17:59Need human capacity
18:03Human resources
18:04You may have
18:05It's easy to say
18:06Well such and such masjid
18:07Their website is not good
18:08You may be able to help with that
18:10So and so
18:11Well they don't do this
18:12They don't do that
18:13We're not
18:14There is no reward for critics
18:18There is reward for effort
18:20So see what you can do
18:21With your time
18:23Give some of your time
18:24So that we can be a community
18:26That is strong
18:27Contribute to the wider society
18:30Because that's part of what faith entails
18:33Faith entails
18:34Having concern for all living beings
18:39And likewise
18:40Support those who are in our community
18:46In the service of humanity
18:48You don't know how to do it yourself
18:50There are loads of institutions in our community
18:52That are funding hospitals
18:55Feeding the poor and the homeless
18:58We have counseling services
19:00There's all kinds of services
19:02That are emerging in the community
19:04Give of your time what you can
19:06Give of your money
19:08And if you've done that part
19:10Then after that
19:11What do we declare?
19:13حسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل
19:16Allah is our sufficiency
19:19And Allah is the best of guardians
19:22Allah is our sufficiency
19:24حسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل
19:28And this is something that the early Muslims
19:30This is from the same verses from Surah Ali Imran
19:33When we feel shaken
19:34What do we do?
19:37Take it
19:38Don't deny your emotions
19:40Don't deny your emotions
19:43Because they're part of mercy
19:47But look also at the spiritual dimension
19:50That this is from Allah
19:51There is a hereafter
19:53There is reckoning
19:54There is mercy
19:56There is wisdom
19:58So consign those
20:01Don't drag yourself down to worries
20:05But channel the pain
20:08And the spiritual realization towards concern
20:11What am I to do as an individual
20:14With my time
20:16With what Allah has blessed me with
20:18And with my wealth
20:19Towards the good
20:22And do it
20:24And then after that
20:25حسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل
20:28Allah is enough for us
20:30And He is the best of guardians
20:32And those who do this
20:34Allah SWT says
20:36Their affair will turn over
20:38Into blessing
20:40Bounty from Allah
20:42And you are enveloped in mercy
20:45If that's how you respond
20:49You're enveloped in mercy
20:51May Allah SWT make us true servants
20:54Of the all merciful
20:56And respond as mercy dictates
21:00وصلى الله على سيدنا محمد وآله وسلم
21:02استغفر الله لي ولكم
21:04فاستغفروا إنه غفور رحيم
21:06الحمد لله رب العالمين
21:07وصلى الله وسلم
21:08مبارك على سيدنا محمد
21:10وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم
21:13So anytime practically you're troubled
21:17Remember, don't deny the pain
21:19Whether it's events around you
21:21Or something painful in your own life
21:23Don't deny the pain
21:25But connect it to your faith in Allah SWT
21:28Your realization that there's a hereafter
21:30That there's a reward in steadfastness and patience
21:33And then consider
21:34How does Allah seek for me to respond actively
21:39And that is concern
21:41That is concern and that is blessed
21:44Also remember that Allah SWT tells us in the Qur'an
21:47Regarding the faithful servants of Allah
21:50That إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُم مُصِيبًا
21:52When distressful things happen
21:54And this is not only about for death
21:56But it's about other difficulties and distresses
21:59Something sad happens in your life
22:01Some troubles, some trials
22:04They say
22:05إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
22:08Truly we are Allah's
22:10And truly to Allah are we returning
22:14And reflect on that
22:17It's a sunnah to repeat
22:19These statements of remembrance
22:21حَسْبُنَ اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ
22:22Allah is our sufficiency
22:25And Allah is the best of guardians
22:28Truly we are Allah's
22:30إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
22:33And truly to Him are we returning
22:35But let's return in states pleasing to Him
22:39By seeing what are we to do
22:41And do not be shaken by these things
22:44Because this is the nature of this life
22:46There is nobody in life who does not face difficulties
22:52So may Allah grant us strength and mercy
23:23وَلَا إِلَىٰ أَحَدٍ مِنْ خَلْقِكَ طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ وَلَا قَلَّ مِنْ ذَٰلِكَ
23:26O Allah we ask you for mercy for ourselves
23:28And mercy for our families
23:29And mercy for our communities
23:31And mercy for those who have experienced loss
23:33And we ask you for strength and protection
23:36And right response
23:38And that we shed all fears and worries
23:42But rather we channel our concern
23:46In the ways most pleasing to you
23:48That we respond with faith
23:50And with certitude
23:51With contentment
23:52With steadfastness
23:54With gratitude
23:55That we appreciate your blessings
23:57And renew our urgency
23:59To be true ambassadors
24:01Of your beloved Messenger
24:04The Messenger of Truth
24:07The Messenger of Beauty
24:08The Messenger of Mercy
24:10The Messenger of Virtue
24:12The Messenger of Goodness
24:14The Messenger of Concern
24:15And peace and blessings be upon him and his family and companions
24:19And all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds