Mawlana Sheikh Mehmed Adil. Translations.

Our Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him – said: "What is halal is clear, and what is haram is also clear. In between, there are some doubtful things; beware of them." Why does he say that? Because there are things that are falsely considered to be acts of worship. They are not actually acts of worship, but it seems to people as if it were Sunnah or obligatory to perform them. Whoever performs these things believing them to be acts of worship commits a forbidden act and brings sin upon themselves. What exactly is meant by this? It is about mourning. One mourns for two to three days. One does not mourn anew every year. It is not right to constantly weep and wail out of grief. For this is the decree of Allah. Death is certain, and martyrdom is also certain. Therefore, it is not right to mourn for years and to drag the entire community into this mourning. Why are we talking about mourning right now? Because yesterday was Ashura, the day on which Sayyidina Husayn was martyred. There are people who weep, beat their chests in lamentation, and do similar things. Perhaps there are also some among us who think: "Let us mourn at least today." That is completely unnecessary and out of place. If such mourning were intended, the Companions would have mourned in this way after the death of our Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him. We follow their example. Since we follow the path they exemplified for us, we know that our Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him – forbade this. Our Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him – forbade this from the beginning. His path is clear and evident. Therefore, it is a great sin and a heavy burden to invent such customs from one's own mind and to sweep the entire community along with them. When sinners repent and ask for forgiveness, they are saved and cleansed of their sins. But whoever persists in this sin brings an even greater guilt upon themselves. That is why our Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him – said: When Allah's decree comes to pass, there is a three-day period of mourning; more than that is not necessary. The time for condolences is three days. More than that is not prescribed. Why? Because in life, a person still has other duties to fulfill. It is of no use to wear oneself out in such situations. One should say: "It is the decree of Allah, we submit to it," and continue with one's life. May Allah protect us. May He protect us from doing what is forbidden, believing that we are doing something good. Let us not torment ourselves pointlessly and sin in the process, believing we are doing something good, insha'Allah. May Allah protect us. Let us continue our lives on the right path – on the beautiful path that our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, has shown us, insha'Allah. May Allah enable us to be united forever in the hereafter with our beloved ones, with Sayyidina Hasan and Sayyidina Husayn, to dwell by the side of the martyrs and to attain their intercession, insha'Allah. Because that is exactly the most important thing. Also regarding their fate, we should say: "Allah has decreed it so, and so it happened." Through this, their spiritual rank has only become higher and more exalted. Let us make the intention and pray to be united with them in the hereafter, insha'Allah.

Today is the blessed day of Ashura. Our beloved Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) honored this beautiful day. He also instructed us to honor it, to fast on it in order to attain its blessings, to offer supplications, and to praise Allah. Ashura is truly such a special, blessed day. The day of Ashura falls on the 10th day of the month of Muharram. Ashura literally means "the tenth day". However, one should not fast only on this single day. Some already know this, while others do not. It is generally always better to fast for two days, but the Ashura fast should especially be observed on two consecutive days. One should fast on either the ninth and tenth or the tenth and eleventh day. On this day, Allah, the Exalted and Almighty, bestowed great grace upon mankind. The salvation of the prophets and their peoples, the spiritual elevation of the friends of Allah, the attainment of martyrdom – all this happened on this blessed day. Whoever honors this day will, inshaAllah, also have a share in these blessings. These blessed days are gifts from Allah, the Exalted and Almighty, to the Muslims, to the Ummah of Muhammad. We must honor them and utilize their blessings for ourselves. Is it bad if we neglect it? No, not doing it is not a sin. But whoever does it benefits immensely from it; it is a huge gain for the Hereafter. It would be very unwise to let such an opportunity slip away. Praise be to Allah, He has made us a part of the Ummah of Muhammad. In honor of our Prophet, He has also bestowed all these gifts upon his Ummah. For our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam), from his birth until the Day of Judgment, always thought of his community and prayed: "My Ummah, my Ummah." Because he is the most beloved servant of Allah, the Exalted and Almighty, He has also granted great gifts to his Ummah for his sake. Whoever wants these gifts accepts them. Whoever does not feel like it, they are not forced upon them. But in the end, one will bitterly regret it. They will say: "I have let so many opportunities pass by." "I followed foolish people." "I did not show our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) the due respect and did not follow his path," one will regret. Yet, in this worldly life, you could see everywhere how virtuous he is and how many people follow him. But you turned away and said: "I personally do not believe in these things." Instead, you ran after foolish people. You followed people who bring you absolutely no benefit. And then you die in the naive belief that you had achieved something in this world. But there, you suddenly wake up and cry out: "Allah, Allah, what have we done!" You think: "If only I could return and do better," but in vain – the chance is lost. You are then united with the people you loved in the world. If they are just as misguided as you are, you are lost. A person will be gathered with the one he loves. If the people he loves are in Hell, he too will be there. However, if he loves our Prophet, he will be saved. That is what it is about – nothing else. For whoever loves him, follows him and honors him. He does not fall for the talk of foolish people and does not throw himself into the Hellfire. Hell is the truth, and Paradise is the truth. This is not a game and not an entertainment. People must be very vigilant regarding this. In these end times, many – whether child, youth, or old person – knowingly or unknowingly speak ill of Islam and the path of our Prophet. They act as if believing people are ignorant, while they themselves supposedly have total clarity. For over a millennium, people have followed our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) – are you the only one who knows better? May Allah grant them intellect and guidance. They consider their disbelief to be a great achievement. They view it as a success to stray from the right path. May Allah improve their condition. In honor of this blessed day, may they find their way back to the true path and benefit from these gifts. Our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "When you pass by the gardens of Paradise, then partake abundantly from them." The Companions of the Prophet asked: "What are these gardens of Paradise?" He replied: "They are the gatherings of knowledge in which Allah is remembered and loved." Each of these gatherings is like a Paradise on earth; the true Paradise in the Hereafter is attained precisely through this. We ask Allah for guidance. Many families come to us and complain: "Our child has strayed from the right path." These children have become this way because they followed wrong role models. If they turn back now and repent, they will be saved. Whoever repents in this world finds salvation; repentance in the Hereafter, however, brings no more benefit. May Allah, in honor of today, grant our children guidance and grant us all strength and faith, inshaAllah. May He make us steadfast on His path, inshaAllah. In honor of this blessed day, of all martyrs, of the Master of Martyrs Hadhrat Hussein and all those who were with him, may guidance be granted to us all, inshaAllah. May we always walk on their path, inshaAllah.

Our Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him – says in one of his hadiths: Allah honors the one who forgives, even though he has been wronged. And whoever is honored by Allah cannot be humiliated. That is exactly the most important thing. To be honored and valued by Allah – that should be the goal of every person, of every Muslim. Injustice has of course always existed, but in the end times it occurs much more frequently. Meanwhile, it is conveyed all over the world that good is bad and bad is good. The unjust person is considered to be in the right, and the just person to be in the wrong. But that does not matter. In the hereafter, on the Day of Resurrection and Reckoning, everything will come to light. The unjust will be punished, and the just will receive his right. Then the one who was in the wrong will be deeply humiliated. Whoever was in the right, however, will be honored by Allah. Therefore, we must always stand on the side of justice in life. Doing injustice to someone is no great feat. One might perhaps think: "I did it and got away with it." In this world, one might perhaps escape, but in the hereafter, there is no escape. Therefore, we absolutely must stand by the just and be on their side. Naturally, a lot of injustice happens in the world. Satan exploits this and wants to destroy your good deeds and your reward. You gain absolutely nothing by taking the side of the unjust. To think: "I am helping him in order to profit from it myself..." – there is no such gain. True gain lies with Allah. If you do what Allah loves, then you are the true winner. This world has been a place of testing from the very beginning. For this test, Allah, the Exalted, sent prophets. Scholars have shown us the way, and He has proclaimed His message through people who teach. All of this happened so that man can distinguish between good and evil. Accordingly, man will have to answer for himself and be held accountable. If he was a good person, his end will be good. However, if he is bad and thinks: "In this world no one caught me, I got away with it," he will certainly be held accountable in the hereafter – may Allah protect us from that. This has always been the case since the time of our Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him – and nowadays it happens much more frequently. Many deceive people and lead them astray from the right path. But Allah, the Exalted and Almighty, is with those who remain on the right path. Allah stands by the one who is on the side of justice and walks the straight path. The other may claim as often as he likes: "I have won, I have made it" – it will be of no use to him. May Allah protect us. May we never turn away from the truth and may we belong to those who help justice achieve victory, insha'Allah. May Allah protect us from falling prey to our ego and straying from the right path, insha'Allah.

وَمَن يُعَظِّمۡ شَعَـٰٓئِرَ ٱللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِن تَقۡوَى ٱلۡقُلُوبِ (22:32) Whoever honors the things that Allah glorifies possesses the fear of Allah and belongs to the servants whom He loves. Now, what are these things that Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, honors? In the first place are our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) and his companions, followed by blessed days, places, and deeds. All these things deserve deep respect and reverence. For these times, there are special acts of worship as well as recommended actions according to the Sunnah. It is of great benefit to every Muslim to put these into practice as best as possible. Our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "Whoever fasts from the first to the tenth of Muharram attains the highest levels of Paradise in Firdaus." Therefore, it is only to our own advantage to honor these days. Thanks be to Allah, there are many people in our country today who know and appreciate these days. In other places, however, this is viewed somewhat differently. There, they confuse people with questions like: "Do you belong to another school of thought, or what are you?" Yet, reviving the Sunnah and following our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) are the most exalted acts of worship of all. One should do this as best as one possibly can. And whatever one cannot manage, may Allah forgive. But elsewhere, these things are often put in a false light. If you do this, you are looked at strangely and asked: "Is he perhaps a Shiite, why is he doing such a thing?" Yet it is a commandment of Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, to follow the Sunnahs of our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam). Following him is the most important path to becoming a beloved servant of Allah. Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, says in the Glorious Quran: قُلۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّهَ فَٱتَّبِعُونِي يُحۡبِبۡكُمُ ٱللَّهُ (3:31) "Say: If you love Allah, then follow me, then Allah will love you." If you do not follow him and act according to your own mind, you belong to the servants whom Allah does not love; may He protect us from that. Then it is of absolutely no use to you, no matter how much you pray or what else you do. Therefore, our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam), thanks be to Allah, explained that the Day of Ashura is the tenth day of the month of Muharram. One does not fast only on this one day, for that is what the Jews do. To distinguish oneself from them, one fasts on the ninth and tenth, on the tenth and eleventh, or on all three days. Whoever wishes can also fast on all these days. On the tenth day, there is also a prayer of four rak'ahs that should be performed. It should be performed before the afternoon prayer, as the eleventh day already begins with nightfall. You pray four rak'ahs between the morning and afternoon prayers, reciting Surah Al-Ikhlas eleven times in each, and then you say supplications. Another recommendation of our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) for this day is the ritual full-body washing (Ghusl). Through this, one attains health and remains healthy throughout the year. This is very important because nowadays, unfortunately, there are countless severe and unknown diseases. Therefore, one washes oneself on this day with the firm intention of spending the entire year in good health. If one does it with this intention to attain health, one implements the blessed word of our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam). Furthermore, one should give to charity, stock up provisions for one's home, and show generosity to the family. If possible, one should also apply kohl to the eyes. It does not necessarily have to be black kohl; one can also apply something else nice. These are the actions that should be performed on this day. The most important thing, however, is fasting; spending the ninth and tenth or the tenth and eleventh day fasting is an important recommendation. Our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) said about this: "If I am still alive next year... [I will also fast on the 9th day]." In the early years of Islam, fasting was already observed in the month of Muharram anyway. That was before Ramadan; only later was fasting moved there. Therefore, it is of great benefit for us to absolutely spend this blessed day with acts of worship and supplications. May Allah bless these days and nights. Let us honor the things that Allah glorifies to the best of our abilities; may this be granted to us, insha'Allah.

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: الصدقة على وجهها واصطناع المعروف وبر الوالدين وصلة الرحم تحول الشقاء سعادة وتزيد في العمر وتقي مصارع السوء۔ Our Prophet, sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam, says: Giving Sadaqah in the proper way, doing good, treating parents kindly, and maintaining the ties of kinship transforms misfortune into happiness. That means, it improves a person's bad situation, transforms it into happiness, and prolongs life; doing good closes the doors of evil. People are often unhappy in this world. To become happy, they should give Sadaqah, treat their parents well, and not break off contact with their relatives. This transforms misfortune into happiness, he says. Furthermore, it prolongs life and protects from a bad death, says our Prophet, sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam. قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: الصدقات بالغدوات يذهبن بالعاهات۔ Our Prophet, sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam, says: The Sadaqah given in the morning wards off disasters and calamities. That means, it prevents bad things that could happen to a person, such as illnesses or ailments. Therefore, we emphasize it so often; this is the legacy and advice of Sheikh Efendi to the people. To those who say they donate a lot and think, "I donate once a week," we say that they should rather give every day. Set up a small box for yourself every morning and put three, five, or ten in it... Whatever is possible for you, that is then your Sadaqah for the day. You can collect everything and pass it on later whenever you want, but do not neglect this daily Sadaqah. Sadaqah protects you; it saves you from every kind of calamity. قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: قال الله عز وجل: أنفق أُنفق عليك۔ Allah, Azza wa Jall, says: Donate, so that I too may give to you. If you do not give, then He will not give to you either. قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: قبضات التمر للمساكين مهور الحور العين۔ Our Prophet, sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam, says: A handful of dates given to the poor is the dowry (Mahr) for the Houris. Back then, of course, there was not such an abundance as today; when one set off on a journey, one hardly found anything. Whoever found two or three dates was satisfied and thanked Allah. Therefore: Even if you only give a few dates, they will become the dowry for the Houris in Paradise. قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: كل امرئ في ظل صدقته حتى يقضى بين الناس۔ Our Prophet, sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam, says: On the Day of Judgment, everyone will stand in the shade of their Sadaqah until judgment is passed between the people. On the Day of Judgment, there will be no shade. But whoever has given Sadaqah will dwell under its shade until it is their turn. قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: كم من حوراء عيناء ما كان مهرها إلا قبضة من حنطة أو مثلها من تمر۔ Our Prophet, sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam, says: How many gazelle-eyed Houris are there whose dowry consisted merely of a handful of wheat or a comparable amount of dates. That means: In this world you could spend millions and you wouldn't find them, but in the Hereafter a handful of wheat or dates is their dowry. قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ليتق أحدكم وجهه عن النار ولو بشق تمرة۔ Our Prophet, sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam, says: Let each of you protect his face from the Hellfire, even if it is only with half a date. This Sadaqah saves you from Hell in the Hereafter and protects you from calamity in this world. قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: لأن يتصدق المرء في حياته بدرهم خير له من أن يتصدق بمائة عند موته۔ Our Prophet, sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam, says: It is better for a person to give one dirham as Sadaqah during his lifetime and in good health, than to give a hundred dirhams when he is already on his deathbed. Instead of decreeing just before death: "Give this and that there," a single dirham donated in healthy days is worth a hundred times more. Therefore, a person should do good as long as he is still healthy. A proverb says: "What you give with your own hand, that you take with you." It is exactly the same with this: Donate as long as you are still healthy. قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: لو مرت الصدقة على يدي مائة لكان لهم في الأجر مثل أجر المبتدئ من غير أن ينقص من أجره شيئا۔ Our Prophet, sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam, says: Even if a Sadaqah is passed through the hands of a hundred people, each of them receives the same reward as the actual donor, without his reward being diminished in the slightest. That means: Someone gave Sadaqah, he passed it on to the next person, and this one to another, until the donation went through a hundred hands. All these people receive the same recompense, the same reward. It is the same with Isqat (expiation for the deceased); everyone passes it on to the next person and says: "I have taken it, accepted it, and given it away." In this way, they are all rewarded, and the deceased is forgiven the sins for his shortcomings. قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ليتصدق الرجل من صاع بره وليتصدق من صاع تمره۔ Our Prophet, sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam, says: A person should give Sadaqah from his wheat, even if it is only a Saa' (unit of measurement). A Saa' is a specific unit of measure; the amount of the Sadaqah is determined by this. "He should give Sadaqah from his dates, even if it is only a Saa'," says our Prophet, sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam. قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ما نقصت صدقة من مال، وما زاد الله عبداً بعفو إلا عزاً، وما تواضع أحد لله إلا رفعه الله۔ Our Prophet, sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam, says: Sadaqah has never decreased wealth. So do not think: "I have donated, now my wealth has become less." Sadaqah does not diminish wealth in any way. If someone forgives a suffered injustice, Allah will undoubtedly grant him more honor (Izzah) for it. That means: If someone causes you suffering and injustice is done to you, you do not have to curse him immediately. The honor that Allah grants you for this is far better than cursing this person. Whoever shows humility for the sake of Allah, Allah will undoubtedly elevate his rank. This means: The rank of a person who is humble and abandons arrogance for the sake of Allah rises both with Allah and with the people. One should behave humbly towards one's fellow human beings and not become arrogant. قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ما يخرج رجل شيئاً من الصدقة حتى يفك عنها لحيي سبعين شيطاناً۔ Our Prophet, sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam, says: No one gives a Sadaqah without having to unclench the jaws of seventy devils in the process. That means: When someone wants to give Sadaqah, the devil bites into him like a dog, clenches his jaws, and clings to him from all sides to prevent him from doing so. Whoever nevertheless gives Sadaqah has literally broken open the devil's jaw and paid his donation. قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: مناولة المسكين تقي ميتة السوء۔ Our Prophet, sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam, says: Giving Sadaqah to a needy person protects against a bad end. That means: If someone gives Sadaqah to the poor, it protects him—may Allah protect us—from dying in one of the many bad ways that are omnipresent nowadays.

Loving for the sake of Allah means also rejecting for the sake of Allah. This is our duty. We must love for the sake of Allah, hate for the sake of Allah, live for Allah, and do everything to attain His pleasure. We should be sad about our own mistakes. Whatever the servant fails to achieve out of weakness, Allah forgives. If we ask for forgiveness for our mistakes, we will be forgiven. But people today drive themselves crazy over completely trivial things. Why do they do that? Because they have left the path of Allah and followed the path of Satan. The path of Satan never leads to anything good; it never brings true benefit. Perhaps it brings money and offers many opportunities, but it never produces anything good. Whoever follows Satan always belongs to the losers; even if it looks good on the outside, they lose. People are told, "Look here, this man walked the path of Satan and was successful," and people follow him blindly. Another one copies him. In the end, they all take this path. Of course, it is completely impossible for everyone to be successful on this path at the same time. They leave and forget the path of Allah and take this false path. And when they fail, they are devastated. They believe there is only a single path in the world; this path they call success is, in reality, the path of Satan. They leave the right path and take a completely useless one. They turn away from the path of Allah and towards the path of Satan. Allah has given every person their own special talent. The current system, however, forces everyone into the exact same mold. And this mold is a completely empty and useless lifestyle. They tread water for years in the hope of achieving something in the end, but ultimately they only experience disappointment. That is exactly what we are talking about; we saw that again recently. People just parrot like sheep: "Study, get a degree." As if there were nothing else in life but school and studying. You let them study for so long, well and good, but one still needs to use their mind. If millions of people study and are supposed to practice the same profession, one must surely think about the consequences. They whine: "Oh dear, the exams were very hard this year, many failed." So what? If everyone gets their degree, then what? Where do you want to find work for everyone? After all, there are other professions in life; not everyone necessarily has to study. But this is a devilish trick they have devised to control the whole world and impose their will on it: "Just keep studying." Twelve years, twenty years they study non-stop, but in the end, they are of no use for anything. After that, they cannot do any practical work anyway. If you put them to work, they fail because they have gotten used to a comfortable life. Their families take care of their food and drink, and they live like kings at home. When they are supposed to plunge into life and work after that, they get absolutely nothing done. Exactly for this reason, this system is the path of Satan. On the path of Allah, however, there is a fitting talent and a preordained task by Allah for everyone. But they suppress all these innate talents and make people study for twelve, fifteen years, just to be able to control them for their own interests. And they keep people docile by convincing them: "There is no other path in the world but this one." They do not leave people a single minute of freedom. Initially, people follow this path out of compulsion, and later of their own accord. That is why I say: The path of Allah is the most beautiful path. It is pleasant and peaceful; on this path, every conceivable beauty is found. However, if one leaves the path of Allah and steps onto this devilish path, it entails every kind of evil and badness. Wrong paths, immorality, and every form of wickedness then come to light. Because it is not the fear of Allah that is instilled in people, but the fear of the future and existential dread. They scare them with the words: "If he doesn't study, if he doesn't graduate from university, how is he supposed to survive? Whatever will become of him?" State structures are exactly the same; without a diploma, they do not give anyone work, they don't hire anyone. But what use is this diploma anyway? Never mind a tenth of what is learned – if they retain even one percent of it, one can be happy and grateful. They simply wave people through the exams and fleece them of their money on the side. Afterwards, they ask each other: "Why has society become so corrupt? How did we get into this state?" Yet it is completely obvious. The talk about the system is all just an excuse; everything is purely fixated on this worldly life. Not just here, the whole world is in this state. Under the guise of globalization, they have forced all of humanity into the exact same mold. They frighten people by saying: "You must not leave this path, otherwise you are ruined!" Yet those who break out of this system and do not run in this hamster wheel are much more sensible. They are still able to use their own minds and logic. May Allah protect us. They make them study so much, but neither decency nor respect remains; absolutely no value is left. May Allah help us. May He, inshaAllah, send us the Sahib. May He deliver us from this situation, inshaAllah.

وَقُلِ ٱعْمَلُوا۟ فَسَيَرَى ٱللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ (9:105) Allah tells us: "Do not be idle." Work, for Allah will see your deeds. This shows that laziness is not at all appreciated in our religion, Islam. The prophets, the sheikhs, and the Sahaba were constantly at work. They worked tirelessly to serve the people and the Muslim community. On the one hand, to honestly earn their lawful (halal) livelihood, and on the other hand, to serve Islam... Therefore, laziness has no place in Islam. Laziness is completely unworthy of them. The lives of the prophets, the Sahaba, and the Awliya consisted of continuous service. They dedicate their entire lives to serving others and wish to be of use even after their death. History provides us with countless examples and scholars for this. In the past, people often only lived to be forty or fifty years old. Yet what they achieved in those forty or fifty years, a normal person would not accomplish in even two hundred years. How is that possible? Allah granted them special gifts (Karamat) through which they could enormously help people. For this reason as well, laziness is absolutely unthinkable for them. A lazy person is of no use either to himself or to others. And not only that: when a person has nothing to do and hangs around idly, the devil has an easy time with him. He cunningly whispers to him: "What are you up to anyway? Just do this or that," and thus tempts him to sin. But when a person is busy, the devil does not even get the opportunity to do so. Another verse of the Quran also points to this: فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَٱنصَبْ (94:7) "When you have finished a task, dedicate yourself immediately to the next." Whether it is prayer or worldly matters; as long as you do it for the sake of Allah, it will be credited to you as a good deed. If your efforts are dedicated to Allah and you act with the intention, "I will earn my livelihood and help others," then all of this will be recorded as a good deed for you. May Allah protect us from being lazy. Because squandering one's life pointlessly is pure wastefulness. And Allah does not love wastefulness. May Allah give us all strength and not let us become playthings of the devil, insha'Allah.

وَإِذَا ٱلۡبِحَارُ فُجِّرَتۡ (82:3) Allah, Azza wa Jalla, tells us about the Day of Judgment. People believe that everything will just continue as it is and nothing will happen. But the Day of Judgment does exist. Allah, Azza wa Jalla, says that the sky will split open, the stars will fall, and the seas will burst forth and overflow. Many years ago, we were in Italy. A volcano had erupted there. Half of that huge mountain had simply disappeared. But the people there said: "That is nothing at all. The real problem is this sea here." Scientists say the same thing. Underneath it lies a massive volcano, a fire-breathing mountain. If it were to erupt, it would blow up the world. Nothing would be left. That is what they fear the most. Yet, there is actually no reason to be afraid. Regardless, everything is merely waiting for the command of Allah. As long as the command from Allah, Azza wa Jalla, does not come, absolutely nothing will happen. Only when the time has come will it happen. This too is proclaimed in the glorious Quran: The seas will burst forth. The Day of Judgment will break upon us, and nothing will remain. No mountain and no hill will remain standing on earth; everything will be completely flat. These are things that will inevitably happen. Although Allah, Azza wa Jalla, has informed us of this and people actually know it, only a few find their way to faith. Most people do not care at all. They simply brush it off and say: "That is a natural event, we cannot do anything about it anyway." They have no reverence for Allah. Instead, they only talk about how maybe a rock will fall from the sky and strike the earth. Even some Muslims who actually believe in it have only a weak faith. True faith means believing firmly that all of this will happen in its appointed time and that what Allah, Azza wa Jalla, has said will be fulfilled. Therefore, look at yourself and your own condition. Do not look at anything else and do not fear anything. What Allah decrees, happens – nothing else counts. What difference does it make whether you are afraid of it or not? If you want to fear, then fear Allah. Fear nothing else. May Allah protect us and our faith. That is the only thing that matters. Nothing else. Whether a meteorite strikes, a volcano erupts, or an earthquake occurs... All of this happens solely by the command of Allah, Azza wa Jalla. One must be aware of this. That is exactly what faith means. Faith means knowing without a doubt that everything is under the command of Allah, Azza wa Jalla. Otherwise, they will play with you like a toy. News constantly appears saying: "This has happened, that will happen." People immediately believe it, but they do not believe in the blessed words of Allah, Azza wa Jalla. May Allah guide us all and grant us all true faith, insha'Allah.

All praise and all thanks belong to Allah. Praise belongs to Him alone. Therefore, it says right at the beginning of the Quran: "Alhamdulillahi rabbil alamin". Praise belongs to Allah. True praise (Hamd) belongs to Allah, while thanks (Shukr) can be shown to anyone. One can thank any human being. But praise (Hamd) is reserved solely for Allah, the Almighty and Exalted. Indeed, it says: "Alhamdulillahi rabbil alamin". This means: Praise belongs to Allah, our Creator. Praise belongs solely to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. One must be thankful; one should always show gratitude. Thanking one's fellow human beings and showing appreciation is very important. Yet, praise is a form of worship that belongs exclusively to Allah, the Exalted. The names of our beloved Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) – Muhammad, Ahmad, Hamid, Mahmud – also reflect his high rank. Allah has placed the name of our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) directly next to His own name with these words derived from the root "Hamd" – as the praiser and the praised. La ilaha illallah Muhammadun Rasulullah (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam). We thank Allah for bestowing these blessings upon us. Furthermore, it is important to praise Him in every situation in life. When a person is grateful for the good as well as for the seemingly bad, they show their deep connection to Allah. They thereby prove their obedience to Him. Through this, blessings multiply, and one is rewarded even more abundantly. That is exactly why one must be grateful and offer praise for everything. It is said: "La yuhmadu ala makruhin siwah" (No one but Him is praised for unpleasant things). This means: Whatever Allah decrees for you, you should praise Him for it. For the good times and also for what you perceive as bad – whatever happens to you, you should offer praise for everything. Whether something is good or bad ultimately lies only in your own perception. It is always to your own advantage to praise Allah under all circumstances. The good is inherently good; but if you exercise patience and praise Allah in the face of things you consider bad, He will elevate your rank and reward you abundantly. In this way, that hardship will also pass, inshaAllah. May Allah count us among those who truly praise Him and sincerely thank Him. And may He protect us from complaining and rejecting His divine decree. One should absolutely pay attention to this. We should always keep this in mind and be servants who praise Allah in every circumstance. May Allah include us among those who praise Him, inshaAllah.

وَإِن تُطِعۡ أَكۡثَرَ مَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ يُضِلُّوكَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِۚ (6:116) Most people in this world are not on the right path. If you follow them, you will stray from the true path. Only a few walk the true path; people prefer to chase their urges and desires. If you tell yourself now: "Everyone does it this way, so I will do it too. That is easier and more comfortable", then you will stray from the path and ruin yourself. Therefore, one must always pay attention to what the truth is. Are these people on the right path or a wrong path? Will their actions go unpunished? Act accordingly; do not make life unnecessarily difficult for yourself and do not plunge into ruin. The one who wants to show you the way often does not know it himself and has lost his way. Do not blindly run after him. Do not tell yourself: "So many people follow this person, so they must be on the right path." Look, the right path is perfectly clear. Our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "The lawful (halal) is clear, the unlawful (haram) is clear; and between them are the doubtful matters." Keep your hands off these doubtful matters. Walk the lawful path – the path that consistently avoids the unlawful. Because nowadays – even though people have always been predisposed this way – it is simply easier for them to give in to their ego. Guarding oneself against the unlawful takes much more willpower for people. Therefore, find your own true path and do not deviate from it. People often say: "All these people are walking this path, so it must be right." Just because the herd runs in one direction, everyone blindly runs after it. If one jumps into the abyss, the others plunge down with them without hesitation. Allah (Azze und Celle) has given you intellect and warned you. So do not run after them. Do not tell yourself: "They have taken this path, so we will walk it too." Your good path is set – stay away from the bad one. And even if the whole world were to walk this path: It brings you no benefit, but will only harm you. May Allah protect us and not let us stray from the right path. Insha'Allah we will not let ourselves be controlled by our ego.