Part of Echo of the Pulpits
· Lesson 20 of 48
Echo of platforms | By Sheikh Khaled Al-Hamoudi | Sermon (17) | A tear that changed the amount (realistic stories)
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
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The Echo of the Pulpits.
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A Tear That Altered Destinies.
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A sermon by the honorable Sheikh
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Khalid Ibn 'Abdullah al-Hammudi,
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may Allah preserve him.
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Praise be to Allah, the King.
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Praise be to Allah, the Possessor.
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Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Kingdom and the Dominion,
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of Might and Sovereignty.
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The Everlasting, the Living, who never dies.
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Praise be to Allah, the One.
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Praise be to Allah, the Unique.
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Praise be to Allah, the Individual, the Eternal Refuge.
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Who neither begets nor is born.
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“And there is none comparable unto Him.” (112:4)
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Praise be to Allah, the Forbearing, the All-Knowing,
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the Generous, the Merciful.
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Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth, and Lord of the Mighty Throne.
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Praise be to Allah, a praise that never ends and never ceases,
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a praise that our Lord loves and with which He is pleased.
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O Lord,
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words race,
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and expressions crowd,
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to weave the necklace of gratitude that none deserves but You.
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For You are worthy to be praised,
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and You are worthy to be worshipped.
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And I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner.
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“All that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth glorifieth Allah; unto Him belongeth Sovereignty and unto Him belongeth praise, and He is Able to do all things.” (64:1)
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Allah is Subtle with His servants.
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Sorrow will depart, and glad tidings will follow it.
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He will grant the heart one day what it has longed for.
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As long as I have a Creator who overwhelms me with His kindness,
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whom then should I fear after the kindness of Allah?
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And I bear witness that our master, our Prophet, and our beloved, Muhammad, is the servant of Allah and His Messenger,
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His chosen one and His intimate friend.
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The unlettered Prophet,
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the Hashimi, the Qurashi.
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May my father be a ransom for you,
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yes, and may my mother be a ransom for you.
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I have come with the best of words, and you are my leader.
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Were it not that your light had shone forth,
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we would have remained in the deepest darkness.
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So send blessings upon him with sincere prayer,
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through which you may be saved from sin and anxiety.
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May my Lord’s blessings be upon you as long as they continue,
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may our prayers be upon you from every mouth.
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O Allah, send blessings, peace, and increase in honor
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upon Your servant, Your Messenger, Your Prophet, and Your beloved, Muhammad,
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and upon his good and pure household,
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and upon his noble and blessed Companions,
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and grant them abundant peace until the Day of Judgment.
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Now then, O servants of Allah,
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I advise you and myself to fear Allah,
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for it is the commandment of Allah to us and to those before us.
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“Unto Allah belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. And We charged those who received the Scripture before you, and (We charge) you, that ye keep your duty toward Allah. And if ye disbelieve, lo! unto Allah belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, and Allah is ever Absolute, Owner of Praise.” (4:131)
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“Unto Allah belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. And We charged those who received the Scripture before you, and (We charge) you, that ye keep your duty toward Allah. And if ye disbelieve, lo! unto Allah belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, and Allah is ever Absolute, Owner of Praise.” (4:131)
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O community of believers,
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our topic today is a different kind of hadith.
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Our topic is about three true stories,
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containing lessons and admonition.
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Each story tells a lesson,
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and scatters pearls of wisdom.
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We are not storytellers on this pulpit,
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but a story is one of the soldiers of Allah;
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it has a great impact on refining the soul
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and correcting behavior.
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Allah has mentioned many stories in the Qur'an,
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for encouragement, warning, and steadfastness,
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and because it is also a means to guide the soul and lead it
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toward truth, justice, success, and guidance.
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The Almighty said: "So relate the stories that perhaps they will give thought."
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Sheikh al-Sa'di, may Allah have mercy on him, said,
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regarding the use of parables, lessons, and signs:
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"If they reflect, they will know; and if they know, they will act."
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And the Almighty said: "We relate to you the best of stories."
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“We narrate unto thee (Muhammad) the best of narratives in that We have inspired in thee this Qur'an, though aforetime thou wast of the heedless.” (12:3)
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“We narrate unto thee (Muhammad) the best of narratives in that We have inspired in thee this Qur'an, though aforetime thou wast of the heedless.” (12:3)
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The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, followed this method,
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for he would relate to the Companions many situations
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and past events,
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with the intention of guiding them and building their character through this means.
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And this is our goal in mentioning this today.
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Our first story took place in the far east of the earth,
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specifically in Japan,
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in an attempt by a Japanese man to renovate his house.
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He began removing the walls of his home.
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It is known that traditional Japanese houses
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are built of wood,
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and there is a space between the walls of the house.
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When he removed one of the walls, he found something amazing:
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he found a lizard trapped in the wood
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by one of its legs.
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A tremor of pity for it seized him,
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but curiosity led him to wonder
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when he saw the nail driven into its leg,
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dating back ten years,
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when he first built his house.
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A question crossed his mind: what happened?
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How did this lizard live
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for ten years
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in the gap between the walls,
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surrounded by darkness and humidity,
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and without movement?
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How does it eat? How does it live?
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He stopped working
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and began to watch how it ate.
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Suddenly, another lizard appeared,
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carrying food in its mouth.
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The man was stunned,
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and feelings of tender love filled his soul,
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stirred by this scene:
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a lizard with its leg
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nailed to the wall,
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and another feeding it,
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and it is patient
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for ten years.
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Glory be to the Creator!
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Glory be to the Provider!
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So do not despair, O servant of Allah,
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if a lizard
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does not move for ten years,
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between darkness and stillness,
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yet its provision comes to it in its place.
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Who provided for it?
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It is Allah.
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Who protected it?
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It is Allah.
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Who subjected others to it?
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It is Allah.
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So, O servant of Allah,
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smile,
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for your provision is allotted,
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your destiny is decreed,
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and the affairs of this world are not worth your worries,
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because they are in the hands of the Ever-Living, the Sustainer.
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Smile
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when you sit with your family,
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for there are those who wish for a family.
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Smile
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when you go to your work,
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for many
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are still looking for a job.
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Smile,
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because you are in health and wellness,
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for there are patients
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who would wish to buy it for the highest price.
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Smile,
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because you are alive and provided for,
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while others are beneath the layers of soil
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and among the graves.
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Have you realized
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the blessing of Allah upon you, O servants of Allah?
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So praise Allah,
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for we are in great blessings
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that only the Almighty knows.
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As for our second story,
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it is more amazing than amazing,
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but
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there is no wonder in the power and mercy of Allah.
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A tear
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changed the course of great events.
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What tear was that
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which changed the course of destinies?
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It is an Algerian lady
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weeping alone at Jeddah airport,
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for the plane had left without her,
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and they had forgotten her.
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But Allah,
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from above the Throne, does not forget.
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Halfway through the journey
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between Jeddah and Algeria,
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between the sky and the earth,
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the pilot hears
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a strange sound in the engine,
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which forced him to return
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to Jeddah airport
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in an emergency landing.
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At the same time,
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the airport staff could not find
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a lounge to place the passengers in
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until the maintenance workers finished their work,
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except for that lounge
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where the Algerian lady was weeping.
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Imagine her astonishment
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when she saw them before her.
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Did she think she was in a dream,
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or was her certainty in Allah greater?
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When the engineers arrived
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to check the malfunction,
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they said the plane was sound
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and there was no problem at all.
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Everything stopped;
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a state of emergency was declared for her sake.
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The plane returned
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from halfway through the journey
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for her sake.
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More than two hundred passengers were delayed
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for her sake.
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The engineers arrived,
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and the maintenance workers were bewildered,
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all for her sake.
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O Allah!
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What tear was that
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That which that poor woman raised
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toward the heavens.
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Until all of that comes to pass,
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what certainty
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did that woman hold
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in her heart?
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And what hands
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were extended to Allah?
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If everything departs from you
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and the doors are closed,
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then trust that Allah is with you.
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For whoever finds Allah,
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what have they lost?
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And supplication continues
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to change the course of destiny,
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even outside the era of the prophets.
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It is as if I see this poor woman
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as she says:
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"I have called upon You, my Lord,
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I have called upon You, my Lord,
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and who do I have besides You?"
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So, my Lord, grant the prayer of the one who calls upon You.
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"I have called upon You,"
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while the heart is in joy,
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whispering to You,
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"O my Creator in Your highness."
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And it is as if I hear her saying:
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"I have called upon You,
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O You who answers the prayer,
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O You to whom the mighty prostrate,
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O You by whose mercy I seek refuge,
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to lift from me the harm and the affliction."
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To You is all praise,
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You are the Succorer,
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and You are the Disposer of affairs,
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O Possessor of Splendor.
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Glory be to Allah.
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This is supplication, O servants of Allah;
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it works wonders.
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Do you mock supplication and belittle it,
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while you do not know what supplication has wrought?
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He withholds it when my Lord wills,
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and He sends it forth
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when the decree is executed.
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As for our third story,
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it is a lesson,
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and what a lesson,
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and an admonition.
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“Lo! therein verily is a reminder for him who hath a heart, or giveth ear with full intelligence.” (50:37)
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“Lo! therein verily is a reminder for him who hath a heart, or giveth ear with full intelligence.” (50:37)
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A young man
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whom I know,
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and he is of those who supplicate,
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was afflicted with complete quadriplegia.
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He says of himself:
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"I used to think
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that there was no one
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in a worse state than mine,"
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because he could not move,
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he could not move
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anything except his head.
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Then one of the virtuous people
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said to him:
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"Come with me
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so I may show you
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who is in a worse state than you."
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He said: "Indeed,
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I went with him,
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and I saw a man
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who was paralyzed,
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but in addition to that,
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he could not hear,
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and he could not speak."
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Imagine, O servant of Allah,
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a man who cannot move,
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cannot hear,
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and cannot speak.
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This man
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who cannot hear,
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cannot speak,
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and cannot move,
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had a heart-wrenching incident.
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His family entered upon him
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and found a spot of blood on his garment,
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and he was weeping.
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When they followed the trace of the blood,
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they discovered
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that two of his fingers
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were severed.
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What happened?
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And how were his fingers severed?
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A mouse had entered upon him
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and sat there eating his fingers,
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while he was in his place,
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unable to move,
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unable to call for help,
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and unable to do anything.
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He could only
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look at his fingers and suffer.
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The mouse entered
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and grew bold
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because he was like a lifeless corpse;
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no movement,
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nothing,
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only stillness.
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Glory be to Allah,
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glory be to Him.
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Do you see, O servants of Allah,
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how many are the blessings of Allah upon us?
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Do you see, O servant of Allah,
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how many are the blessings of Allah upon you?
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And you,
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what have you done with your fingers?
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What have you done with your legs?
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What have you done with your voice?
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What have you done with your sight?
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What have you done with all these blessings?
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Have you fulfilled the right of Allah?
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Have you offered thanks to Allah?
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Have you praised Allah?
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Do you see, O servants of Allah,
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how we move about in the blessings of Allah
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while we do not even realize it?
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And some of us may not be grateful;
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indeed, some of us are ungrateful for the blessings.
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So praise Allah, O servants of Allah,
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praise Allah, O servants of Allah,
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praise Allah, O servants of Allah.
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For blessings,
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if they are acknowledged with gratitude, they remain,
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and if they are met with ingratitude, they flee.
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O Allah, make us among the grateful,
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O Allah, make us among the grateful,
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O Allah, make us among the grateful,
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and make us among those who praise You for Your blessings,
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and make us among the content.
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O Allah, Amen.
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May Allah bless me and you through the Great Qur'an,
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and benefit me and you with the verses and the wise reminder it contains.
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I say what you hear and I seek Allah's forgiveness for myself and for you, so seek His forgiveness,
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for He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
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Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds,
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and the ultimate outcome is for the righteous.
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I bear witness that there is no god but Allah,
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and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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To proceed, O servants of Allah:
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How strange
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is the affair of one who strives
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for provision yet is never satisfied,
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for provision is already written,
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and the provision of Allah cannot be withheld.
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You gathered wealth to build,
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but death demolished what you built.
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So should one weep over the world,
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when the nature of the earth is to swallow all?
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Where are the Romans, tell me,
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and the Chosroes or the Tubba'?
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The treasures of the earth will not avail
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when the One who snatches away arrives.
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Do not hasten to do evil,
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but hasten to do good.
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If you sow the seeds of goodness,
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you will reap exactly what you plant.
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Beware of the torment of the Fire,
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and aspire to Paradise.
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Give charity from what you love,
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and be like the wind, or even faster.
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Do not lie,
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do not envy,
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do not harbor hatred,
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and do not deceive.
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Do not approach false speech,
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but speak the truth clearly.
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Avoid "he said or she said,"
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and do not dwell with the envious.
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Do not wear the garment of arrogance;
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be humble before the One who elevates.
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Exalted is the Creator of the universes,
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glory be to the One who originated all.
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O Allah, forgive our sins,
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O Allah, forgive our sins,
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conceal our faults,
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accept our repentance,
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and conclude our deeds with righteousness.
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O Allah, O Hearer of supplication,
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O You who knows the needs of those who ask,
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O You who does not let the reward of the doers of good go to waste,
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we ask You, our Lord,
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for near relief,
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beautiful patience,
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abundant gratitude,
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frequent remembrance,
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and plentiful provision.
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O Allah, be gentle with us in facilitating every difficult matter,
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for the facilitation of the difficult is easy for You.
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O Allah, our Lord,
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we ask You for ease and well-being
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in this world and the Hereafter.
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O Allah, O Ever-Living, O Sustainer,
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show us the wonders of Your power
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In realizing what we hope for,
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make us the happiest of Your creation through You,
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and the closest of Your servants to You.
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O Allah, O Lord,
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O Allah, O Lord,
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forgive us for what has passed,
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and rectify for us what remains.
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Decree for us Your pleasure,
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Your pardon, and Paradise.
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O Allah, we ask You for Your pleasure and Paradise,
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and we seek refuge in You from Your wrath and from the Fire.
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O Allah, grant us security in our homelands,
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and rectify our leaders and those in authority over us.
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Support our leader and his Crown Prince with the truth,
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and provide them with righteous advisors.
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O Allah, grant victory to our soldiers on the borders,
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and grant victory to our oppressed brothers everywhere,
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upon every land and beneath every sky.
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O Allah, adorn us with Your beautiful concealment,
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and beneath that concealment, place righteous deeds that You approve of.
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O Allah, make us among Your grateful servants.
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O Allah, make us among Your grateful servants.
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O Allah, make us
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among those who, when blessed, are grateful,
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when they sin, seek forgiveness,
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and when tested, are patient.
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O Allah, rectify our intentions and our offspring.
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O Allah, grant us repentance before death,
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martyrdom at the time of death,
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and Paradise and its bliss after death.
18:59
O Allah, forgive the one who built this mosque for us,
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as well as his parents and his offspring.
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O Allah, just as You have gathered us upon these carpets,
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gather us beneath Your Throne,
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as brothers who love one another,
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facing each other upon thrones.
19:13
O Allah, forgive our scholars,
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and those who have virtue and rights over us.
19:17
Forgive our fathers,
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and our mothers,
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and have mercy upon them as they raised us when we were small.
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“Glorified be thy Lord, the Lord of Majesty, from that which they attribute (unto Him)” (37:180)
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And peace be upon the messengers,
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and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.