Advice to students – #1

Fajr Reminders - Mahmood Habib Masjid and Islamic Center

---*This transcript was automatically generated by AI and may contain errors. *--- My brothers and sisters, the way I propose to deal with our session this evening is, I want to speak to you a few minutes about the purpose, why do we exist, why are we there in this world, what are we here to do? And then some advice and the advice is titled, Advice to Students, but it's not necessarily restricted to students. It's advice to anyone who wants good advice. And then we'll open the floor to questions and you are welcome to ask me anything you like and I will answer anything I like. I remind myself and you that Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala created us for two reasons, two purposes. One, He mentioned that as an individual purpose for each individual human being, man or woman. And the second one, He mentioned it as a collective purpose for the Muslim Ummah. The individual purpose, which is a purpose for every single man or woman, Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala said, وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْوُدُونَ Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala said, I have not created the jinn or the insan, the human beings, for anything other than my worship. He told us, Jalla Jalaluhu, that He created us only and only to worship Him. Now worship is the formal worship, Salatul Isha for example, like what we did. And worship also is in the meaning of obedience. So when we say our purpose is only to worship Allah, it does not mean that we have to spend twenty-four hours in the masjid, in salah. It means that we spend twenty-four hours of our life in obeying Allah, in every aspect of our life. So just like I worship Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala in the salah, how do you worship? How do I worship in the salah? Why did we pray four rakats of salah in Isha? Why not three? Why not twenty? Why? Why four? Why did we pray three rakats in Nahr? Yes. Because Allah wanted us to pray four, how do you know that? Yes. Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, this is called a virtual handshake, shake my hand. Say that, say that, like this. Correct, okay. From the sunnah of Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, Rasulullah sallahu alaihi wa sallam said, sallu kamara ayatumun i'usalli, he said, pray as you have seen me pray. These four rakat of Isha we prayed just like Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam prayed. Now please understand that this prayer and this methodology and this philosophy of following Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam exactly as he did it is not restricted to the prayer. The prayer is the example which shows us what we must do in every aspect of our lives. So just like I prayed Isha the way Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam prayed Isha, how must I eat my food, the way Rasulullah sallalahu alaihi wa sallam ate his food, how must treat my parents the way Rasulullah sallaw office treated his parents and his elders, how must I treat my children the way Rasulullah sallaw house treated his children, How must I treat my friends and my brothers and sisters? How must I do business? If I'm the ruler of a country, how must I rule the country? If I'm the commander of an army, how must I command the army? If I'm working for somebody as an employee, how should I work? And that is the reason Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gave the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam A life which is so comprehensive that it covers every aspect of human life So whatever is in your life, if I want to search for an answer, look in the life of Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam So individual purpose, Allah said I have not created the human beings and the jinn for any purpose other than to obey me, other than to worship me Then Allah gave us a collective purpose And the collective purpose Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala said, Why? Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala said, You are the best of people Not because you are Hyderabadi or you are Sudanese or you are Somali or you are Masri or something, no You are the best of people because you have been selected for the benefit of people You are the best of...