The Good Person - On Compassion (Rahma) - Part 2

Reflections from The Risale-Nur  a Qur'an commentary by Bediüzzaman Said Nursi

The Flashes - The Fourteenth Flash - Second Station - Third Mystery

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Transcript

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A'udhu Billahi Minash Shaitanir Rajeem Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem As you know, I typically begin with the sacred formula, the Basmala, which basically is an invitation or reminder to begin everything in the name of Allah. And this whole treatise or this chapter, as you remember, is related to the sacred formula of Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim, in the name of God or with the name of God, the most merciful, the most compassionate. So last week we had already started with reflecting on the deeper meanings, the mysteries of the basmala, how the cosmos or the book of the creation, which we as Muslims calls the

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the book of the universe, basically invites us into a close reading of Allah's mercy. And there are moments in our lives, certainly right now, where we sometimes feel, is this world even, Guided by mercy. Is there compassion in the world where we are witnessing so much suffering and evil and injustice and atrocities? Everyday things are happening that are cruel and cause us anguish, quite frankly, where the heart feels overwhelmed. So there is a question that people ask themselves. Is there an all-merciful God? Is there an all-compassionate God? divine creator who is ultimately in control, who has agency over this world, who acts with compassion in the world. And the answer to that question, and this question is an important one because a lot of people reject faith in God because of that moral question. If there is an all-loving, all-compassionate God, why is there so much suffering? Why is He not intervening? Why is He allowing for that? So in this section, we've already reflected that divine mercy is evident in the universe. We have to simply engage in a closer reading of the universe, of the creation, pay closer attention. Actually, so many things are so evident and obvious But because our minds and hearts and eyes have not been trained that way, we are not seeing it, right? Like the Quran says, they have eyes, but they don't see. They don't pay attention. And that's our ultimate duty, a sacred obligation to engage in the art of noticing, of seeing rahmah. constantly around us. And yesterday at another occasion, I shared an example. I was looking out on my desk and I was thinking, these are very, very frosty, cold weather conditions for us right now, here especially in Maryland. Unusually cold and the minuses. And I was looking out of my window and I saw these birds And I thought to myself, and this beautiful cardinal, red-colored cardinal, in his amazing garment, libass, in his beautiful clothing, looking at me and just simply invited me, do you think that mercy is not at play? Do you think that my life is not preserved by mercy but by Allah's rahmah? How else am I able to survive in this cold if it's not for Allah's mercy? Because you look out and you see all these billions and billions of animals, creatures, being protected, being sustained, being provided for, being cared for, being clothed in amazing, beautiful garments. Their colors are unique. But a layer of feather, a layer of feather on the cardinal looking at me and saying, my merciful Lord protects me. Even in this frosty, icy weather, I'm protected, why? Because Allah's mercy is covering the universe. It's vast, that mercy is evident. And in that moment, I felt so much comfort. I felt that my merciful creator who takes care of this tiny little bird in this freezing cold and protects it will surely not neglect me. If it would be me, that cardinal with these tiny feathers, I would be dead by now. I can't sustain. I can't be outside in that freezing cold. Yes, but Allah constantly, by his vast expanse of rahmah, his mercy, is sustaining, raising, fostering the universe. Every tiny little being is cared for. No, none of them is forgotten, neglected, abandoned. None of them. That's the mercy that we need to see. And that's why I'm so grateful for this spiritual treasure that has taught me the closer reading of the book of the universe. What does it mean to read the signs of Allah in the cosmos? Especially if this treatise or this section tells us in a Quranic fashion that all beings are miracles of Allah, signs of Allah, speaking to us constantly about him. but we neglect to read and pay attention. Similarly, a whole group of Canadian geese, when it's very cold, they have this internal inbuilt GPS system where they orient themselves in the world and then fly to warmer regions, pass through our lands here. I saw a group of them. And I thought to myself again, who equips them, endows them with that inborn GPS system. I'm lost without the GPS system. I can't find my way. Yet you have these incredible beings who are flying around for centuries and who are always able to find their way back home. This is incredible. This is how Allah tells us in the Quran that rahmah, mercy, is there. It's evident. Why are these Canadian geese equipped created with an inbuilt GPS system, orientation system, that they are able to navigate their flight route. It's because of Rahma. Somebody thought, somebody cared, somebody knew what they needed and sent them accordingly into this world, ready to navigate life, to deal with all the challenges, with the hardships, I found it amazing. And as a human being witnessing that, bearing witness to Allah's mercy in this moment is so important because the whole world might look at you and say, there is no mercy because the whole world is immersed in suffering, there's evil, injustice. Yet the overwhelming evidence shows us that Rahmah is at play. If the human being acts according to divine guidance and according to that divine mercy, he too will be a vessel of mercy and Rahman. He too will bring more mercy and compassion into the world. And so another example that I gave was the example of bears, the bears. And I looked up how many salmons do they eat every day? See, this is the curiosity that the human being needs to cultivate. The only reason why I'm here is to bear witness to Allah's mercy and existence. I looked up how many, because in a documentary I saw that bears are eating salmon. And I thought, subhanAllah, they are eating the best food. Wild-caught salmon is the best food, right? I'm not talking about the farm-raised antibiotic one, but somebody goes out there, fishes for you. Wild caught is the best healthy salmon you can get. Try to buy that one because that's the healthy, wholesome one, not the one that is, you know, the salmon that is raised in factories and was hormones pumped. But the one that Allah provides is the most pure, the healthiest. And a grizzly bear, hold on, pay attention now, pay heed, because I'm talking about divine mercy. A grizzly bear, eats 30, more than 30 salmons per day, 30 fish. And I looked up how much is a salmon today, at this moment today, in the close-by store that's 11% off today,$8.$8 for a wild-caught salmon. Salmon is very expensive, we know. And then multiply that with 30, a grizzly bear, Do the math,$240, the cost to feed a grizzly bear. There are currently 50,000 grizzly bears in North America. You can all look that up in the internet. Do your little search, verify my information. 55,000 grizzly bears in North America at this point, they are all cared for. They are all provided for. They are all nourished by Allah's divine mercy. Who feeds them that most precious food? Who knows how much? And this is 55,000 now in North America. There are more in Alaska and lower parts of North America. But what I'm wanting to convey is there is someone who has created enough provision and sustenance like the Quran says, who is Ar-Razaq, the true provider, the true sustainer, the true nourisher. And he does that not because somebody forces him, not that somebody compels him or he's not obliged to do it. He does it because of his mercy, divine mercy. Rahmah completely wrapped this whole universe. Who's taking care of that grizzly bear every day? If it would be me or you, we'll be bankrupt. We can't afford it. We can't buy it. We barely eat salmon for us, ourselves. Once a week, maybe twice a week, I eat salmon. It's expensive. But to give the most precious food to this grizzly bear, and there are billions of other animals and creatures out there, this amazing biodiversity, this amazing balance, this amazing arrangement, amazing complex web of life. Who built that? Who makes sure that nobody is starving? Ya Allah. Allahu Akbar. Allah is the greatest. What more evidence? This was one example I'm giving you. There are more examples like that. And this is the type of sacred reading we have to cultivate. Superficial Islam and Iman doesn't do anymore. It has to have depth. What does it mean that the whole sacred universe is saying in the name of Allah, the most merciful, the most compassionate? The Gwizdi bear certainly recites it in his way of life. He's saying, who do you think sustains me for centuries with salmon? And the salmons also have an inborn GPS system. Look that up. They come back to the original state, original location. They know. how to return, you know, swim through the oceans and rivers and come back to the exact place where they are, then being, you know, sustaining other life. So subhanAllah, for me, even those one, two examples are sufficient. But if I would be immersing myself more and more, which I'm trying, just to pick up some simple children's books, get some information and complement that with this reading, huge, hugely impactful. Highly recommended. Go in any children's library, get some of these simply articulated books and read between the lines. Everything that the Quran talks about, the birds, the fish, the trees, the mountains. This earth is the only habitable planet in the universe. It's the heart of the universe. It's the heart. Everything is here. Everything perfectly created, perfectly shaped. perfectly prepared for human life to flourish. And why are bears important for human life? Let me share that with you. Bears are important for human life because they play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems by acting as keystone species, regulating prey populations, dispersing seeds through their foraging habits, and contributing to nutrient cycling, which ultimately supports the biodiversity and balance of the environment humans rely on. Their presence indicates a healthy habitat for other species, including humans. Bears help control populations of herbivores like deer and moose, preventing overgrazing and allowing vegetation to thrive. I'll share that with you later, but on and on. We rely on the existence of every animal. If one is missing, life on earth falls apart, falls out of balance. And this is the crucial role of the human being as a steward on earth. The sacred vicegerent, whom we call Khalifa tul Arz. You are nothing in this universe, yet your responsibility is so great. how you decide to be in the world. And that's why this whole section about saying in the name of God, the most compassionate, the most merciful, how do you begin an act? How do you begin an act? Do you begin it in the name of the most merciful? Do you testify to his mercy? And do you also say, Ya Allah, in this action, let me also bring mercy into the world. Let me be merciful. a manifestation, a vessel of your mercy. Let me be compassionate, caring, loving. Let me do my work in the best way. And that's why when we say the sacred formula, these sacred words, we are affirming that this universe is guided by mercy. We're testifying to it. We witness it, and we say, Ya Allah, I made the choice to be also an embodiment of mercy, like the Prophet ﷺ. peace and blessings be upon him, who was sent as a mercy to all creation. And we see that in his conduct. So whatever we do, we should do with beauty and compassion, with wisdom. Every time when we recite this, these sacred words, that's a powerful reminder. These days, what's missing in our conduct, wherever we show up in schools, at our workplaces, What is missing as we are witnessing tragedies is good character, caring, compassionate character, good conduct, ethics, morality. People are not doing their work beautifully. And that's why we have so many issues or they decide to be destructive. Or we decide to bring evil into the world and to be cruel and harmful and hurtful. Those are the choices we make every day in every situation. Am I saying, in the name of mercy, and bring mercy into the world? Or am I bringing cruelty into the world? And that reflects in our workplaces, wherever we show up in our different roles, as parents, as coworkers, as citizens. Who are we? Who are we? Are we doing what Allah calls us to do? Are we bringing compassion and beauty and wisdom into the world like He does? He doesn't neglect any being, but what is it about us, right? So that's the question because Every time it comes down to good, compassionate character. Good, compassionate character. Am I following the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam's footsteps? Am I also like him, a mercy to the world? Or will people say, I'm relieved this person is gone? Because they were just such a burden and harm. to the community or the creation. So that's the ultimate question because this whole section about rahmah and saying those sacred words is about how do we show up? How do we present ourselves? How are we acting in the world? And that means to treat every sacred being with that compassion. And we know that Allah says in this dunya, in this world, His compassion is for everybody. Unconditional. He gives even to those who neglect Him, who reject Him, who curse on Him. They are enjoying the same beautiful clean air. They are enjoying the same clean water. They have access to the same beautiful resources. In this world, everybody is experiencing Allah's rahmah. Evident. And ultimately, we will, we choose how to, what our choices are. So that's very important because when we say,

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these are deep words. This makes every act holy, every act is sacred, and it's an affirmation that Allah's mercy is present. even in times when we think, where is Allah's mercy? This is something that we need to internalize and remind ourselves. Very important. And so let me read on here. O man, come to your senses. Is it at all possible that the All-Glorious One, who causes all the varieties of creatures to turn towards you and stretch out their hands to assist you, and to say, here we are in the face of your needs. Is it possible that he does not know you, is not acquainted with you, does not see you? Since he does know you, he informs you that he knows you through his mercy. So you should know him too. See, we should have a desire, a love, a yearning to also, who is this creator, this most merciful being? who knows me, who cares about me the moment I enter this world, who prepared everything in a way that is sustaining all my needs. And so if anybody sends us one million gifts to our door, we should ask the question, who is it? Who is the one who creates one orange gift? in this season where it's cold and sends me all these amazing resources of vitamin C, sustains my body and my bones and keeps me healthy and strong and steady. Who is it who created the seasons, the sun and the rain and the clouds and the soil and the minerals for this orange to come into existence? in order to create that orange. You need the whole universe in a certain constellation for you to enjoy that orange, for you to enjoy the vitamins. We don't know who we are, how important we are. That is the Rahmah. He knows us, He knows what our bodies need, and He sends it. He equips, He packages it into the fruit. And whatever we take in, it's the best. Nothing that Allah has created is ever or somehow impure or somehow, how do you say, damaging to our health. Nothing. Anything that is raw, pure, wholesome, that is where the closest connection is with Allah. That's why we should always aim for that type of nutrition. Like the Quran says, consume whole, and healthy food, wholesome food and good food, because that's the one that Allah has provided for us. He's given us the best. So Allah cares about us, that rahmah, that compassion, that mercy is self-evident. And He knows us, and He informs you that He knows you through His mercy. So you should know Him too. And with respect, let Him know what you know Him. And with respect, excuse me, let him know that you know him and understand with certainty that what subjugates the vast universe to an absolutely weak, that's me, absolutely weak. I can't even create a drop of water. Absolutely impotent. I can't create that orange. I can't create the rain. I can't create none of this. I'm absolutely needy. Needy, yes, because one virus knocks me down. Who then provides the care and the medicine and the strong health constantly keeps me healthy? Allah the most merciful. And I'm also ephemeral. I'm a tiny little speck in the flow of humanity. I'm a very insignificant being. I'm finite being. I'm leaving this earth. Even as we are living, we are dying. Even as we are living, we are dying. Every day we are moving towards our death, every second. The wrinkles appear on my face. The white hair appears on my head. Those gentle signals, my health is declining, the ache and the pain, the strength is not as it used to be. These are the gentle signals that Allah tells us. You're leaving this earth. You're returning back to your celestial home. And there's nothing to be resisted. This is just a reality, a fact of life, that we are migrant beings. We are coming and leaving. We are dwelling here for a certain time. And it says here, you're an insignificant creature, but he dispatches everything to assist you. And that's the truth of divine mercy, which comprises wisdom, Favor, knowledge, and power. So Allah in his divine mercy, mercy doesn't just happen. There is a lot of wisdom, favor, knowledge, and power. Who has the power to create that orange, right? And put all the elements in the universe in the right order for that orange to exist so it lands on your table and that you can enjoy it. Can we please turn off the microphones? I hear some background knowledge. Thank you. So most certainly a mercy such as this requires universal and sincere thanks. So what is our response to that overwhelming mercy and love and care and generosity? It should be gratitude. So thanks and earnest and genuine respect. Therefore say thanks. Bismillahirrahmanirrahim, in the name of God, the most merciful, the most compassionate, which is the interpreter and expression, let me flip here, of such sincere thanks and genuine respect. So every time when we say Bismillahirrahmanirrahim, every time when we recite these sacred words, we make a commitment. We make a commitment. We reaffirm our oath. We say, Ya Allah, I have not forgotten. I have not forgotten. I testify to your mercy. I see it's all evident. I am sustained by it. I am strengthened by it. I'm provided by your sacred mercy. Ya Allah, let me also be a vessel of mercy in this world. Let me be a person who brings compassion into the world in everything that I do. whether it's in my office, in my work, in school, outside in my community. Let me be an embodiment of your mercy. That is ultimate commitment and reaffirmation that we are making when we say, Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. In your name, Allah, I begin. But I want to ultimately focus on mercy. To extend it to everybody. in a non-judgmental way, in an unbiased way, and leave the final judgment to you, Ya Allah. It's not my, it's not, you know, yours is the final judgment. And always approach people with goodness, do my work with the highest ethics. A lot of us are grieving because of the recent tragedy in Turkey and Turkey. very tragic. So many families died in a tragic fire in a hotel. And there's a lot of healthy self-reflection, I think, in this moment. And I also ask to myself, what did I do wrong in this case? At the end, it comes down to morality, ethics, good conduct, how we do our work. And you look at the number of human failures. how a building is built, what the negligence, the human negligence, that certain safety measures were not taken care of, certain safety checks were not taken care of. So many things. Everybody can read and I'm sure reflects on this. But ultimately, at the end, how we do our work daily, every moment, how we do it in a way that lifts up life, how we think about ethics and akhlaq and morality and everything that we do, knowing Allah says, the hadith says, holy narration by the Prophet Muhammad, Allah is beautiful and loves it when we do things beautifully. If I'm neglectful in my work, if I don't pay attention, if I'm acting lazy, if I'm acting cruel, am I honoring Allah's rahmah? Look how He's taking care of every being. How can I then be negligent? How I can act lazy in the world or immoral or unethical? That is contradictory to Allah's mercy. That is not something that our tradition promotes. We have to have the highest morality, the highest ethics in place for everything. It doesn't matter how people treat us, but we always have to have morality. that kind of high goal in mind, that I begin everything in the name of Allah. He sees me. He's my witness. He's a shaheed, the witness to my work. He knows my secret thoughts. And knowing that calls me to be a better human being, to show up as the best version of myself. That's what I love about our tradition. It invites us to show us as our best version. I want to be a good person like the Prophet ﷺ. I want to say people can trust me. Not that I do it for people, but that you are a safe space, that people feel that they are not harmed by you, that they are safe in your presence, that whatever work you do, you do with the highest integrity and principle and ethics, that you pay attention to the details like Allah does. Nothing is little in Allah's framework of rahmah. Even the life of an ant is protected and cared for. So how can either an understanding rahmah, mercy, act in the world foolishly or don't pay attention or speed up on the highway and disrespect other people's lives and rights? Impossible if I'm immersed in this deep understanding of the basmala. Everything I begin in there. If I enter my car, Ya Allah, in your name, let me be an embodiment of mercy. And that's how I then display myself, conduct myself, even as I'm driving my car. I pay attention to my speed. I respect people's rights. I preserve everybody's dignity because I want to save life. I want to uplift life. I'm acting patient on the street. I'm waiting patiently in the line. because I respect Allah's name, As-Sabur, because Allah loves the ones who are patient. Sadly, what we are seeing right now is a lack of sacred morality and ethics. Everywhere we go, we see that as human beings, we fail to live up to this high command of the Quran, that Allah calls us to be an embodiment of mercy, But if people think they cannot trust each other or they are not safe in one another's presence, then that's the root cause. And this is what ultimately makes a human being a human, that core of mercy that Allah has given us and that we are invited to show and implement in the world. And so that requires also wisdom, knowledge, gentleness, kindness, generosity, I mean, look at how Allah showers us with endless blessings. And how much can we even be, I mean, we are not deserving of that mercy, right? We didn't apply for that. We didn't make any effort. Allah just showers us, just the needs of our stomach. How many different types of blessings when we enter the store, the market, how much He cares for us, how many blessings He created. So the least we can do, like it says here, express our thanks and gratitude in our way of living. Ya Allah, you have given me. I want to share those blessings with the world and affirm your mercy. It's not for me. I want to share it with the world. And sharing means not just material things, but your knowledge, your wisdom, your compassion, your kindness. your skills, your gifts, your talents. Everything that Allah has given to you was an act of His divine mercy. So what can we then do to respond to it? What's our response? First of all, inviting others into the sacred space of learning and knowing who He is. Second of all, telling them, sharing with them how much they are loved and cared for. And then encouraging them by way of our own life to share that mercy with others, to care about others, to not be indifferent. And so we make that choice. We make the choice what kind of human being we wanna be, how we want to be in the world. So the existence and reality of divine mercy are as clear as the sun. For just as a woven tapestry centered on one point is formed by the order, and situation of the threats of its warp and weft coming from all directions, so too the luminous threats extending from the manifestation of a thousand and one divine names and the vast sphere of the universe weave such a seal of compassionateness, tapestry of clemency, and seal of benevolence or generosity within a stamp of mercy that it demonstrates itself to minds more brilliantly than the sun. So when we think of mercy, how Allah sustains life with mercy, all the divine names are interwoven here. So mercy means that Allah also protects us, like he protects the little cardinals out in the frozen. How he protects, so protection, Al-Hafiz, one of Allah's names is the preserver, the protector, the savior, the recorder. He protects you and look at, Just open your closet and look at the different types of jackets you have, the different clothes you have, how he adorns you, how he protects you with clothing. And that clothing, yes, also has adornment. How many clothes I have with embroidery, silk, leather, different garments. That one animal out there has one type of garment. But me? How he honored the human being, me? how many types of different garments I'm wearing every day. Such blessings, such mercy, such way of dignifying, honoring the human being, such generosity. Everything is serving the human being. There's a way a deer is clothed, and then look at me, how I'm clothed, how I am cared for. I'm protected and adorned and dignified. Can anybody who thinks and reflects on this, just our way of being closed by the different elements in the universe, cotton, silk, hemp, linen, you name it, can anybody feel invalidated or worthless or neglected? That is what gives you a sense of worth. A sacred worth. I am loved. I'm cared for. Look at me and look at the animals. How much honor Allah has bestowed on the human being. By his mercy. Because all these divine names are interwoven with mercy. So there's protection. There's generosity. Look at the bird, what the bird eats. And look what I'm eating. What I'm eating. Endless blessings I enjoy. And then equipping me with this piece of flesh was able to detect and identify the different flavors and nuances in every blessing. And then preserve that in my memory. And when I remember, I enjoy it some more. I mean, SubhanAllah, Ya Rabb, that's Allah's name, Al-Kareem, the most generous one. SubhanAllah, the more I reflect, It makes sense to me why the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, how can I not be a grateful servant to Allah? From the standpoint of materialistic lifestyle, he had nothing, but he was able to see this truth. How much the human being is honored by Allah, and how can I then, his feet were swollen from so much praying, and they asked him, why are you praying so much? Allah already has granted you, promised you paradise. I only want to express my gratitude. Allah has chosen me, spoke to me, closed me, protected me, sustained me, equipped me with a will, human will, with emotions, with intellectual abilities, with faculties, with feelings. Look at me and look at the other creatures. That is the reading that we need to cultivate and inshallah share with the world because I think that's our sacred responsibility. We don't know who Allah is, how he manifests himself in our lives. We are blind to these facts. This is just 1%, not even 1% that I'm sharing. And so few of us truly engage in this act of who is Allah? How does he display his qualities in the world? The future is all merciful one who orders the sun and moon, the elements and minerals, see, from the great to the little, and plants and animals like the warp and weft of a vast woven tapestry through the race of his thousand and one names and causes them to serve life. See, that's the ultimate purpose, to serve and elevate life. Who is at the center of that? The human life. Everything serves human life. The sun and the moon, the elements and the minerals, the plants and animals. How do we serve life? That's the question here now. Do we elevate life as we are existing right now? Do we make the life of others easier, more breathable, more valuable? Are we life-giving? When people are in our presence, are we illuminating them? Are we... bringing more hope and light into their lives? Are we curing them? Are we healing them? That is the question, my dear sisters. That is the ultimate question. How do we serve life? The highest level of life is the life of the Spirit. If somebody is suffering, if somebody is in despair and hopeless, and I'm indifferent to it, I cannot be. I cannot be, because Allah is not indifferent. He cares about every life. most importantly, human life. And he demonstrates his compassion through the exceedingly sweet and self-sacrificing compassion of mothers, land and animal, and subjugates animate creatures to human life, right? The lower level of life, the animate beings, they all sacrifice themselves to human life. Everything works for us. The chicken and their eggs, the cow and their milk, Who is the beneficiary of this? Humans. And none of that we can create. We don't have the power. We are the most intelligent beings, but we cannot create a drop of milk. And we cannot create an egg. And the chicken cannot create an egg. Mother nature cannot create it. Mother nature does not have compassion, consciousness, wisdom, power, knowledge, didn't study nutrition, didn't study physics, chemistry. It's Allah. When we say mother nature, we actually affirm that mercy is at the core. And from this demonstrates man's importance and a most lovely large tapestry of divine dominicality and manifests his brilliant mercy that most merciful one has in the face of his own absolute lack of need, made his mercy an acceptable intercessor for animate creatures and men. This is us. This is us, the center of the universe. Everything is servant to us, but that should not lead us to arrogance. Allah doesn't love arrogance, istighbar or qibr. In fact, it should humble us, should make us feel the weight of responsibility, the weight of expressing gratitude. The one who has put the galaxies into perfect constellation for us to exist. for us to be able to breathe clean air. Some weeks ago, I was reading in Pakistan or India, smoke alarm, people are dying in polluted air. Hospitals were full. Children couldn't go to school. I thought to myself, who provides us pure, pure, clean air all the time? Who makes the wind circulate all the time so I can breathe pure air, be cleansed and nourished and strengthened? Who is in charge of that system? Who established that cleansing system? Allah in His mercy. But who is the one who disrupts the balance in the universe? The human being if he steps into the darkest pit of his nature. The human being can be so destructive, exploiting the universe, abusing it, misusing it. disrupting the balance. That's why Allah says in Surah Ar-Rahman, maintain the balance of the universe. Everything is perfect, just don't mess it up. Just respect the balance, that complexity. Because if one element is disturbed, everything falls apart. That's what tawheed means, the interconnectedness. The oneness of Allah is reflected in the universe. Everything is interwoven. Everything is interrelated, interdependent. It's only human beings who are disruptive and destructive and deciding to bring into, you know, with their moral evil, cruelty into the world. And that's why we are fully accountable. We will be held accountable. Because Allah in His mercy does not allow for other creatures rights to be disturbed. It's an injustice. It's a disrespect to his mercy or degrade other people's other life. We need to be aware of our responsibility. The things that are happening, Allah has given us enough divine guidance, enough divine revelation, amazing messengers who show us the way and moral exemplars who invite us to be good people in the world. Yet, if we decide otherwise, it's our full responsibility. And then Allah says that on judgment day, we will have to respond for our actions. And of course, even in worldly courts, you need to be held accountable if you are harming another person's life. And so, How we are acting daily in every moment, how we are uplifting and honoring Allah's sacred names, Ar-Rahman, is absolutely critical. It's the core of what we are about. If we have mercy with everybody, we have to even, it will inform our policies, our actions, our work, our efforts, everything will be informed by a sacred worldview. Oh, what I'm deciding, what I'm doing, even if I use the water to wash my dishes, is informed by that sacred mindset. Because the Prophet ﷺ says, even if you are at the running river, don't waste it for ablution. I mean, even if you're taking your ablution and you're at the running river, Don't waste the water. Look at that sacred ethics, the high morality, and look at those who today, even in parts of the United States where so many families are denied access to clean water because of greed, corruption, mismanagement, you name it. But at the root cause, all of this is a lack of high morality. And lack of believing that Allah sees me. Allah witnesses what I'm doing. I will be held accountable. How I am here right now in my house, nobody is here. But I know Allah is present. The angels are present. They are preserving, recording all my secret thoughts and actions. I'm always in the public. Every text I'm writing, every email I'm writing, I'm always aware Allah sees and reads. and how I interact with another human being. He is, the Qur'an says, he is always the third between if two are talking. And that also naturally should inform our conduct. So subhanAllah, there's so much to say about Rahman, but I will stop here. And inshaAllah we'll continue this reflection. Subhanakala, inna lillahi l-rahman, inna lillahi l-rahman.

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Thank you.