Never Give Up!

Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaathuhu

My beloved brothers & sisters, it's great to be talking to you and as you know we all have examinations in life different, type of examinations and each one has to try very hard. As you know in a set up where there is a school or a university at the end of every semester, trimester or term you would have some examinations to in order qualify you to get to the next level and as you progress in life the examinations become more and more difficult and you would know with out working we don't achieve! We know the common saying "mann jadaah wa jadahau' Whoever works very hard will definitely see the fruit of that particular working. So just like we have people who fail because they did not work hard or they did not understand that the examination become more and more difficult as time passes. We also have the issue with the deen where as we progress in life we have more and more tests and they become more & more difficult until we meet with Allah subhanawaa taa'ala .

And this is why the prophet sallahau alaihi wasallam was told 'worship your rabb until death overtakes you!.' Right up to the end keep on worshipping continues, do not stop, do not pause, .do not loose hope in fact progress and become stronger and stronger. If you take a look at some of the other verses of Quran Allah subhanawaataa'ala makes mention of " fa izaa faraqta fansab ......wa ila rabbika farghab" You know Muhammad sallahau alihi wasallam deleivering the message was not easy, it was difficult, he faced so many challenges he continued he persevered, 23 whole years of nabuaah. And Allah subhanwaataa'la says when you have! Subhanallah! Subhanallah! You know the achievement that Allah subhanwataa'ala granted him! Allah subhanawataa'al will grant each person achievement according to his will obviously but also connected to the effort that the particular person makes. If we were to give up suddenly, we would never be able to achieve even jannah. Imagine a person who reads salah for 70 years and suddenly the last year just before they died they give their salaah, they throw in the throwing the blanket and say 'that's it!'

Such a person has been mentioned In the hadith of rasoolallah sallahualaihiwasallam where a person could be worshipping Allah for so many years and right at the end they turn so they are cast into hellfire! And a person could be disobedient for so many years and right in the end they worship Allah subhanwataa'ala, turn back to him so they will be from amongst those who go to paradise. So it's important to us to know, to give up you don't know how close you are to the end! Imagine a person digging a tunnel, for example and right when they are near the end they suddenly give up thinking that you know what, I don't know how long this is going to be carried on. Had they carried on for a minute longer they would have broken through!

So with us we need to continue, fulfill your salaah progress ,develop don't think for a moment that life is going to become any easier. The only thing that will happen is with the development of link with Allah subhanwaataa'ala we become more content, we understand the nature of the world. it's not an easy task but with the hope in mercy of Allah subhanwataa'ala things will be made easy and at the same time with the constant preparation without giving up hope, never ever giving up. Never say no! Never just throwing the towel, by the will of Allah subhawataa'al we will achieve and we will achieve great heights.

Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaathuhu

By Shaykh Mufti Ismail Menk