My brothers and sisters, I remind myself and you to make to take full
advantage of this time because we are [ضيوف الله]. We are the guests in
the house Allah (swt). Now let us remind ourselves that Allah (swt)
does not invite guests to his house to take from them. Allah (swt)
invites guests to give to them. Allah always calls to give Allah
does not call to take so ask dua and asked to make dua and make dua
and make dua, Allah swt says [ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ] When Allah said [وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ] when my slave asked
about me. I'm close to him. [أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ] when he asks when he makes
supplication and he asks from me. I listen to him and I give it to him.
[فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ ] and therefore let him have faith in me and let him obey me, so
that he may be among the rightly guided hamdulillah when we make
itikaf we are proving that we have faith in Allah (swt) we are proving
our obedience to Allah (swt) there is nothing that Allah cannot
give. So ask and ask, my brothers and sisters, when we are in the
masajid. Remember the masjid has a Haq on us, the other people who are
making itikaf have a Haq on us and let us fulfill those Huqooq. The
Haqq of the masjid is that we should treat it like the house of
Allah which it is that we treat it with respect, that we treat it as
an Amana that we don't miss use the facilities of the masjid that we
don't misuse whatever has been provided to us in that masjid
neither electricity, no water or plates, that we keep it clean and
neat. Because this is the house of Allah (swt). The people who make
itikaf with us our brothers and sisters, they have a Haq on us that
we do not disturb them that we do not spoil their itikaf, because we
go and we talk to them and so on. Remember the itikaf is not a place
to hang out. It's not a social, it's not a social gathering. You
are in the masjid, only for yourself. And to connect yourself
with Allah (swt) you have no concern with anybody else in that
Masjid. You're not there to be with your friends, you're not there to
be with your relatives. You're not there to make friends, new friends,
you're not there to hang out with anybody. You're there to connect
with Allah (swt). So don't disturb people make as much dua as you can
read as much Quran as you can read as many nawafil as you can. And
when you are finished and tired, then go to sleep. Because even the
sleep is Ibadah while you are an itikaf. But don't chat with people
and don't talk to people and don't talk loudly on the phone and don't
do all of those things. SubhanAllah to get away from all this we came
into the masjid, don't bring all that khurafat inside the masjid
with with you when you come. Do not use anybody's property without
their permission, anybody's slippers and shoes and bags and
pillows and bedding and a pen or whatever it is never ever touch
anyone's property without asking permission, even if it is your own
brother, do not touch his property without asking permission, ask
permission and then take something do not take anything without asking
permission. That is the Haq of the brothers who are in itikaf with
you. And finally, make goals for yourself. set targets for yourself
and say that in these 10 days, I'm going to read so much Quran, I'm
going to memorize so many so much so many surahs so many surahs I'm
going to read this particular book of Islam, or whatever it is, or I
am going to make dhikr and I'm going to connect myself with Allah
(swt). When I say Subhan Allah, I'm going to try to feel the sweetness
of Subhan Allah than as Alhamdulillah. I'm going to try to
thank Allah (swt) for all that He has given me, when I say Allahu
Akbar, I'm going to try and feel the greatness of Allah (swt) when I
say Allahu Akbar, but when [أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ] I'm going to try and feel the power
of this kalima tayyibah, I'm going to feel the power of being an
ummati of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, you ask Allah
(swt) we thank Allah (swt) for giving us this opportunity, we ask
Him to give us these opportunities again and again and again, over and
over again until the last day of our lives. We ask Allah (swt) to
give us good health and strength to ensure that we do his ibadat
properly and completely and with great dedication and sincerity.