My brothers and sisters at times we see people committing sin
and we see evil people and we wonder why is it that the almighty is not punishing them
why does he allow them to get away with whatever they're doing well the reality
is Allah doesn't allow them to get away he just gives them a chance he gives them a time
to think about what they're doing and to stop it on their own so if you are doing something wrong
don't think that just because everything in your life is moving smooth that Allah is happy with you
perhaps he is giving you a time to turn to him he's giving you an opportunity to
turn to him before the punishment strikes and this is why it's very important for us
to reconnect with revelation to see what the almighty is saying so Allah almighty clearly says
if Allah had to punish the people for the wrong and the oppression that they've been engaged in
there would be nothing left on earth
nothing that moves would survive he would have destroyed everything because the amount of sin
and the amount of oppression and wrong that has happened if people were to be punished
because of the transgression they've engaged in and they were never forgiven or never given a
chance if that was the case everything would have been destroyed Allah says
subhanAllah this is verse number 61 of Surah nahal where Allah says but
he delays them up to a prescribed time a fixed time so Allah delays you and I and everyone else
up to a fixed time and Allah almighty has decided that he will punish people when he wants
subhanAllah and this is why if you look at the Prophets and what's mentioned in the Quran about
them they prayed for the guidance of their people because their mission was to convey
the message of guidance just like the Quran is a message for you and I and all mankind and jin kind
the messengers who came with the messages were instructed to give that to the people and to
guide them and when they saw that these people are reacting in a negative way there came a
time when they actually said o Allah guide our people if you haven't written guidance for them
like the Prophet Noah may peace be upon him he says oh Allah if you haven't written guidance for
these then destroy them or protect us from them in whatever way you feel fit and then the punishment
came at the time of the Prophet Noah may peace be upon him in the form of floods in the form of
water water is a gift of the almighty too little of it may be a punishment and too much of it may
also be a punishment which leaves us with this the fact that water in the right amount at the right
time in the right place is a gift of Allah and that's why the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him
used to pray not just for rain but for beneficial reign in the right place in the right quantity
may Allah almighty grant us an understanding when we reconnect with revelation we humble ourselves
we realize the greatness of the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything besides
man if all of that is so great man shouldn't think that he is somehow above the law of Allah almighty
just because Allah created him in the best posture Allah created him as the most noble
of creatures of Allah almighty generally that's what we're known as we're known as the most noble
of all the other creatures we have brains we have eyes we have sense we have ability that others or
other creatures do not have be they plants or fish or birds whatever else it may be animals
Allah has granted us an understanding unlike the other creatures so all of this should humble us
but without revelation and guidance we wouldn't be able to realize this
and that's why this is the month of Ramadan and in this month of Ramadan it is a month
where we should be reconnecting with the Quran recitation as well as learning the meanings of
taking lessons from changing our lives because of the words and verses of the Quran
my brothers my sisters Allah almighty says when the prescribed time comes for any one of you Allah
says he will not be able to delay it by a moment nor will he bring it forward meaning the person
will not be brought forward nor delayed the person will not be able to delay it nor bring it forward
and Allah almighty will not do that because he has set a time when Allah's time comes that's it
so there are two times that we speak about here the first is a time for the punishment to overtake
a person when that time comes anyone who is going to be punished is doomed there's nothing that
they would ever be able to do that would divert the punishment from them to something else but
if that time has not come nobody would ever be able to bring it
forward that's what Allah is saying so number one is the punishment we're taught to turn back
before punishment overtakes us and when is the punishment coming to me or to you
I don't know so what's my best bet the best thing to do is turn now and turn every day
seek the forgiveness of Allah every day Allah is most loving the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon
him sought the forgiveness of Allah so many times a day why in order to teach us that we need to do
the same so if any one of us would like to learn a lesson from revelation it is that we should
emulate the teachings and the method and style of the Prophet Muhammad may peace be upon him
so we would achieve the forgiveness of Allah on a daily basis and therefore the punishment
would not come to us but there is another fixed time that will definitely come to us what is that
the point of death of every one of us death is a gift for believers a person who believes
in Allah almighty do you know that they would look at death from a totally different angle
they would say everyone has to die anyway and we have to return to the almighty we were with
him before we came on to the earth anyway and now that i'm going back to him i've done a lot of good
deeds i've tried to be a good person I worshipped him alone I fulfilled my obligations i've stayed
away from prohibition i've tried to assist all other human beings i've tried to be kind
to a lot of others but at the same time the gift that I have is I know i'm going to a good place
I know that the almighty the lord i'm going to is a merciful lord filled with kindness compassion
he is the most forgiving the most beneficent he has beautiful names and qualities yes
he has warned us and I have taken heed and i've tried and yes there is a concern but I
still have greater hope than anything else in the mercy of Allah where would we learn this
from revelation if you are not connected to revelation in the correct way you either have
too much of fear or too much of hope but if you are connected to revelation in the correct way
you will have a balance of hope and fear where the scale of hope tips the scale of fear
to a degree that it keeps you going and worshiping Allah and looking forward to the hereafter
knowing that as much as my deeds may not be of a level that is equivalent to that of the Prophets
and that of the saints and that of the pious and so on but at least i've tried and i'm going to a
lord who's prepared to accept me because I tried my best to develop the best relationship with him
so this is Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and he tells us verse number 78 of Surah Nahal where Allah says
when Allah created you when he removed you when he took you out of the bellies of your mothers
the wombs of your mothers so when Allah took you out of the wombs of your mothers
you knew nothing you knew nothing you couldn't speak and he says immediately after that
he created for you your hearing and your sight and your hearts
in order that you are thankful to him so he wants you to know you you couldn't speak
and you didn't know anything you had no knowledge when you were born he wants you to know all of
these faculties were created in order for you for them to be used in a way that you recognize the
almighty and in a way that you turn to him and reconnect with him may Allah grant that to us.