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And by Allah's rahmah(mercy), by abstaining from these luxuries it's not difficulty upon
us, it's actually a measurement of advancement upon us that we are now going through this
self cleansing, self introspection, to validate what is my value in this world? That when
a child is taught, this is why children also should be taught at an early age to fast,
sometimes you know my child will stave if he fasts. This is incorrect, oh he will be
dehydrated. No you control it, if they appear dehydrated break the fast. Let them learn
at an early age. Why? Why should a child learn at an early age? Because when you teach them
to abstain from their norm at an early age hopefully they will develop strong willpower
to be able to sustain themselves when they are adults. You see our biggest problem in
this world is willpower, imam Ali (a.s) says, he says "the weakness of a man is in the basis
of his desires", if I cannot control my desires which are wrongful desires and if I cannot
control them. Then that is my weakest link in my life, as much as I worship Allah, if
that weakness lingers in me, it can be destructive. And this god consciousness is extremely important,
not mechanical brothers and sisters. You know its fascinating I heard dr was just talking.
Something very fascinating at the camp. Shirm bin thil jawshan, the man that beheaded Imam
Husain fought with Imam Ali at siffin. He used to pray salatul layl, he used to read
Quran fluently, very, he was so pious outwardly, shirmr! The man we know was one of the worst
human's beings in Karbala. Was so pious and pure outwardly, he was very prayerful did
not miss his prayers. And yet he committed a crime. What was the difference?? There was
probably no introspection, no clear analysis of one's self and to validate one's own position
which leads you to be adaptive to the environment. And that adaptation, moral adaptation is deadly,
because relative morality, where an individual now is going to shift their moral positions,
on their basis of who's in power for the day, is a deadly person. To turn around and behead
the very son of the man he was under is an indicator if a human being does not have constant
introspection will not achieve success. And Allah has left that upon us to wilfully direct
ourselves towards. So let's not just put our hands up there, and expect angels to come
down and clean u our hearts every day. And if I put my hands up and say 'rabana atina
fid dunya hasana..' that suddenly an angel will come down, put his hand on my heart take
all the black spots out of me and just polish me, you know. Auto pilot because I put my
hands up there. No, it doesn't work that way. It will never work that way, what works is
constant struggle, constant. And there is an elegant reality I am realising more and
more as I grow old, there's an elegant reality, that Allah protects our free will. That protection
is so, as I would say, is so holy in the creation of god, it is so essential in the creation
of Allah, that while we pray Allah does interject, but this interjection is in the realisation
of what we need to do. BUT WE have to move towards it.