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My beloved brothers, my colleagues, I am very very fortunate and happy to be here for this eighth national Imam

from the Refresher course that is taking place here in this beautiful center in Harare in Zimbabwe.

Many of you are known to me, I see many faces that I recognize, Mashallah,

few are my colleagues, few are my students, more importantly we are all brothers.

Today I want to remind myself more than anyone else being an Imam as well of the most important factors

regarding how to deal with the congregations and the communities of today.

We take you from none other than the Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam.

No matter how much the world will change and evolve, the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, does not change.

The first thing we have been taught by him is something known as al-Ikhlas, when we work for Allah.

When we do something, we do it for the pleasure of Allah.

When Allah He might beloved brothers, when you do for the sake of Allah, the little that you get in return is multiplied in Baraka and blessings.

You may not have so much of money, people think you are rich because you give, because you help, because you go out, because you are always there.

So Allah gives you blessings in your children, in your family members, Allah Almighty protects you from harm that you may not know.

Perhaps you have better health than others, but that is Baraka, whereas there are others who earn much more than you and I, but much of their wealth is wasted in things and there is no Baraka or blessings in that wealth.

So to do things for the sake of Allah, people will fault you, they will doubt you, they will say things about you, remember you are not doing it for them.

Well Allah who you have been seen in, I do good not because I think you deserve my good, but I know Allah loves those who do good, that is why I am doing good.

So whether you like me or you don't like me, as long as I did good Allah loves me, I don't care about your love or not. Subhanallah, that is an Imam.

You will lead, Salaah, they will still make noise about you, it's natural. You will not be paid much, the imams are hardly paid.

Today I was looking at some of the chat groups that I am on and I removed myself from most of them because of time and people were complaining about how low imams are paid.

And in my mind I am thinking Allah blesses you with Baraka. Then when the Imam tries to have a side-tuck shop they say this man is now turning towards the dunya, you see.

But dunya is halal for them, not for us. Don't let your job that is on the side, take the main center stage, but it is not prohibited to earn a living for you and for me.

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