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We thank him upon all conditions we send blessings and salutations upon Muhammad salallahu alayhi wa salam

his entire household, all his companions. We ask Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala to bless every single one of them and to bless every single one of us and to grant us goodness and ease to ease, to create ease for us in this world as well as the next.

My beloved brothers and sisters, water is extremely important. We all know made up of two hydrogen particles, one oxygen.

And at the same time, if it is too much, there is a problem. If it is too little, there is a problem. It's a gift from Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala such that he is the one who chooses and decides exactly where it will fall in the form of rain.

He is the one who chooses whom, he will grant the gift of water. He is the one who chooses whom, he will punish by keeping the water away or he will test by keeping the water away.

Now you and I know that in this region, the southern African region, we are going through a drought. We have been suffering the lack of rainfall, meaningful rainfall. We have seen clouds.

Sometimes it is as though these clouds are just teasing us. They come, they are dark. We get happy, we get excited. A shower for a few seconds and it's gone.

Unlike the previous years, where Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala is blessed us, Alhamdulillah. So I was asked a question last week and I thought I'd share the answer with you.

What are the reasons that Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala holds back rain? Simple question.

Why? I'm a Muslim. I'm sure Allah has got an answer for this. Why is it that rain is held back? There is a very simple answer to this.

It is either as a punishment of Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala in most cases or it is a test from Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala in some cases.

Why we say in most cases? Because Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala in the Quran explains quite clearly that in the past He has used it as a punishment.

For example, the people of Fir Aoun, the Pharaoh, Allah says,

and indeed we inflicted the Pharaoh and his people or the people of Pharaoh with a drought, a type of a drought and various other punishments in order that they may turn back. They may be reminded.

They may take heed. So it was an inflection and at the same time it was in order to soften them.

The first thing, when Allah inflicts anyone with anything, the first thing that should happen is the people should become softened.

If they are not softened, Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala becomes even harder. Because remember who are we to be hard with Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Let's listen to what Allah says.

In Suratul Jinn Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala clearly says,

This is a lesson for everyone of us.

Had they been straight on the path, meaning fulfilling the instructions of Allah and abstaining from the prohibitions of Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala, we would have granted them pure water from the heavens, from the skies.

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