ʿĀd

But rather we have made them tales, stories that people tell one another.

Don't you remember there used to be a nation called Aad? Don't you remember these people called Thamud? Can't you see the pyramids of Egypt but no longer the pharaohs no longer exist? These have become fables and tales now.

But for the believers, within them there are lessons and caution.

Within them there are signs from the signs of Allah azza wa jal.

And there is a difference between the believers and the stories in the Quran and between other tellings of those stories.

So the people knew of them.

Just as the Arabs in the time of the Prophet ﷺ were aware of the tribes of Aad and Thamud.

They were familiar with these nations because by virtue of living in Arabia, they had come across them and they had heard of their stories.

One exception was that city that turned into monkeys because they disobeyed Allah Azza wa Jal.

But afterwards, Allah did not send a punishment from the sky like the people of Aad, the people of Thamud, right, the people of Nuh.

Allah did not send that from the time of Musa, from the time of the Tawrat till today.

But rather, what Allah Azza wa Jal would ask is that he had legislated jihad from that time.

Second, you get Allah's punishment.

So when a person admires his strength فأما عاد فاستكبروا في الأرض وقالوا من أشد منا قوة أولم يروا أن الله الذي خلقهم هو أشد منهم قوة عاد الله عز وجل said they were prideful on earth and they said who is stronger than us do they not know did they not see that their creator who made them is stronger than them and you know what happened to عاد so anyone who admires his strength whether you are talking about an individual or you are talking about a nation an empire like the empires that we have today and they can do whatever they want without restriction without opposition and they say who is stronger than us you can anticipate and predict that Allah عز وجل is going to take that away from them even if it doesn't look like it because they are defying Allah and relying on themselves and whoever relies on himself is defeated so عاد relied on their strength and took pride in it and so if you think that I am powerful look at my body look at my strength look at what I can do remember that Allah could take it away from you in a blink of an eye and punish you for it if you are admiring how handsome how beautiful how rich how well dressed you are remember the hadith where رسول الله عليه الصلاة والسلام said بينما رجل يتبختر يمشي في حلته قد أعجبته نفسه إذ خسف الله به الأرض فهو يتجلجل فيها إلى يوم القيامة it says while a person a man was walking pompously arrogantly admiring his hair and his clothes Allah عز وجل commanded the earth to swallow him so he is sinking in it till the day of judgment and you look at the story of قارون and you will find the fulfillment and verification of this in the Quran that Allah عز وجل took away his wealth and the earth swallowed him because of his arrogance so if you are walking on earth with new shoes a new bag new clothes new whatever and you are looking and admiring yourself you should notice immediately that there is a disease creeping into my heart none of these things are things you should admire yourself for you could thank Allah for them but don't attribute them to yourself and there's the difference المعجب بنفسه لا يرى ربه he says one who admires himself does not see Allah عز وجل they see these blessings as his own innate he made them and by which he deserves so much from people from Allah عز وجل whereas a person who is devout what does he see he could see the نعمة but he thanks Allah عز وجل for it because he knows it can go away and he knows it did not happen because of him I can see so many other people who are as worthy or more worthy of these نعمة who do not have them and yet I do and I did not do anything to deserve them it's a pure gift from him سبحانه وتعالى that removes those at that admiration you could admire yourself because of your observance religious observance because of your supposed righteousness so you put on the hijab and you immediately think that you are better than anyone else who does not have the hijab and yes it's true that this is an act of obedience that increases your iman but that's not the only act of obedience there are other things that are required and important and you do not adorn yourself with something that Allah wants to do with it something that Allah hates which is what to see yourself as superior or you start reading the Quran and you feel for that day I'm better than everybody else you pray at night and you think when you wake up in the morning I'm better than everybody else I'm great I'm magnificent you give a sadaqah look how much I'm giving you go to umrah you go to hajj look at my righteousness and when you come back you announce it as well then what do you think this is doing to you مطرف رحمه الله he said لن أنام الليل وأصبح نادما أحب إلي من أقوم الليل وأصبح معجبا he says that I would sleep during the night no night prayer sleep during the night and wake up regretful I would love that more than if I spend the night in prayer and wake up admiring myself that even though I did not perform that ibadah but when I wake up I'm regretting what I've done and when you regret you don't you see yourself you see Allah عز وجل whereas if you pray if the result of that prayer was self-admiration what kind of salah was it if the result of that sadaqah is من and أذى for you to remind people of your favors and hurt them because because of it يا أيها الذين آمنوا لا تبطلوا صدقاتكم بالمن والأذى oh you who have iman do not invalidate your sadaqah with reminding people of your favors and hurting them meaning you can give a sadaqah and forget about it as if it never happened and you see this as a gift from Allah that he enabled you to give so you don't even you see yourself giving this Allah عز وجل who gave me this power so you forget about it and that is a sadaqah that is likely to wait for you on the day of judgment to save you when you need saving or you can give a sadaqah in whatever name you want to give it in the name of a masjid in the name of your father and your mother whatever but you give it And you remind that person when you gave him to-- that, that you gave this to, "Remember the day when I gave you this? Remember when I helped you?" You always see yourself better than him, and you hurt him because of it.

Allah Azzawajal is saying you have invalidated your sadaqah because of this, because you've gotten your reward in the dunya.

You did not do it for Allah Azzawajal.