Ash-Shu'ara 214: (Initially) admonish your closest relatives.

We have come to Surah Ash-Shu'ara, verse 214.

'First warn your nearest relatives,' it says.

He begins with his nearest relative, Ali. Yes, his cousin.

When the Prophet (peace be upon him) began to proclaim Islam, by Allah Almighty's command he first began proclaiming Islam to his nearest relatives. Accordingly, people too, while living Islam, should first, among their own relatives, warn and admonish those who cannot live Islam. For example, to our children we must proclaim it first. If we cannot live Islam, we must first proclaim Islam to our own selves. After proclaiming Islam, after our selves begin to live it, to our children we must proclaim it. They are our closest. Because your child is the closest, with the salary you earn, with your wife's money, you enroll your child in universities.

You pay millions. While you yourself need a house, living in rent, 14 thousand lira a month, 15 thousand lira — well, 15 thousand lira a year, for two children 30 thousand lira you pay. That's for middle school. What does it come to in three years? 90 thousand lira. Four years of high school?

It exceeds 200 thousand lira, the money he pays; he takes loans, pays fees, and puts his child through school. For what? For worldly things, the passing world.

One of the saints puts it this way: one who busies himself with a shadow is a nothing, and one who busies himself with nothing is a nothing too, he says. So if this world is a likeness of the hereafter, instead of busying yourself with this shadow and becoming a nothing, first teach that child of yours the truth, teach him his religion, teach him Islam, teach him that there is no god other than Allah. Most importantly, that after death we will be resurrected and, before Allah Almighty, for what we did in the world we will be called to account at the Supreme Court — teach that. 'First warn your nearest relatives,' it says.

Let's read this from the beginning. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) began to proclaim Islam, by Allah Almighty's command he first began proclaiming Islam to his nearest relatives. Accordingly, people too, while living Islam, should first, among their own relatives, warn and admonish those who cannot live Islam. According to this verse, all Muslims, starting from those nearest to them, are obliged to invite people to the Truth. They should do emr-i bi'l-maruf. So what does it say? You do emr-i bi'l-maruf. If you can correct the evil, first correct it with your hand. If you can't, correct it with your tongue.

If your tongue doesn't suffice either, detest it in your heart. They say this is the weakest part of faith. No. It is not the weakest part of faith.

Now I have no power over the non-Muslim, over America. My hand isn't enough, my tongue isn't enough. What will I do? I'll detest it. And is your faith weak now?

Even if the people of faith only detest it, this comes from the light of faith in them. Or what was it? The weakest point of faith, supposedly. Well, go on then. Go stand up to the man. I'm telling you, go stand up to him. Will you be able to?

People talk about things, knowingly or unknowingly. You will do emr-i bi'l-maruf. For example, I told my son. Like the son of Noah. You told your son. Your hand couldn't correct him. Your tongue couldn't correct him either. In the end, when he was swept away by the waves and drowned, he detested it in his heart. This is a prophet. How did he detest it? To Noah He says, 'He was not of your wife.' And Noah at first falls into doubt: did his wife have him from someone else? 'It's not as you think,' He says, Noah. 'O Noah, it is not as you think,' He says. 'Those who follow you are of your loins; those who don't follow you are not of your loins,' He says.

Like Abraham's father. Yes. Now, is this the weak side of faith? He couldn't correct it by hand, couldn't correct it by tongue either. This is a prophet — is it weak faith?

A thousand people talk. Well, let them talk. The burden is on them. We give the examples well here.

Because we live unaware of these verses, instead of warning each other and correcting our states, by taking as examples the deeds of those who associate partners with Allah and deny Allah, we have drifted away from Allah, and in today's situation we continue our lives far from the Quran and unaware of Allah, I say. We fear Allah may send us a calamity too.

If you don't say it, you'll be subject to it too. Yes.