Shaykh Hamza Yusuf on doing what's beneficial

Bismillah.

Eight important points I heard Shaykh Hamza Yusuf said in one of his lectures 14 years ago.

• Everything you do for this deen is an honor for you. You should feel honored by Allah to be of service to Muslims. Not the other way around. That you can do something to honor or grace the deen. 
• Be grateful that Allah has made us Muslims and ummah of Muhammad because we are great people, we are people who take iqra seriously and because of that other nations could benefit from the ummah of Rasulullah s.a.w.
• Do not be content with yourself. Be horrified with yourself because one who is content with himself has no knowledge. Ibn Atha'illah said, "The company of a jahil who is not pleased with himself is better than the company of a scholar who is pleased with himself."
• Make a niyyah to do what Sidi Ahmad Zarruq had recommended: "To establish the means whereby the deen continues on in the next generation, in knowledge, and action," Therefore be ansar of Allah.
• Be pleased with whatever state which Allah puts you in. A wali, said Shaykh Hamza, if he is the sun, he'll not wish to be in the shade. If he's in a shade, he will not wish to be in the sun. If he is in nikmah (state of blessings) he will not wish to be in ibtilah (be deprived). If he's in ibtilah, he'll not wish for nikmah.
• Be adamiyun, be a human, be people of adab. Take care of your soul, perfect it, give it good qualities, of learning, of compassion and seriousness. It's with the ruh that you are a human being, not your body.
• Perform the night prayers as it might well be the only beneficial thing you could do, as confessed by Imam Al-Junaid because everything else might just be dust scattered in the winds. But still, you must acquire knowledge, before you speak or act.
• Have high himmah. This is ummah of himmah 'aliyah (people of the highest aspiration). "If they are going to hang you, ask them to hang you from the highest tree!"

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Watch the full recording of his tausiyah here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlcBz2oJyOk&feature=related