Abdullah Oduro – Khutbahs with Purpose – Racism in Our Ranks
AI: Summary ©
The speakers discuss the issue of racism and the use of racist language in relation to it. They stress the importance of human relationship and understanding, as well as the use of language and culture in relation to racism. The speakers also discuss the challenges faced by people who do not know the language or culture of their country, and the importance of educating oneself about different cultures and language to alleviate racism and harm. They stress the need for individuals to be aware of their natural tendencies and identify their own experiences to avoid racist behavior.
AI: Summary ©
hamdulillah we praise Allah we seek his aid and we seek His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of ourselves and the evil of our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide. And whomsoever Allah allow us to be led astray, and then can guide and I bear witness that there's no one worthy of worship except Allah who to honor the Exalted and that Mohammed, peace and blessings be upon him as his last messenger and slave. A man walks in his home
to see his daughter in the bathroom, combing her hair.
You see, when he walked in his home, he heard a sound, a repetitious sound.
And he sees his daughter combing her hair profusely in anger.
And he's confused. Why is she combing her hair in anger? He knows that at that time, it's most likely not her hair. That is the problem. We're upon he asks her, what's wrong? What's the problem? Young girl under the age of 10.
And when he asked her, what's the problem?
She goes on to explain to him the incident that took place. You see, she was with a friend of hers. And this friend of hers had a new friend with her.
Whereupon this new friend saw this individual's daughter for the first time.
And she told her, the friend that the original friend, she said, Don't play with her. So then the friend said, Why, why can I play with her? And she said, No, don't play with her. She's dirty.
And then the sister, the young girl who was a brother's daughter, upon that, she said, No, I've taken a shower.
And the new girl went on to explain how she was dirty because of her skin color.
You see, the girl that was combing her hair, Her hair was curly.
And she wanted to make your hair straight, like the other girls.
She wanted to make your hair straight, and she was mad, which affected her psychology, her self esteem until before, right before she got married. in her late teens,
there was another individual that mentioned and this individual was of a certain nationality, born Muslim, he sits with his African American friend,
and he sorrowfully explains to him, you know, I'm going to be honest with you, now that we're friends, and we're both Muslim Hamdulillah, I have to explain something to you. And I have to admit it.
I did not believe that individuals like you, African American, black, I didn't know that you all had the same level of intelligence, that you were actually educated, I seriously thought and was raised to think that you are all entertainers you will only get to be entertainers, sports figures,
and entertainers and in movies.
This is a problem.
According to the Institute of Social Policy and understanding, they've rated that one third of the Muslim community is made up from this demographic of African American individuals, one third in America, of the individuals that helped build this country, one third of them. It's reported that in a poll in 2017, that they've experienced the same amount of racism that they do in their respective religious communities, as they would out in society,
according to ISP,
so we see that this survey from the Institute of Social Policy and understanding is something that is real.
It's something that is a problem. It's something that is human. It's something that needs to be challenged. If I was to come to you today, or if there was a mosque amongst the massage if we were to walk in, and they were to say, we're going to give the hook but only in the language of our people,
which has been encountered. How would that make the person that does not know that language or that culture feel when they come back to that Masjid?
If there is a time when someone comes into the masjid, and they feel it is, it is culturally potent to the degree to where by the body language, the facial expression, the words that are used towards that person of the different nationality, culture color,
it is indirectly speaking to them, telling them, you're not welcome here.
We brothers and sisters, we all know, we all know that racism is not allowed in Islam. And there are many things that we say are not allowed in Islam. But the actualization of that the implementation of that the propagation
of Islamic values, morals, that have ethical codes with them.
That's the challenge for us.
When we see the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, when he said on his last message to the world, to the oma, to human beings, to the Muslims, but rather to all of humanity, and hospital were there, which is an Arabic, the sermon English, the sermon, the failed farewell sermon. If you were to give a last message to your nation, to humanity, as a prophet, whatever you're going to tell them is universal. Whatever you're going to tell them is a code that we should all live by a standard that we should all try our level best to implement. Whatever you're going to tell them is that which if we implement if we believe in our hearts, and try our level best to implement it, we will change
society for the better.
From this message, this long sermon, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam he said, Oh, Benny, Adam, all of you
are from created from Adam, and Adam is created from Philip. from clay, there is no virtue of the outcome over the non outcome, and there is no virtue of the nine out of over the outcome. And there is no virtue of white over black nor black over whites. Rather, the virtue is with taqwa. If we notice here, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam first attributed everything back to the original form of creation, Adam. And then he mentioned, the physical characteristics of those being out of overarching all of those are irrelevant when it comes to who is virtuous. From a genus standpoint, from a race, a class of people, all of that is irrelevant. What is relevant and what one should
cherish is their relationship with their Creator, which is manifested, which is shown by eradicating things such as racism.
When we see this message from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. Is that something that we stopped only at the message and do not try to implement in our lives, do not try to speak about an address, even if it is uncomfortable?
We see that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam reminding of reminding us of our hustle, our essence where we go back to all of us have the same general features that go back to Adam Allah, He said him and Adam was violated, he was oppressed at one point. And we see this message in the Koran. When Allah subhanho wa Taala addresses the issue of racism, which from that emanates stereotypes, discrimination, he addresses it when he talks about the reality of the creation of Adam and when he ordered the angels to Prostrate to Adam.
And from those creations that creation, one of them refused. When a loss of prana without us is no Quran after herbal lemon chiffon or Jean Paul, a madman aka led us to the Mr. Took color and the Hiram men who hola cottony Mandarin were calacatta human pain. Allah speaks about the conversation that was between him and a police shaytaan Satan. When Satan refused to Prostrate to Adam, after a law ordered them to he says in his translation, he said, What prohibited you from prostrating after I have ordered you to
listen to Satan's response? He said that I am better than him.
You Allah have created me from fire not and you have created him from mere clay.
Let's pause here and look at the reasoning that a police used to disobey his creator, if you think about it, his creator who he who he acknowledged created him,
has ultimate power, disobeyed him in front of him. And his reasoning was because of a characteristic a physical characteristic that has been given to him.
And he said, fire is better than clay. Why should I subject myself to something lower than me?
This is the essence of racism. Racism goes back to this idea.
When we see the position of Islam and Muslims in regard to racism, it goes back to Satan. We believe it is a satanic process or belief or system to hold within oneself within one's heart.
So Adam alayhis salam was oppressed in this regard, being that Allah ordered him to prostrate
And he did not prostrate when we look at racism, what exactly is it? And what's the difference between that and bigotry, for example, racism is to believe that a certain race, or class of people or genius, is inherently superior, then another race, that you believe that that color or that race of people
is inherently inferior to your race, meaning that naturally, they are not that intelligence, naturally, they are criminals, naturally,
they have some sort of deficiency within them.
That is racism.
bigotry, is to not accept someone else's opinion or statement based on who they are. So someone can be a bigot based on racist beliefs.
When looking at this, brothers and sisters, we have to stop and ask ourselves, constantly ask ourselves and review.
Do we have this racism within us? Now racism can be implicit, or it can be explicit. If it is something that is explicit, you know, and consciously have this belief within yourself.
To where when you sit with your children at home, speaking to your friend on the phone, or to your wife, you make a racist statement, you make a statement of belittling a class of people because of their color, because of their last name, possibly.
And your children hear it.
And they look up to you. This is how they can be affected and have racist beliefs. And this leads to the second category of someone having implicit racism, not even realizing in their subconscious mind that they believe that no one that is not out of can have knowledge of Islam, there's no way How can someone that converts to Islam have knowledge. One time I came off the the member after give me a hook, but and a brother comes to me and he says, You're different. I said, How am I different brother?
You're not like the others like the rest? The rest of what? You know, like you. What does that mean? Explain to me, brother.
What does that mean?
When you have the belief, and it's in your subconscious mind, you don't even realize it. That a certain class of people is not at the same level as another race. This could be implicit racism.
And this is a problem because we may act on that implicit racism and not even realize it. And because of that racism, what did a law supanova Allah say in the next verse, When Satan mentioned he's not going to Prostrate to Adam, because he was created from fire and Adam was created from clay. He felt that he was superior to Adam because of his clay nature. What did the law say? five min ha descend you are regime we say regime regime means that which is thrown men booth
modules someone that is thrown in cast it a loss of woman her descend down to the earth familia qumulex and teta kabara fee her for courage. iNec Amina savarin Allah says here, descend your cast it down, it is not for you to be arrogant.
Leave verily you are of this demised one's beautiful here in this verse, Allah subhanho wa Taala tells him You are descended down, leave out of this pure place of purification, no act or belief or statement of impurities is allowed in general.
So Allah mix Satan, he casts him out of heaven. And he says it's not for you to be arrogant. And the word in Arabic in in for arrogance is touch a cup butter, we say Allahu Akbar, which means great or big. So it is as though the one that is arrogant is trying to make themselves greater is trying to make themselves bigger, then the other, the other
or the other class or race. Unless it is it is not for you to be arrogant.
And he tells him Get Out For verily you are of the solvating. And so here is the opposite of Kebede. salvini means you're trying to make yourself big, but in actuality you are small, as they say, an individual that stands on the mountain looking down at everyone thinking that they are small, doesn't realize that everyone sees him or her as small. So in the reality, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam tells us that no one will end
two gentlemen that has a mustard seed of arrogance in their heart. That is the essence of racism is arrogance.
Is arrogance.
Is belittling The truth is is is belittling that belittling mankind, for what you believe.
So when we sit and look at this reality of this sickness that is contagious.
What is our position? When we see and we hear this reality? What do we do? A cola cola. Hello was Dr. Ali, welcome Lisa. I mean, first of all right. And 100 Allahu Allah said he was shocked Allahu Allah tofutti he wasn't a nanny.
So we understand brothers and sisters we all know, we're all well aware of is if you're non Muslim relative or friend was to ask you, you know, why are you know individuals that believe in your faith racist? The first thing we should say is? Well, you know, our faith does not allow that. And we all can attest to that. We all believe that what has been given to you is the proof of the invalidity of racism, and that is not accepted in in Islam. And we have to ask ourselves by categorizing and seeing that there is implicit and explicit racism that we may be aware of, it's in our conscious mind. And some of us may not even realize that we have this belief within ourselves of the other. We
have to understand brothers and sisters, is that this is something that plagues the oma the Muslim Ummah, and not only Muslim, other religions as well. But we as Muslims have a bigger challenge. And that challenge is that of the beauty. And I use the word beauty of diversity,
the beauty of diversity, do we view this diversity, the different colors, cultures, nationalities, as a threat and adulteration to what we are comfortable with?
Or do we view it as an opportunity to increase our worship of Allah and our gratitude towards Allah subhanho wa Taala. When we see this brothers and sisters, naturally we are human beings. And we like to be around people that are like us. This is natural. There is nothing wrong with that. If there are people that speak the same language as you and have the same understanding and Heritage's you, and when someone comes in that is not of that demographic. It can be strange in the beginning, but guess what the prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that we see within his Sunnah. uncomfortability is recommended at times, to where you get out of your shell.
And you speak to someone that may be belittling Islam and Muslims for instance, you engage in a conversation, you understand that person? This is what is recommended for the Muslim.
You know, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he said, autobarn confy Amati murgia helia laya truco when he said there are four things from my own, from my nation, that they will never leave them.
They will never leave them a favourable and sap what I said about dynafit and sap will let's discard a new June when Nia is the Sahih Muslim, the province of the line Oh, so let me say four things my nation will never leave them.
My nation will never leave them. bragging about your background, belittling someone's lineage, seeking rain from the stars, and wailing, like wailing over the dead. All of these four things are impermissible in Islam,
impermissible to brag about your status, or to belittle someone because of their lineage, or to seek help from the star and not seek help from the creator of the star or to whale to whale for instance, over the dead, showing displeasure with what Allah has predestined.
So with reality brothers, sisters, we know this we as human beings, that Islam does address our human nature. But it gives us the medicine in order to continuously go back to it and seek help from Allah subhana wa tada in it.
To seek help from Allah subhanho wa Taala in that, when understanding that brothers and sisters as a prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says, Do not be complacent even when it comes to being with your nationality or group. Always go out of your shell. When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says gifts the lamps to those who you know and who you don't know. When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says if there are two people speaking and there is a third that doesn't understand or do not speak secretly and there is a third person there.
Do not speak in secret for barely had
You know, it makes that third person that doesn't understand or cannot hear what you're saying, sad. we as human beings may be wondering, what are they saying? Is it about me? Are they making fun of me? Why are they whispering? Why are they speaking another language? Islam addresses our human nature, from that human nature is having a bias about the other. But Islam says, look, you will be uncomfortable at times, break through that uncomfortability for a greater purpose. What are those three things that we can do to challenge the sickness of racism and bigotry? Firstly, is education
is to educate ourselves about ourselves, to educate ourselves about us as human beings.
The ills that we can be affected by and how to alleviate that, and then educate ourselves about the different cultures within Islam as a loss of pandawa, to Allah mentions, and from His Signs is that he has made you
different languages and different colors.
And what is the reason for that? As he mentioned in another verse, all mankind, we have made us nations and tribes for you to get to know one another. So he mentioned something that he does, he has mentioned that he's created you shroob. And we'll call that and for what reason, a treasure that he is disclosing to you? Why did I create different nationalities? Why did I create different colors within the same culture?
within the same culture, different colors?
Why did I do that Lita Otto foo, for you to get to know one another. And again, he addresses it even here, the next portion of the verse in a Chroma coma in the law, he called them verily the most noble of you, is the one who has most piety, fearing a loss of power with Donna, an exemplification of that fear through your actions. How is that
by getting to know your fellow brother and sister, regardless of their culture, regardless of their language, regardless of their color, regardless of what may be predominantly presumed in the media. Because if that was the case, no one would speak to Muslims.
So we have to understand that this difference of our human features is an opportunity, a spiritual opportunity for us to be stronger as a unit, because if not, this will be one of the major factors that separate us, especially in this place of diversity in America.
The second thing is actualizing, that
actualizing that within our massagin. If we have different cultures and nationalities, the board should be reflective of that, to make sure that it has an influence on every congregant, in that area, within our massage, that we have culture night, that one culture may come and bring their foods and introduce the history of their foods to the people. Yes, we as humans may not want to taste that food in the beginning, but break through that uncomfortability to show your appreciation to Allah subhana wa tada that he's created different individuals. Not everyone is like you.
Not everyone is like you to celebrate that difference is worship. When having in the massage people come in to talk about the elements of their culture, the history of their culture, we learn more about one another. And the only authentic way to appreciate something is to learn about it, is to learn about it. And then lastly, brothers and sisters, is to acknowledge, to acknowledge
if we have implicit, or implicit or explicit racism, bigotry within ourselves. Because if we don't look in the mirror, when we wake up when we go to sleep, when we have any encounter at ourselves as human beings at our reality, do not try to go and speak to your children
about Islam, when they see you constantly do an act in a way that is an Islamic that goes against the fitrah the natural inclination.
Look at yourselves brothers and sisters, and see if within this chapter of society of societal ills, Are you someone that allows it to continue because we all will have this bias in our lives? But do we allow it to continue and dictate our actions? Do we allow it to continue within our hearts, which could be a racial belief? Do we allow it to dictate our beliefs and thoughts which could be stereotypes and do we allow it
to dictate what we do and how we treat people, which could be based on your position in society discrimination.
Because this is from Jackie Lee as a province of the lotto someone mentioned earlier I mentioned that the four things and this is what took place with an illustrious companion by the name of a Buddha, radi Allahu anhu when it was mentioned in some narrations that he said this to be Lao even rabbi, radi Allahu anhu, who was an individual that was a slave and Islam freed him. Islam freed him. He was freed. And below even beloved Raja was insulted by a Buddha because they were in an argument is in some narrations. And what did he say to him? Yeah, but a soda.
He said, Oh, son of a black woman.
You realize just by saying something that is a reality. It was understood that that was an insult.
Even though Abu radi Allahu anhu He is the best set of companions. He did not allow that statement to dictate how he dealt with below, because below the line went to tell the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and in some narrations, he put his head on the ground and told me not to step on his neck. As soon as the heart came to him. He let go of any Jackie Lee that was within himself. And if we know the character of obovata he was someone that was strong. But when it came to the Huck, his heart was soft. When it came to the truth of Islam, his heart was soft. When it came to Islam versus Jackie Leah or my culture that is detrimental to my belief, he left that.
So we did not say even though our booth at that time may have made a racist statement, it was eradicated immediately when the sun had been the Prophet sallallahu wasallam Kington, we ask Allah subhana wa Taala to make us of those that educate ourselves about each other. We asked him to make us of those, that if we have the opportunity to eradicate these types of this type of conduct, which is a sickness of the heart that we take the means in order to change that within our houses and within our massage and within society. And we ask Allah subhana wa tada to make us of those that constantly review ourselves by ourselves in prayer, when we are alone, and to ask Allah subhana wa
tada to alleviate that from us. robina snfa doing Hasina have an affidavit as an organizer but not
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