Adnan Rajeh – The Five Categories of Community Investment Outreach
AI: Summary ©
The speakers stress the importance of finding the right person for each investment category and emphasize the need for a clear narratives and a simple framework for the work of the Dawa. They emphasize the importance of avoiding rushing to avoid war and not giving up on one's job. The speakers also emphasize the need for a clear narratives and a simple framework for the work of the Dawa, as it is essential for their success. They stress the importance of avoiding wasting people's time and not giving up on one's own success.
AI: Summary ©
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this is the third or fourth one within the series I started a few weeks ago of community investment.
I proposed five categories.
Now as a community, especially living here where we are, and this may not work for every community, every Muslim community doesn't mean a minority in the west or around the world. But I think it's what we need here a low item. And these five categories are things that we can actually do. Meaning we do have the ability to invest in them appropriately. We have the resources, we have the wealth, we have the numbers, everything that we require in order for us to invest in them is there. There may be other categories that require investment that in my opinion, we just don't have the resources or tools to invest in them yet. And that's an issue that's open for debate, obviously, but I've
talked about two of them. And then we'll talk about the third category. I've talked about education and I've talked about mentorship as two distinctive and different aspects of investment. They're not the same. They're quite different and it's not clear
To go back to the homeless and listen to them. Today, I'm going to talk about the third category of investment, which is outreach.
Outreach. We don't do this well, at all, either of the five, we are the worst at this one. In my opinion, this is just my observation. Again, I could be wrong, but this is what I've observed. We don't do this very well. We don't do it. There are two types of outreach that need to occur. There's outreach towards Muslim families, Muslim people, people are Muslim that just don't come. I know every face in this room. I've known every face in this room for a long time. And if you were to teleport me to every Masjid in the city, I would look and know almost every face in the room as well, because of the same people. Very few are added to this group of Muslims that we have to our
community, very few people are added, even though the number of Muslims continues to grow. Because it's a problem with us with outreach towards Muslims who don't come to massage it and aren't involved or not practicing, if you will, however you want to describe them.
And there's outreach towards non Muslims.
Outreach towards people who aren't Muslim
to wonder, what other purpose do we serve aside from that really.
I recited for you sort of pneus of everyone here know sort of Nussle, you learn it when you're five or six years old. He recited in most of our prayers. He says Subhana wa Tada. When or if,
either when or if the victory of Allah comes either on us or Allah He was attend the opening. No. So in fact, two things no. So this victory is a victory that leads to another victory. Even better, it's an opening.
It's a win that will lead to other openings where you can continue to celebrate your movement forward and your victory to Allah subhanaw taala says when that happens,
and then he defines it.
Most important piece of SWOT analysis is he defines it defines what that looks like. Because depending on where you grew up, or what you were told, you may have a specific definition to what the victory of Allah subhanaw taala may look like.
Sometimes in our minds, we may have some form of military involvement, or political change. And that may be correct in certain circumstances. But when Allah subhanaw taala defined his victory, and his spirit didn't define it that way, he said it very clearly. He said what I eat and NASA and you saw people you had to Hoonah fidi Nila hiya forger entering the faith of Allah, the religion of Allah, the teachings of Allah in groups and groups of larger group upon group
being hit, he defines victory subhanho wa Taala and success and in fact, in the form of as many people as possible accepting Islam and knowing Allah subhana wa Tada and living the life that he decreed for us. That is victory in his, in his that's his definition of it. Subhana wa Tada, you and I can define it however we want. And honestly, any victory that we have personally in our lives, if it is not somehow directly or indirectly going to lead to that, then it's not really a victory or a success. Just FYI, anything that you achieve, that you feel is worth celebrating, that makes you happy, that is somehow not going to lead to the improvement of that concept that Allah explained, is
not really victory. Whatever it is you're doing on a financial front and a financial level, or financial front, socially, academically, professionally, whatever it is, if your achievements aren't somehow related to this phrase that he has at the end of the Quran, subhanho wa Taala that it's not really a victory, because that's how he defines and he gets to define whatever he wants. And if he defines it that way, then that's what it is. And I know when not, I'm nobody to be able to define after Allah subhanaw taala actually defines it for us. Let me take this one step further for you to understand what I'm talking about. In the midst of war, in the midst of war when the Muslims are
fighting and defending themselves. This is the I think you'll find this within yourself. Yeah, you Alladhina amanu either go over to him FISA de la he put up a yellow one at the Kulu. Illegal Musa seller Mr. Macmillan, Deborah tahona. Audible hayati, Dounia, were in the LA he Mahoney McCarthy Era. He said Oh those who believe if you are going on a conquest and you're going to be in combat with your enemy, then be very cautious and be very calm and slow down. And don't say to someone who tells you in the midst of war, as you hold your sword under this person's neck when they say in the midst of war with your sword under their neck. Yeah, hey, Lola, or we believe in you don't tell them
this time with me. No, no. What are you doing? Yeah, he's gonna have done this before. I don't have time for this. I've been fighting you for 15 minutes. You've just tried to kill me 15 times. Now that I went you're gonna say more than that, but tahona honorable hayati? Dunya you're looking for a worldly victories or you're looking for bounty? Are you looking for loot or whatever it is you're looking for? But in the law, he Milani mukha theory as far as that goes, Allah subhanaw taala. Grant you many victories in this life. He owns it all. So no problem. You don't have to worry about that piece.
And then he says this. There. Lika Hoon to Pablo.
Amen Allahu Alikum whatever you know, you're once just like them.
This is the phrase and they are in certain Lisa. Gallica just like them once we'll call blue you just you were like them just once. Not too long before. Not too long ago, you were just like them. You are just as misguided. You are just as lost
their liquor control, no Pablo Furman Allahu Allah. But Allah Subhan did bestowed upon you his blessing of guidance. So you're not, you're on the right side. But very recently, you were on the wrong site. Or to be more specific. In Italy, you could have been on the wrong side, easily, would have taken nothing for you to be on the wrong side of this equation very easily. But you're not. Why because Allah subhanaw taala Mina alikhan, because Allah subhanaw taala did bestowed His blessing exclusively from him. Guidance is something that comes exclusively from God. When it comes to obey, you know, slow down, slow down and calm down. In war, not in your day to day to hour. Now, not in
talking to someone that you are relative or Allah, him or someone that you love, or someone during the time of peace when you're trying to get them closer to Allah subhanho wa taala. No, during war.
You don't even understand what we're saying, because none of us here has been in war. So we have no understanding of this. Imagine, try to imagine I know it's I try to think the amount of fear and difficulty and stress and how serious war is in the midst of it. You're not allowed to be anything but calm and slowed, and cautious and easy. And if someone says that, you know, in the light in the midst of war, you accept it. Why? Because you were like them once. And Allah bestowed His blessing of guidance upon you. But don't be hasty. Don't be running around trying to tell people they are or they are not. This happened by the way, this example I gave you friends with Nisa actually occurred,
occurred to one of the most beloved people to the prophets that Allahu Allahu Seibu Selim, it happened to say, you know, summer,
sermon on the Allahu anhu, in the midst of war, he was fighting after a nice long time of fighting, just before he ended the neutralize the enemy. The enemy says, like, what are you doing? And he just goes on, this is what you're playing with me. So it goes back to the Prophet alayhi salatu salam, and he says, This is what happened to Fada, a protester who were caught parla you actually did it after he said it. And it was a part of Salah he said this because aka tilta, who were caught Carla, you did it after he said it. And Sam would come back and try to explain in the Prophet Allah he says we all respond with the same phrase. You did it after he said it. Who Sam after he said it, you
still did it. Now, Sam had to terminate without Islam to Yamaha until I came to the I start to wish I had just accepted Islam today. Because Islam YouTube, Umar Pablo, Islam will if you're new, then everything is going to be forgiven. So in his mind, like I wished that today was my first day being Muslim, so I didn't have to get going. I don't know what to tell him. Ali has salatu salam because you won't let it go. Sam, he said it and you still did it. But yes, it is or what the what
doesn't matter is
the act of all prophets. This is their job.
This is their job description. This is why Allah Subhan Allah sent them ro reach for Dawa, or Dawa. That's why they were sent. He was sent to perform this one act, that is their goal that is their job, to bring people closer to Allah subhanaw The value of southwestern and the Hadith modificata he and the Bukhari Muslim. Were certainly beside tells us that he watched the prophet or listen to the Prophet out of your soul to speak to say it nearly as he was sending him to the gates of cable.
And he told him after he explained to him what steps he wants him to take. He said at the end, the long Hadith, Carla Yeah, let us hear the Allahu Bica Jhulan were hidden Hey, you will let him in only num another another Asian height on Lika may map Allah Allah He Shem su a lot of it.
Oh, Ali, notice that for Allah subhanaw taala, the guide to one person through you is better for you than owning all of the possessions that exist in the world
is better than anything you can possibly imagine that you could be given in the slave in terms of materialistic possessions. If Allah subhana guides one person through you, just one.
He told him this as he marched with an army towards the gates and the walls of it. But again during war,
outside of war, what do you think it's okay to be the opposite? I mean, right? It makes no sense. If this is what we're being told to do, before and during it, and what else what about outside of it? What about dealing with our Muslim brothers and sisters who are a little bit lost? Well, maybe Allah subhanaw taala did not bestow upon them the same blessing he bestowed upon me. Maybe I need to see it that way. Maybe it's something I did. Maybe the fact that I stand here has nothing to do with me and everything to do with him. And those are those down here are just have not been fortunately, or haven't run into someone yet in their lives, who was willing to take care of them. Listen to them,
help them out and bring them back.
Maybe that's the issue. Maybe we are looking at people in the wrong way. Maybe we need to change the lens and see it for what it is so that he could Quinto Makapuu for men Allah who are a compatible, you're so slow down and calm down. What you have is Allah subhanaw taala has gifts upon you period. There's nothing else that's even going beyond that those who aren't Muslim, those who are Muslim you are muster. Why? Why did you actually go through a full analysis of every single faith that ever existed? Have you studied every aspect of philosophy and came to the undisputed conclusion within your mind that this is the truth? Or were you just born into this?
Nothing wrong with being born into it. I was to, you're born into it, you look into it, you study it, you find no reason to question any of it. It is so simple and so clear. And it's put your heart and mind at such peace. You're living in a state of such tranquility and serenity, there's no reason to look elsewhere. The Grace is here.
Every other aspect of life, we're always seeing that, except this one, except when it comes to hate here that the grass is greenest I stand on the greenest grass that ever existed. So there's no reason to look aside or elsewhere or beyond anything, that's fine. Good for you, if you've come to that conclusion, but really think about the effort. Can I actually not much not really know, much. But if someone wants to accept this down, that's a lot of work.
That's a lot of work coming from the son of a convert. That's a lot of work. It's a lifetime worth of work.
It's challenge after challenge and obstacle after obstacle.
Maybe we need to see this a little bit differently. I want to leave you at the end of this first half of the hotbar with the known story and the Quran. That is called The Story of minea seen you know the story of movement. yessing. Right?
Moment, yes, he has an amazing story. It really is. I don't think we analyze it enough. It's an amazing story. Why? Because this is a gentleman who we don't even know the name of I called him woman yesterday because I have no idea what his name is. You can go to the books of sila you'll find the name of Habib or have you been to jail or something like that. We have no idea. There's really no good authenticity or evidence that that's his name. We don't know. But people end up people like looking for stuff like that. But Allah subhanaw taala didn't even give it his name. Like you don't need to know his name. No other story. I don't want to distract you by giving you the name. Just
learn the story. What's the story? Why did it happen? Not gonna tell you that either.
But when Nope. You don't need to know that. What do we need to know just the story? What's the story? A town that Allah subhanaw taala sent within that time three messengers. Three, not one prophet, not two, but three prophets. All of them came with their miracles came with their revelation, all of them were actually working together, they weren't accusing each other of something. They all work together, they are all messengers of Allah subhanaw of the Divine himself. And they came to this group of people to teach them and this group would not listen. This group was used where they were using the worst arguments you were telling them and don't show him the way
you're gonna become. You are a bad omen for us. You are bringing us bad luck. Someone who tried to explain to you theology and explain to you how to live a better life he's on your bad luck
habibi. What do you know your bad luck? You're gonna bring all the demons on us. You're the reason that we are fine. This is this is the level of intellect that they're dealing with. This is the response you're getting from these people. This gentleman did not live in the middle of the city. No, he lived on the outskirts of the city. So technically he could easily have argued I'm not really part of the city. I don't really live there right he's not living in La Nina come Oka, technically named you can call from London but not not not necessarily. He's kind of outside if you want to do doesn't have to see himself as a part of the community. He still did. The verses in the Quran that
says what Jah mean. Apostle Medina from the farthest point from the farthest point in the city about judo and Yesod man came running
up to me Tebbe already more steady in it who Mala yes no, you're wrong well whom dune family Allah Abdullah De Soto Ronnie what la he told your own Turkey Domina Dooney here earlier in you read in your Walkman will be don't rely on your Nisha i to whom she Wallah you presume in the either Luffy badali movie and in the man to be or not be Converse my own as he spoke to them and explain to them and told them your profits aren't asking you for well, they're not trying to take anything away from you. They're giving you guidance why wouldn't you listen to someone who's coming here giving you guidance for free? Why aren't you taking time to listen to this and I believe in them I accept them
I want you to do the same they killed him.
They murdered him right then and there.
You read the whole agenda the Quran doesn't go through the details of what happened is actually quite gruesome if you go to the books of seal theater the hotel general quangos he was told to enter Jannah ba later called me oh I wish my people knew that people just murdered him Yeah, I wish they knew because if they knew if they knew female golfer only rugby how much my LORD is forgiving me. What your island email macro mean how much he is dignifying me and treating me well. They wouldn't continue to do what they're doing. They would have accepted
Do this. But alas, I can't go back and tell them he just killed you. They just took you away from your family. You're not gonna live to get old, not gonna watch them get married or see your grandchildren, or travel the world during your retirement, nothing any of that just killed you. Yes, but I hope I wish I could tell them because they could then they would all believe, because that is the heart of someone who truly understands this story. We are here with one job. There's one function for us. That function is outreaches Dawa, this does nothing else. That is why we're here. I do not understand a Muslim minority existing without the number one goal, being outreach, holding on
to their own identity, and helping other Muslims hold on to it and then taking the message of Islam to others. They don't have to take it don't have to want it. But at least we take it appropriately. At least we do our job. I don't understand any other goal. I can argue against argue in my mind, and invalidate or rationalize our existence if we're not going to do this. And maybe that's what we're lacking. But like, maybe that's where we're lacking because our community, maybe that's why we can't get anything done maybe because we've forgotten our basic function. We've gotten what victory actually isn't the eyes of Allah, we've forgotten what Islam actually is. It's just a blessing that
he gave us and that our job is to be like minea seem just do it. Just go and teach and help and guide people. They don't want it they don't want it they listen to you. They don't listen to you. That's not your problem. Your problem is to bring it in the best way possible. There was no federal law honey welcome. First of all, we are very lucky apples and Mustafi instead of zero Roma.
hamdulillah who I had sort of Allah who was telling him about like I learned learn. While early he was like a human who who will have I had
he says to pine on what died Omen Golem in da Allah he will me la sala hyung Rapala in any Minella Muslimeen. And I explained this in a lot of detail during Ramadan during the doodles on the weekends. Because this ayah tells you that your Dawa is best performed when it's practical, when it's through behavior and not through words, that the best hour that you can do is being the best Muslim you can be. We represent Islam. You represent Islam, whether you want to or you don't whether you feel qualified or you don't makes no difference. Being a Muslim, in a minority, as a minority in a country means you represent Islam with every breath, you take every word you say every step you
make everything you do, people are judging a stem through you. That's how it's going to happen. That's how the Sahaba or the Allahu Anhu actually spread his stuff. It was through their character, it was through their behaviors. That's how Islam actually became what it became. It wasn't through preaching. Preaching doesn't work that well, by the way.
This is known, this is quite well known, preaching and optimizing Sermons and Talks, they don't go very far, they work for a short period of time on a certain number of people. But then it's actually the result is the consequence of accepting an ideology or living in a certain way that actually attract people towards something. And this is what we have to think about here. I put up some points up there that I think is worthy of us contemplating, we're running out of time. So I want to bring up three things that we actually require, in order for Dawa to work in order for OTS to work. Number one, you have to have a simple and clear narrative. You have to have simple and clear narratives.
The most beautiful thing about Islam is the simplicity of it. It's the clarity is the ease of understanding what Islam is actually trying to explain to you. There's nothing complicated, nothing difficult about the deen. And those simple narratives are important on every front. Recently, a document just came out on Monday that addresses certain aspects of of Islam is opinion on issues of gender and sexuality. It's a it's a document put together by a number of scholars in North America, within the States and in Canada. It's definitely something worth reading. It's the beginning. It's the beginning on an issue that's coming towards the end, but it's the beginning, it's at least
something for us to actually begin with because what I found out more often more recently, is that unfortunately, as Muslims, we really do have to state the obvious to each other. We actually do, I didn't think we did. I grew up in a place where stating the obvious was not required. All I had to do was actually focus on some of the problems and where things were sloughing off or falling off where people weren't able to focus.
realizing now that really stating the obvious is very much needed because a lot of people don't even understand the obvious or didn't grow up in a circumstance or an environment that allowed them to embrace the obvious and understand it and actually deal with it. So we have to have clear and simple narratives and our children have to be prepped with that you don't have to know everything about us and LGB if you do Dawa, the Muslims that Habesha we're not the only had maybe maybe not even a quarter of the Quran honestly, not even a quarter maybe maybe a sixth of the Quran was revealed to them. They didn't even know what God
ours, because you might hadn't started yet.
Ramadan wasn't a thing for them. And yet the when they came back 15 years later, they came back with four or five times the number of people because they performed Dawa. I love the bash came with them. And that's why Children's Day Islam is in that area very strong. It's been there since the Prophet alayhi salatu salam sent those Muslims to harbor show, you only overcome a doubt with the first day of Islam, he brought eight of this, seven of eight of the 10 Mubasher in will generally low on himself, you will know more about Islam now than he did, then.
Your information today is more than he had been, but maybe not the same amount of passion. Maybe not the same basic understanding of it. Maybe not the same intention and comprehension of this is what you do. Allah subhana Bentiu guidance, you take it and you take and you move forward with it to whomever is willing to pick it up and offer it in the best way possible. So clear, simple narratives. Number two, we have to offer incentive. What I mean by that are many things. I'm gonna talk about that a little bit next week. But incentive meaning a person who's not a part of a masjid, like a Muslim was not a part of a Muslim community like not really well, non Muslims will become
Muslims, there has to be some incentive there has we have to offer some service, we have to be service oriented. When we're looking at performing outreach and Dawa. We have to think what can we do for them? What do they require? What is it that we can offer them, there has to be incentive to profit other usato sent the incentive for them was the Unity was the strength of his community, you came, you're came into his you're part of his group you're taken care of.
You are taken care of, you're a part of this group, now you're our brother, whatever occurs to you occurs to us, whatever occurs to us occurs to you, we won't be fooled when you're hungry, we won't be safe when you're scared, we will be the same from now on. And that was an incentive for a lot of people to belong to something to belong to a group that cared for them. Forget that kid for their well being. I just give you an example. There's a lot of other ways to do it later on. And we're left to coloboma, as a concept of incentive existed as well. We'll talk about that next week. But there's a lot of, there's a lot of ways to do it. And number three, we have to have a proper
understanding. We have to actually know who it is we're talking to, we have to know why these people aren't involved, we have to actually figure out what it is that keeps people away from faith away from Islam away from massage, and we have to actually understand our demographics. That's why we put out the survey, it's certainly still live, by the way, we're going to keep it out there until after I eat. And I really hope that if if you filled it out great. If you haven't filled it out, fill it out yesterday. And if you have filled it out, take it and send it to someone who doesn't come to massages specifically, you want to tell relatives or friends who don't come here who don't care
about this, send it to them say this is so that we can figure out what to do for you.
What our way of thought is of service as Muslims, that's how we function. We are here to serve, we are servants of Allah subhanaw taala, I want to know we have to that's how we have to approach this any other approaches is a waste of everyone's time. And the other approach is not it is not going to help Baraka in it. Because any other approach does not follow the ICA then he couldn't come no problem for men, Allah Who are they comfortable, you know, it doesn't follow that if any other approach aside from serving people and helping them and offering them something that will allow them to live better and be better, is not really it's not really service. And it's not really in
alignment with that verse. We have to understand what it is that they require.
A lot of the time we're shooting the dark human mistake. During the dark, no idea, no idea what the demographics are. I don't know what the problems are. I don't know what the needs, I don't know, I can guess. But that's not helpful. If you actually want to make difference in a society, you have to know you have to have data, you have to have information about people. And that's what I think we should be we can be able to do. I think that I think we're able to do that doesn't matter how old you are, how much information you have where you are in your life, everyone is capable of performing outreach. Outreach is a collective and individual function that every Muslim should be thinking
about how they are fulfilling within their own regard. Everyone, each and every one of us has to be thinking about what am I doing for Dawa? That's how Allah Subhan Allah grants Baraka in your own faith. And that's how he helps you hold on to it is by making sure that you perform outreach. Everyone will do it differently, because everyone has a different experience in life for sure. But we have to continue to do this. massager don't do it very well. I don't know if that will ever change. I have to be honest with you. I don't know if that'll ever change massage the way that they're designed. They're designed to to welcome those who come to them. You come here on a Saturday
we open the door we try to be as welcoming as open as kind and as helpful as possible to you when you come here. But oh reach is regarding the people who don't come here. What about them?
What about them?
I'm telling you that we are very weak. From a message perspective. I'm telling you that I'm almost completely useless when it comes to that. I am not helpful and I don't know if I'll ever be able to be anything different. But everyone here can. Everyone here can take upon themselves what many have seen did can learn what the prophet Allah your sources I'm taught Ali can recite these verses in the Quran and understand what this whole story
is about and participate and then hold massage and hold massage and to their ability to do the job once you bring them in, massage it to that when you bring someone in and they don't offer them services, they don't educate them they don't offer them any form of support any form of networking, any form of teaching then you hold them to that and I couldn't be wrong there may be a better way of doing this you may come and say no my said you can do it fine. I'm open to the discussion. I'm just telling you what I've observed. I don't think we have that yet. But everyone here can and that's the third category of investment that I think is worthy of us taking time to think about forgive me for
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