Adnan Rajeh – Towards a Modern Awakening – Q&A Session

Adnan Rajeh
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The speakers discuss the importance of learning to improve understanding of Islam and the need for formal learning in London to achieve goals. They suggest resources for youth to build their understanding and find mentors and mentors within their practices. They also discuss the importance of networking events and creating a strong network for finding mentors. They stress the need for people to regain interest and trust in their work and find mentors within their community. They also discuss cultural rules and the importance of deep thinking and deep thinking in building values and building values.

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			Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh, welcome everybody to the Q
		
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			&A session that we had promised we would
		
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			run, inshallah, post the seven episode series towards
		
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			the modern awakening.
		
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			There are a few questions that were posted
		
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			that brother Amr is going to post on
		
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			the comment section from other people so that
		
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			I can answer.
		
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			And if you have any questions yourself, just
		
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			post them at the comment section and I'll
		
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			be looking at that section as we go
		
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			along and answering inshallah the questions.
		
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			Or even if you have suggestions or concerns
		
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			or anything like that, I'm happy to engage
		
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			inshallah in discussion.
		
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			The first question I see is can you
		
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			provide a reading list, specifically the books you
		
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			mentioned a few days ago.
		
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			So I did, if you do go to
		
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			the last session, last post, you'll find that
		
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			there is a list of books and Amr
		
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			inshallah can post it here in the comments
		
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			as well.
		
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			For those who are interested, I don't really
		
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			have a good reading list in English, that's
		
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			not my, I didn't study Islam in English
		
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			unfortunately so it's hard for me to kind
		
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			of give guidance on what English books to
		
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			read.
		
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			The books that I gave in that section
		
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			are written in Arabic but many of them
		
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			may be translated and some of them may
		
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			be translated well also because they're quite famous
		
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			books.
		
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			As for putting books per topic, I would
		
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			have to, I think that's something worth doing.
		
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			I can definitely spend maybe a bit of
		
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			time compiling a list of books that I
		
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			think relate to the different topics that I
		
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			covered during the series that you can engage
		
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			in reading and allow you to get a
		
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			better idea of why I talked about them,
		
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			why I had a certain way of thought
		
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			going by them and maybe offer you some
		
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			clarity on the issue as well.
		
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			So inshallah I will do that, I'll put
		
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			together that list maybe in the next few
		
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			days and post it somewhere in the comments
		
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			as well for those who are interested inshallah.
		
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			I'm seeing here another bunch of, there's a
		
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			few questions here, let me see.
		
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			What is the basic and essential knowledge or
		
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			religious specifically for life in general and that
		
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			every Muslim must have?
		
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			Well, what is the basic knowledge that everyone
		
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			should have regarding Islam is a difficult question
		
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			to ask, to answer because first of all
		
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			it will be limiting.
		
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			I think there's no limit, I don't think
		
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			that we should look at the basic amount
		
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			of knowledge when we talk about it.
		
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			I think we should talk about the fact
		
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			there should be a basic amount of talab
		
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			ilm, of knowledge seeking, meaning you should seek
		
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			knowledge for a specific amount of time at
		
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			least in your life for a couple of
		
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			years with shuyukh informally and even look for
		
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			a formal setting whether it's a year or
		
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			a two year program because there's no amount
		
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			I think that we can talk about that
		
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			is measurable.
		
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			However I think if we must put something
		
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			down then what I would say is that
		
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			within each Islamic discipline you should read a
		
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			basic text.
		
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			You should be aware of the simple form
		
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			of that knowledge, you should read something simple
		
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			in it meaning in aqeedah and creed you
		
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			should read al-aqeedah al-tahawiyah for example
		
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			with a simple commentary which is the basic
		
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			of Islamic theology.
		
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			You should read a small book in fiqh,
		
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			it doesn't have to be a comprehensive fiqh
		
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			on the four madhhab, it could be just
		
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			one madhhab, study the basics of one madhhab
		
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			so you know how to practice your rituals
		
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			in a way that a known trusted scholar
		
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			has explained.
		
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			Understanding of course as a part of my
		
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			series that that doesn't mean that what other
		
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			people are doing is wrong and that you
		
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			need to be going around rectifying people's behaviors
		
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			which is really what I'm more interested in
		
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			within this series is making sure that your
		
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			perspective is clear because sometimes knowledge if it
		
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			comes, if you gain knowledge and you don't
		
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			have the right outlook to the world and
		
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			don't have the healthy perspective, knowledge can make
		
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			people or knowing more things, having more information
		
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			can actually make you a bit more closed
		
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			minded which is why I talked a lot
		
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			about perspectives and the concept of open mindedness
		
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			and understanding that Islam is quite wide in
		
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			the fact that there's room for different practices
		
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			within the limits of what it actually allows.
		
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			So I think if you look at each
		
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			discipline, so hadith, usool al fiqh, tafsir, you
		
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			study a simple text in each of these
		
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			disciplines, seerah, nabawiyah, and that's the least you
		
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			can have but I think you should, we
		
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			should all actually give ourselves a bare minimum
		
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			amount of talab ilm that we should put
		
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			effort in.
		
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			I think the voice is low, I don't
		
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			know if I need to start yelling.
		
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			The second question I have here is how
		
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			should we go about centralization within and among
		
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			our institutions?
		
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			Well centralization is a tricky concept.
		
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			I brought it up because I think it's
		
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			extremely important and I think it makes a
		
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			big difference in how populations function, meaning I
		
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			started my series by talking about leadership and
		
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			fellowship because I think it's essential in order
		
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			for us to actually make progress we need
		
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			a certain amount of leadership and fellowship to
		
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			exist within our communities and leadership is a
		
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			form of centralization, we just have to figure
		
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			out what exactly, what type of centralization we
		
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			actually want or need.
		
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			I think financial centralization is probably the most
		
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			feasible and that's my opinion on the matter.
		
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			I think socially either we are all living
		
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			in one area by the taqsir of Allah,
		
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			subhanAllah, we just end up living all in
		
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			one place so we already have social centralization
		
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			and that's not the case in London, I
		
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			don't think we can actually achieve that.
		
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			I think religious centralization is a bit difficult
		
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			as well, I think it'll take time, I
		
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			think we should be working towards it but
		
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			it may take more time.
		
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			I think financial is something that can be
		
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			done.
		
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			I think if we can get the people's
		
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			trust in our institutions and bring in professionals
		
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			from our community who people also trust and
		
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			put together the concept of a fund that
		
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			can take the maal of zakah and general
		
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			donations and distribute it amongst those who are
		
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			in need of it whether inside the city
		
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			or outside and meet the needs of our
		
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			community, that would be something that would definitely
		
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			be worth our while.
		
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			But it's a difficult question to ask.
		
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			I'm going to go to some other questions,
		
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			this one, Mashallah, has six or seven or
		
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			eight questions put so I'll come back to
		
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			them Mashallah just to give everyone else a
		
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			chance.
		
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			Question, would you say the formal seeking of
		
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			Islamic knowledge is something missing in the City
		
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			of London versus Windsor or Toronto?
		
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			If not, what resources do you recommend?
		
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			If so, what solutions do we have?
		
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			Yeah, I don't think we have formal teaching
		
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			in London.
		
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			Well, it's not that I don't think, we
		
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			don't have formal teaching, it's not a matter
		
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			of opinion, it just doesn't exist right now,
		
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			which I think is of course a problem
		
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			because we definitely have resources here in the
		
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			city that would allow us to put together
		
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			formal knowledge seeking in the city for different
		
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			age groups and also different levels of learning
		
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			depending on where you are in your life.
		
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			And that is definitely something that can be
		
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			achieved, it's actually easier to achieve than most
		
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			of us think.
		
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			You just need enough people who are interested
		
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			in seeking knowledge and offering knowledge to come
		
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			together and to put a plan and to
		
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			start working towards it.
		
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			And I've worked on a few initiatives of
		
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			such and they haven't come to fruition yet
		
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			and there'll probably be a bit more time
		
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			for them to do so, but if that's
		
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			something you're interested in, then get in touch
		
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			and we can definitely start working on that.
		
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			Because I think we live at a time
		
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			where people like structured learning and they would
		
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			like to know that once they're finished doing
		
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			something, they get a certificate for it, which
		
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			allows them to kind of later on explain
		
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			it to others and teach it, and that
		
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			to me makes a lot of sense.
		
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			That's how informal Islamic teaching has existed for
		
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			many, many, many centuries.
		
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			Meaning there weren't universities maybe back in the
		
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			day that gave full certificates, but you had
		
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			ijazat.
		
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			An ijazat was a certificate saying that you
		
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			have learned this text to the point where
		
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			you are capable of teaching it to others.
		
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			And that's how they judged you.
		
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			Scholars judged your knowledge based on the fact,
		
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			can you teach this text?
		
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			We taught it to you, but can you
		
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			teach it?
		
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			Show us that you can teach it.
		
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			If you can teach it, then they certify
		
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			you can go and you can learn.
		
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			And that's what I did, Yani, growing up.
		
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			And I think that's something, we can put
		
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			together something that is similar to that.
		
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			And I know that there are formal settings
		
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			in different cities that exist and we can
		
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			copy, we can benefit from them, and we
		
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			can work on our own as well, Yani.
		
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			I think when it comes to these things,
		
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			every community has a specific needs and we
		
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			can probably figure out the needs of our
		
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			society if we just have enough people who
		
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			are willing to work on the details.
		
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			Stuff like this will need funding, it will
		
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			need people who are willing to be trained
		
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			to teach and willing later on to teach.
		
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			And we're going to need to put together
		
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			a curriculum and a program that allows students
		
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			in high school and in university to actually
		
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			enroll in it and benefit.
		
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			And the concept of actually getting credits in
		
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			high school, we can get high school credits
		
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			that are related to the Arabic language or
		
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			related to Islamic history or Islamic knowledge.
		
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			I think all that can be done, we
		
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			just need different people with different skillsets working
		
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			on the aspects of that to actually get
		
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			it done.
		
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			So I think it's doable, I think we
		
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			just have to have more people involved, inshallah.
		
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			Can I recommend resources for youth to start
		
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			building their knowledge?
		
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			Well, again, my issue is always the fact
		
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			that most youth here want to read whatever
		
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			they want to read, they want to read
		
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			it in English.
		
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			And I don't have a good understanding of
		
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			what's out there in English that's written well
		
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			because I didn't really study in English.
		
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			But I think what I did when I
		
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			was younger that really helped me, it wasn't
		
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			so much the reading, it was more the
		
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			listening.
		
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			I did a lot of listening when I
		
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			was younger and I took a lot of
		
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			notes.
		
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			Later on, the person who had put together
		
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			the series wrote a book that literally was
		
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			exactly what I had written down because I
		
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			just kind of copied what he was saying
		
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			or she was saying.
		
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			So I think it's about offering them, they
		
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			need to find a figure, an Islamic figure
		
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			who they enjoy listening to and then they
		
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			can follow along with the series that these
		
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			people put out.
		
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			And we have a large variety, a wide
		
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			variety of Muslim speakers here in the West
		
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			that are well-spoken, well-educated, quite intellectual,
		
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			and will cover topics that actually affect and
		
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			the youth are interested in.
		
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			And it just becomes kind of following along
		
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			with what they're saying and looking for the
		
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			series that they put forward.
		
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			Most scholars here in the West put together
		
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			the basic series.
		
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			They put a series on creed, on aqid,
		
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			on theology, put a series on seerah, put
		
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			a series on hadith.
		
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			You'll find them online and you can always
		
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			attach yourself to them.
		
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			In terms of books, I think I've been
		
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			asked this question so many times that it's
		
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			probably time that I take interest in that
		
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			and start looking to see what's really written
		
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			well in English and ask people who have
		
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			done that before me to recommend books and
		
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			maybe compile a list that people can relate
		
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			to.
		
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			And that'll be something I'll be working on,
		
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			I guess, in the next period.
		
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			Just because, subhanAllah, when you study it in
		
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			Arabic, it's just...
		
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			I don't know.
		
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			If I recommend the Arabic book, I'm not
		
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			sure it'll...
		
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			There's a nice book called Ayyuh al-Walid
		
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			for Imam al-Ghazali.
		
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			It's a very small book.
		
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			I remember when I was young, it was
		
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			one of the first books I was given
		
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			by my teachers to actually read.
		
00:12:24 --> 00:12:29
			It's called O, Child, or O, Son.
		
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			It's a bunch of pieces of advice that
		
00:12:33 --> 00:12:34
			Imam al-Ghazali gives people.
		
00:12:34 --> 00:12:35
			So it's a nice book to look into.
		
00:12:35 --> 00:12:37
			I don't know if it's translated, though, or
		
00:12:37 --> 00:12:37
			not, unfortunately.
		
00:12:42 --> 00:12:44
			I'll go back to one of the million
		
00:12:44 --> 00:12:45
			questions that this brother has put here.
		
00:12:46 --> 00:12:48
			Is mentorship something that should be either sought
		
00:12:48 --> 00:12:50
			or offered, or should there be some way
		
00:12:50 --> 00:12:51
			of matching youth with mentors and mentors with
		
00:12:51 --> 00:12:52
			youth?
		
00:12:52 --> 00:12:54
			There definitely should be a way that we
		
00:12:54 --> 00:12:54
			match.
		
00:12:55 --> 00:12:56
			We had put together an initiative a few
		
00:12:56 --> 00:13:00
			years ago called the Muslim Fellowship Network, and
		
00:13:00 --> 00:13:02
			it really never saw the light or hasn't
		
00:13:02 --> 00:13:03
			seen the light yet due to just a
		
00:13:03 --> 00:13:05
			lot of difficulties in actually organizing it.
		
00:13:05 --> 00:13:07
			I think that it's our job as a
		
00:13:07 --> 00:13:09
			community to actually set it up for people.
		
00:13:09 --> 00:13:12
			Meaning, I don't think that our youth should
		
00:13:12 --> 00:13:15
			be running out looking for mentors or those
		
00:13:15 --> 00:13:17
			who have the ability to offer mentorship in
		
00:13:17 --> 00:13:18
			a certain time of their lives to be
		
00:13:18 --> 00:13:20
			walking around searching for people to do it.
		
00:13:20 --> 00:13:22
			I think it's our job as a community,
		
00:13:23 --> 00:13:25
			as a Muslim community, as leadership, to actually
		
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			set that all up and organize it and
		
00:13:27 --> 00:13:29
			facilitate it and fund it and make it
		
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			feasible and easy for both parties to participate.
		
00:13:32 --> 00:13:34
			And that's something that I think that we
		
00:13:34 --> 00:13:37
			should work on within this next upcoming period,
		
00:13:37 --> 00:13:39
			because it's extremely important.
		
00:13:39 --> 00:13:41
			But in the meantime, if you are someone,
		
00:13:42 --> 00:13:45
			you should look for a mentor.
		
00:13:45 --> 00:13:46
			Meaning, you should go and ask people.
		
00:13:47 --> 00:13:49
			Mentors are usually people who are busy because
		
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			they have a lot going on in their
		
00:13:51 --> 00:13:51
			lives.
		
00:13:51 --> 00:13:52
			Obviously, you're going to be looking for a
		
00:13:52 --> 00:13:54
			mentor who is someone who is quite successful
		
00:13:54 --> 00:13:58
			in multiple disciplines of life, quite knowledgeable.
		
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00
			Usually people like that are quite busy.
		
00:14:00 --> 00:14:04
			But you should go and ask them to
		
00:14:04 --> 00:14:04
			mentor you.
		
00:14:04 --> 00:14:06
			And you'll be lucky if they say yes,
		
00:14:06 --> 00:14:07
			and you have to be okay if they
		
00:14:07 --> 00:14:07
			say no.
		
00:14:07 --> 00:14:08
			And especially my sisters.
		
00:14:09 --> 00:14:13
			I think it's important for younger sisters in
		
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			our community to do that and to seek
		
00:14:16 --> 00:14:21
			out mentors within their community from the practicing
		
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			Muslim women.
		
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			And the thing is that we have an
		
00:14:23 --> 00:14:24
			abundance of them.
		
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			And that's why I feel like we shouldn't
		
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			really struggle as much as we do with
		
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			keeping our girls and our sisters following the
		
00:14:31 --> 00:14:32
			practices of Islam.
		
00:14:33 --> 00:14:35
			Because we have so many role models that
		
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			they can attach to and affiliate themselves with
		
00:14:37 --> 00:14:39
			and associate with and listen to and benefit
		
00:14:39 --> 00:14:39
			from.
		
00:14:41 --> 00:14:44
			And parents can definitely contribute to that.
		
00:14:44 --> 00:14:46
			You should be looking for a mentor for
		
00:14:46 --> 00:14:47
			your kids.
		
00:14:48 --> 00:14:50
			You should help them find them.
		
00:14:51 --> 00:14:55
			Because you need help taking care of your
		
00:14:55 --> 00:14:57
			children as they get older and as they
		
00:14:57 --> 00:14:59
			become teenagers and they go into university.
		
00:15:00 --> 00:15:03
			You want another set of ears and eyes
		
00:15:03 --> 00:15:07
			helping your child or your son or your
		
00:15:07 --> 00:15:09
			daughter make it through the difficult times.
		
00:15:10 --> 00:15:11
			And make it through and navigate a world
		
00:15:11 --> 00:15:14
			that is changing every day, that is getting
		
00:15:14 --> 00:15:14
			more complex.
		
00:15:15 --> 00:15:16
			I mean, if you've been out of university
		
00:15:16 --> 00:15:19
			for six, seven years, ten years, you probably
		
00:15:19 --> 00:15:20
			have no idea what's happening anymore.
		
00:15:21 --> 00:15:22
			I haven't been out that long and I
		
00:15:22 --> 00:15:23
			have no idea what's happening anymore.
		
00:15:24 --> 00:15:25
			And that's just how it is.
		
00:15:25 --> 00:15:27
			Life is changing so rapidly that we need
		
00:15:27 --> 00:15:30
			people who are still on the inside, people
		
00:15:30 --> 00:15:32
			who are just fresh out, who can take
		
00:15:32 --> 00:15:34
			the knowledge and the experience that they picked
		
00:15:34 --> 00:15:35
			up and filter it back to the generation
		
00:15:35 --> 00:15:39
			that is coming after them to help them.
		
00:15:39 --> 00:15:41
			So yes, I think mentorship is something that
		
00:15:41 --> 00:15:44
			you should seek and the community should definitely
		
00:15:44 --> 00:15:46
			be working on organizing.
		
00:15:49 --> 00:15:52
			Oh, very good.
		
00:15:52 --> 00:15:53
			So there's a translation there.
		
00:15:53 --> 00:15:55
			That's the benefit of having these.
		
00:16:00 --> 00:16:07
			Do you believe it's important to have our
		
00:16:07 --> 00:16:10
			institutions invest in these things, academic otherwise beneficial
		
00:16:10 --> 00:16:12
			programs run by and mentored by Muslims community.
		
00:16:13 --> 00:16:14
			It's fine for them to remain focused on
		
00:16:14 --> 00:16:15
			what they do already.
		
00:16:15 --> 00:16:16
			So the question is.
		
00:16:22 --> 00:16:23
			Yeah.
		
00:16:23 --> 00:16:25
			So yeah, I think.
		
00:16:26 --> 00:16:27
			Well, when I remember when I came in
		
00:16:27 --> 00:16:30
			2013, even the Hifz and Halaqa programs weren't
		
00:16:30 --> 00:16:31
			there.
		
00:16:31 --> 00:16:33
			So I mean, usually that's what we start
		
00:16:33 --> 00:16:34
			with within a community.
		
00:16:34 --> 00:16:36
			We start with the simple stuff, having a
		
00:16:36 --> 00:16:38
			Halaqa, having a Hifz program, something where the
		
00:16:38 --> 00:16:39
			Quran is being taught.
		
00:16:40 --> 00:16:42
			But yeah, we definitely need something a bit
		
00:16:42 --> 00:16:45
			more attractive, especially academic, from an academic perspective.
		
00:16:45 --> 00:16:47
			I mean, there's so much more that can
		
00:16:47 --> 00:16:50
			be done that needs to be driven by
		
00:16:50 --> 00:16:50
			youth really.
		
00:16:51 --> 00:16:53
			It needs to be driven by those who
		
00:16:53 --> 00:16:54
			are in that age group or have just
		
00:16:54 --> 00:16:56
			left that age groups to know what is
		
00:16:56 --> 00:16:57
			actually attractive.
		
00:16:57 --> 00:16:59
			Again, when you depend on someone like me
		
00:16:59 --> 00:17:01
			to put together a program to attract people
		
00:17:01 --> 00:17:05
			within their teens, I don't know what is
		
00:17:05 --> 00:17:07
			attractive to people in their teens anymore.
		
00:17:07 --> 00:17:08
			I just don't.
		
00:17:08 --> 00:17:12
			I'm going to base my program on my
		
00:17:12 --> 00:17:13
			best assumption.
		
00:17:13 --> 00:17:16
			However, if it's driven by youth, it's suggested
		
00:17:16 --> 00:17:19
			by youth or people within that age group,
		
00:17:19 --> 00:17:20
			then it's definitely be much more beneficial because
		
00:17:20 --> 00:17:24
			they know what their peers would actually be
		
00:17:24 --> 00:17:25
			a part of and what they wouldn't.
		
00:17:25 --> 00:17:27
			And then my role would just be to
		
00:17:27 --> 00:17:30
			offer whatever guidance or material or content or
		
00:17:30 --> 00:17:33
			even just space or supervision that is needed.
		
00:17:33 --> 00:17:36
			And I think that's what the Muslim institutions
		
00:17:36 --> 00:17:38
			should be pushing towards more.
		
00:17:38 --> 00:17:42
			We don't have enough representation of youth within
		
00:17:42 --> 00:17:42
			our institution.
		
00:17:42 --> 00:17:43
			That's a definite.
		
00:17:44 --> 00:17:44
			We don't have enough.
		
00:17:44 --> 00:17:45
			You're not represented.
		
00:17:46 --> 00:17:49
			And it's partially the fault of institutions.
		
00:17:49 --> 00:17:51
			It's also the fault of families and youth
		
00:17:51 --> 00:17:55
			not coming and pushing for that.
		
00:17:56 --> 00:17:58
			I usually whenever I talk to university students
		
00:17:58 --> 00:17:59
			specifically, this is what I tell them.
		
00:17:59 --> 00:18:02
			I tell them, you are the most powerful
		
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			demographic in the world.
		
00:18:04 --> 00:18:07
			Whatever you think is right is eventually going
		
00:18:07 --> 00:18:08
			to be what is right.
		
00:18:08 --> 00:18:10
			Whatever you want is what needs to be
		
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			offered.
		
00:18:11 --> 00:18:13
			No one can actually beat this demographic.
		
00:18:13 --> 00:18:16
			The demographic of youth, especially university students, have
		
00:18:16 --> 00:18:17
			all the ammo.
		
00:18:17 --> 00:18:18
			They're just not using it.
		
00:18:19 --> 00:18:23
			Everyone is afraid of university students and youth
		
00:18:23 --> 00:18:26
			within a certain age group actually agreeing to
		
00:18:26 --> 00:18:29
			something and having an opinion that is unified
		
00:18:29 --> 00:18:31
			on any matter because that will force everybody
		
00:18:31 --> 00:18:36
			to comply and oblige them because nothing else
		
00:18:36 --> 00:18:36
			really matters.
		
00:18:37 --> 00:18:38
			I mean, this demographic is the demographic that
		
00:18:38 --> 00:18:42
			everything in the world is targeted towards serving
		
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			them.
		
00:18:42 --> 00:18:44
			But the problem is within that age group,
		
00:18:45 --> 00:18:49
			it's just the matter of life and just
		
00:18:49 --> 00:18:49
			how things work.
		
00:18:50 --> 00:18:51
			That age group doesn't really care that much.
		
00:18:53 --> 00:18:56
			They're young and life is full of surprises.
		
00:18:56 --> 00:18:57
			So they're just doing their thing and they
		
00:18:57 --> 00:19:00
			don't really care about their communities.
		
00:19:00 --> 00:19:02
			But if they do start to care and
		
00:19:02 --> 00:19:04
			they do start to wonder why their masajid
		
00:19:04 --> 00:19:08
			and their institutions aren't offering them solutions and
		
00:19:08 --> 00:19:10
			aren't offering them programs that they need and
		
00:19:10 --> 00:19:12
			aren't filling their gaps and not answering their
		
00:19:12 --> 00:19:16
			questions, then these institutions will have no choice
		
00:19:16 --> 00:19:20
			but to immediately fulfill that gap and offer
		
00:19:20 --> 00:19:20
			them what they want.
		
00:19:20 --> 00:19:22
			So it's a two-way road here.
		
00:19:22 --> 00:19:24
			Institutions aren't engaging them as much and aren't
		
00:19:24 --> 00:19:26
			really listening to what they have to say,
		
00:19:26 --> 00:19:29
			but on that same note, our youth have
		
00:19:29 --> 00:19:32
			to start demanding more of institutions and getting
		
00:19:32 --> 00:19:33
			more involved.
		
00:19:33 --> 00:19:34
			And you try and see.
		
00:19:34 --> 00:19:39
			You'll be surprised how weak these institutions are
		
00:19:39 --> 00:19:42
			whenever this demographic pushes for something or asks
		
00:19:42 --> 00:19:42
			for something.
		
00:19:43 --> 00:19:46
			At least that's my firm belief.
		
00:19:48 --> 00:19:52
			Not just Muslim institutions, governments, everything in the
		
00:19:52 --> 00:19:58
			world, they're always fearful of the unity of
		
00:19:58 --> 00:20:01
			opinion, of the demographic, of the youth, especially
		
00:20:01 --> 00:20:03
			university students and high school students and people
		
00:20:03 --> 00:20:04
			who are young professionals.
		
00:20:05 --> 00:20:07
			Because this demographic is the demographic that has
		
00:20:07 --> 00:20:09
			the passion, has the time, has the argument,
		
00:20:09 --> 00:20:11
			has the popularity to actually change anything and
		
00:20:11 --> 00:20:12
			make anything happen.
		
00:20:13 --> 00:20:17
			In comparison or opposition to old fat guys
		
00:20:17 --> 00:20:19
			who sit around and want things to happen
		
00:20:19 --> 00:20:21
			however they want it to happen because they
		
00:20:21 --> 00:20:21
			feel entitled.
		
00:20:22 --> 00:20:25
			So push for things and you'll see that
		
00:20:25 --> 00:20:27
			change will happen and I really do hope
		
00:20:27 --> 00:20:27
			that that happens.
		
00:20:27 --> 00:20:29
			I really hope that the masajids are flooded
		
00:20:29 --> 00:20:31
			with youth who are demanding change and asking
		
00:20:31 --> 00:20:34
			for more to be offered to them and
		
00:20:34 --> 00:20:37
			that would be the happiest day of my
		
00:20:37 --> 00:20:39
			life when I start actually serving those who
		
00:20:39 --> 00:20:42
			know what they want and whatever I have
		
00:20:42 --> 00:20:43
			to offer I can offer.
		
00:20:44 --> 00:20:45
			I know that other institutions have the same
		
00:20:45 --> 00:20:48
			intention as well but there is a lot
		
00:20:48 --> 00:20:50
			of politics and bureaucracies that kind of make
		
00:20:50 --> 00:20:52
			that more difficult that can be removed if
		
00:20:52 --> 00:20:54
			there's just more public demand for something.
		
00:20:57 --> 00:21:00
			So inshallah the series will be packaged meaning
		
00:21:00 --> 00:21:03
			inshallah brother Amr who is the magician behind
		
00:21:03 --> 00:21:08
			all of this live streaming content and material.
		
00:21:09 --> 00:21:10
			This will be put together inshallah.
		
00:21:11 --> 00:21:14
			It'll be edited within the week bithnillah ta
		
00:21:14 --> 00:21:16
			'ala and then hopefully we're hoping that during
		
00:21:16 --> 00:21:18
			the last week of Ramadan it's published again
		
00:21:18 --> 00:21:21
			on the Facebook page and on YouTube so
		
00:21:21 --> 00:21:23
			that it's put together as a full series
		
00:21:23 --> 00:21:25
			that people can access bithnillah ta'ala.
		
00:21:25 --> 00:21:26
			So yeah that is the intention.
		
00:21:27 --> 00:21:28
			I ran it live this year because I
		
00:21:28 --> 00:21:31
			had intended to run it this year live.
		
00:21:32 --> 00:21:33
			Oh yeah I was hoping people would exist
		
00:21:33 --> 00:21:36
			in the message at the time but I
		
00:21:36 --> 00:21:37
			was going to stop doing it and then
		
00:21:37 --> 00:21:38
			I thought well you know might as well.
		
00:21:39 --> 00:21:41
			We don't have good online following here in
		
00:21:41 --> 00:21:43
			London right now what maybe 30 people are
		
00:21:43 --> 00:21:44
			watching.
		
00:21:44 --> 00:21:45
			The reason that we don't have good online
		
00:21:45 --> 00:21:47
			following is we actually never invested as a
		
00:21:47 --> 00:21:51
			Muslim community in London in the social media
		
00:21:51 --> 00:21:51
			world.
		
00:21:51 --> 00:21:53
			We didn't really put any effort or time
		
00:21:53 --> 00:21:55
			into investing in that and I think this
		
00:21:55 --> 00:21:57
			whole pandemic really forced us to look at
		
00:21:57 --> 00:21:59
			a lot of it changed our perspectives on
		
00:21:59 --> 00:21:59
			a lot of things.
		
00:22:00 --> 00:22:02
			At least for me I've really you know
		
00:22:03 --> 00:22:06
			changed the way I view certain issues quite
		
00:22:06 --> 00:22:09
			heavily and I think it's worth investing in
		
00:22:09 --> 00:22:13
			the online world because people you know I'm
		
00:22:13 --> 00:22:14
			traditional in terms of how I like to
		
00:22:14 --> 00:22:16
			run halaqat any type form of halaqat whether
		
00:22:16 --> 00:22:19
			just they're public or they're focused in you
		
00:22:19 --> 00:22:19
			know ilm.
		
00:22:20 --> 00:22:20
			I run them.
		
00:22:20 --> 00:22:22
			I like people to come to the masjid
		
00:22:22 --> 00:22:24
			and specifically the masjid and then we run
		
00:22:24 --> 00:22:25
			it there and we get to be together
		
00:22:25 --> 00:22:27
			and I think what I have to accept
		
00:22:27 --> 00:22:29
			right now as a you know as someone
		
00:22:29 --> 00:22:33
			who's involved in this type of education and
		
00:22:33 --> 00:22:35
			dawah is that that's probably not going to
		
00:22:35 --> 00:22:36
			be feasible all the time.
		
00:22:36 --> 00:22:38
			That people actually don't always have the ability
		
00:22:38 --> 00:22:42
			to physically come to certain places and that
		
00:22:42 --> 00:22:43
			even though even those who want to learn
		
00:22:43 --> 00:22:46
			Islam academically they may not be able to
		
00:22:46 --> 00:22:47
			come and be present all the time so
		
00:22:47 --> 00:22:50
			we must offer things that online and find
		
00:22:50 --> 00:22:54
			a way to offer online that still preserves
		
00:22:54 --> 00:22:56
			their ability to interact, their ability to feel
		
00:22:56 --> 00:22:58
			that they're a part of the group and
		
00:22:58 --> 00:22:59
			I think you know we haven't really invested
		
00:22:59 --> 00:23:01
			much in that and it's probably time that
		
00:23:01 --> 00:23:02
			we do so.
		
00:23:02 --> 00:23:04
			So yes inshallah it'll be packaged and it'll
		
00:23:04 --> 00:23:06
			be you know fixed up inshallah.
		
00:23:06 --> 00:23:08
			Can you start your weekly halaqat virtually after
		
00:23:08 --> 00:23:08
			Ramadan?
		
00:23:10 --> 00:23:12
			Hopefully after if I can survive until the
		
00:23:12 --> 00:23:13
			end of Ramadan.
		
00:23:14 --> 00:23:16
			If I survive until the end of it
		
00:23:16 --> 00:23:18
			and I'm still you know functional at the
		
00:23:18 --> 00:23:20
			end of Ramadan inshallah and the masajid are
		
00:23:20 --> 00:23:22
			still closed and there's really no other options.
		
00:23:22 --> 00:23:25
			I mean we're not looking forward to allowing
		
00:23:25 --> 00:23:29
			anybody in the masajid then yes I will
		
00:23:29 --> 00:23:33
			probably restart most of the halaqat virtually.
		
00:23:33 --> 00:23:35
			It's really heartbreaking for me.
		
00:23:35 --> 00:23:37
			I feed on being with people.
		
00:23:38 --> 00:23:40
			You know I'm staring right now at a
		
00:23:40 --> 00:23:47
			Canon Vixia HFG 50 camera and Mr. Canon
		
00:23:47 --> 00:23:50
			here doesn't really have any facial expressions at
		
00:23:50 --> 00:23:51
			all for what I say.
		
00:23:51 --> 00:23:53
			So I have no idea whether he's enjoying
		
00:23:53 --> 00:23:54
			what I'm talking about or where he's bored
		
00:23:54 --> 00:23:55
			out of his mind.
		
00:23:55 --> 00:23:56
			He doesn't really interact that much.
		
00:23:56 --> 00:23:59
			He's quite rude that way and subhanallah when
		
00:23:59 --> 00:24:02
			you run halaqat you really it's really about
		
00:24:02 --> 00:24:04
			you know the togetherness that congregational feeling.
		
00:24:05 --> 00:24:06
			It means a lot to me and I
		
00:24:06 --> 00:24:08
			enjoy it and I like people you know
		
00:24:08 --> 00:24:10
			and I like people asking you know blurting
		
00:24:10 --> 00:24:13
			out questions and objections and it makes it
		
00:24:13 --> 00:24:14
			interesting.
		
00:24:14 --> 00:24:16
			The controversy makes it fun and you know
		
00:24:16 --> 00:24:18
			and we really come together and you know
		
00:24:18 --> 00:24:20
			it hurts me that I would run for
		
00:24:20 --> 00:24:22
			me to imagine running the Haseera halaqat for
		
00:24:22 --> 00:24:25
			example without people here is just devastating.
		
00:24:25 --> 00:24:27
			It's just a very difficult idea for me
		
00:24:27 --> 00:24:27
			to imagine.
		
00:24:28 --> 00:24:30
			I feel you know staring looking at the
		
00:24:30 --> 00:24:32
			eyes of the youth who are listening you
		
00:24:32 --> 00:24:35
			know is what really you know energizes you
		
00:24:35 --> 00:24:37
			know subhanallah and the scholars talked about that
		
00:24:37 --> 00:24:38
			by the way.
		
00:24:38 --> 00:24:38
			I'm not making this up.
		
00:24:38 --> 00:24:40
			Many scholars talked about that you know fact
		
00:24:40 --> 00:24:43
			that subhanallah the you know the the listeners
		
00:24:43 --> 00:24:46
			will feed the nur of the listener's eyes
		
00:24:46 --> 00:24:48
			will feed the heart of the speaker and
		
00:24:48 --> 00:24:50
			bring out the best of you know out
		
00:24:50 --> 00:24:52
			of them and that's something that you know
		
00:24:52 --> 00:24:53
			is quite wise.
		
00:24:53 --> 00:24:55
			But inshallah the plan is that if the
		
00:24:55 --> 00:24:58
			masajid don't open that we run them virtually
		
00:24:58 --> 00:24:59
			somehow inshallah.
		
00:25:01 --> 00:25:03
			What are the main issues you see with
		
00:25:03 --> 00:25:04
			leadership in our London institutions?
		
00:25:05 --> 00:25:07
			Oh well no I don't mind talking about
		
00:25:07 --> 00:25:08
			stuff like that.
		
00:25:08 --> 00:25:10
			Amber is asking me to shushing me because
		
00:25:10 --> 00:25:12
			I shouldn't be talking about this but no
		
00:25:12 --> 00:25:13
			I don't think it's a problem.
		
00:25:13 --> 00:25:14
			I think that we have a lot of
		
00:25:14 --> 00:25:16
			there's a lot of history in all cities
		
00:25:16 --> 00:25:17
			by the way and all around the world
		
00:25:17 --> 00:25:20
			between institutions a lot of history bad blood
		
00:25:20 --> 00:25:24
			you know bad experiences and just people who
		
00:25:24 --> 00:25:26
			don't get along and I think that what
		
00:25:26 --> 00:25:28
			we need to do actually first of all
		
00:25:28 --> 00:25:33
			our leadership institutions they have leadership these leadership
		
00:25:33 --> 00:25:35
			the leadership that they have these people don't
		
00:25:35 --> 00:25:37
			come from Mars they're a part of our
		
00:25:37 --> 00:25:39
			communities and if people can't seem to get
		
00:25:39 --> 00:25:41
			you know things done or don't get along
		
00:25:41 --> 00:25:44
			that we need to filter you know those
		
00:25:44 --> 00:25:45
			figures out and get in others who are
		
00:25:45 --> 00:25:47
			willing to work to be to you know
		
00:25:47 --> 00:25:49
			to cooperate more with others who have I
		
00:25:49 --> 00:25:51
			think what we're lacking really is vision is
		
00:25:51 --> 00:25:53
			vision that we can all come together on
		
00:25:53 --> 00:25:54
			we have we don't we don't we don't
		
00:25:54 --> 00:25:56
			really talk about the concept of visions we
		
00:25:56 --> 00:25:57
			need to know what is it that we're
		
00:25:57 --> 00:25:58
			trying to achieve for the next five years
		
00:25:58 --> 00:26:02
			in London on every domain possible in every
		
00:26:02 --> 00:26:04
			domain on every venue what exactly we're trying
		
00:26:04 --> 00:26:05
			to do from an educational perspective what are
		
00:26:05 --> 00:26:07
			we trying to do from a social perspective
		
00:26:07 --> 00:26:07
			what are we what are you trying to
		
00:26:07 --> 00:26:09
			achieve do we know what we want leadership
		
00:26:09 --> 00:26:11
			is supposed to offer vision and I think
		
00:26:11 --> 00:26:13
			it's that it's vision that that's that that's
		
00:26:13 --> 00:26:15
			missing or the visions that we have aren't
		
00:26:15 --> 00:26:18
			practical or and aren't comprehensive enough and they're
		
00:26:18 --> 00:26:20
			not covering the needs of community leadership has
		
00:26:20 --> 00:26:22
			to be has to have their ears to
		
00:26:22 --> 00:26:25
			the to the ground mean they're listening to
		
00:26:25 --> 00:26:26
			what people are talking about they have to
		
00:26:26 --> 00:26:28
			be working with with the public on a
		
00:26:28 --> 00:26:31
			daily basis figuring out what people are actually
		
00:26:31 --> 00:26:33
			needing and where they feel the gap exists
		
00:26:33 --> 00:26:35
			and where the void is and and that
		
00:26:35 --> 00:26:37
			is what I feel kind of there's this
		
00:26:37 --> 00:26:40
			discrepancy between you know what people want and
		
00:26:40 --> 00:26:42
			what leadership is saying that the vision needs
		
00:26:42 --> 00:26:43
			to look like and then the institutions just
		
00:26:43 --> 00:26:45
			don't get along very well and you know
		
00:26:45 --> 00:26:46
			this is getting better and in the last
		
00:26:46 --> 00:26:48
			two years I can I can and I
		
00:26:48 --> 00:26:49
			can vouch for the fact that you know
		
00:26:49 --> 00:26:51
			it's actually much better than it was before
		
00:26:51 --> 00:26:53
			but we're not nearly where we need to
		
00:26:53 --> 00:26:55
			be because this is you know I I
		
00:26:55 --> 00:26:58
			think everyone should focus on the place they
		
00:26:58 --> 00:26:59
			live I don't think we should be start
		
00:26:59 --> 00:27:00
			we should we start we should be talking
		
00:27:00 --> 00:27:02
			in terms of universal you know the umma
		
00:27:02 --> 00:27:04
			you know we care for the umma but
		
00:27:04 --> 00:27:05
			in order for us to fix the umma
		
00:27:05 --> 00:27:06
			we have to take care of where we
		
00:27:06 --> 00:27:08
			live we live in London forget about it
		
00:27:08 --> 00:27:10
			forget about all the other cities that are
		
00:27:10 --> 00:27:13
			around us London itself we have there's more
		
00:27:13 --> 00:27:14
			that we can do and we can actually
		
00:27:14 --> 00:27:16
			there's not too many of us we don't
		
00:27:16 --> 00:27:18
			have a lot of you know our institutions
		
00:27:18 --> 00:27:20
			aren't at war and we haven't really divided
		
00:27:20 --> 00:27:21
			our yet we still have a chance to
		
00:27:21 --> 00:27:24
			actually keep everyone connected and still work together
		
00:27:24 --> 00:27:27
			so um instead of you know that question
		
00:27:27 --> 00:27:29
			being what you think the problem is I
		
00:27:29 --> 00:27:30
			think the problem is that whoever asked the
		
00:27:30 --> 00:27:32
			question is not involved everyone needs to get
		
00:27:32 --> 00:27:35
			involved everyone should have memberships and the institutions
		
00:27:35 --> 00:27:37
			that we that we have everyone should be
		
00:27:37 --> 00:27:39
			you know questioning them asking them for vision
		
00:27:39 --> 00:27:42
			demanding and everyone work together and you'll see
		
00:27:42 --> 00:27:44
			institutions you know they they they exist to
		
00:27:44 --> 00:27:46
			serve the public and once that narrative becomes
		
00:27:46 --> 00:27:48
			powerful within the public they will oblige and
		
00:27:48 --> 00:27:50
			they will you know start you know offering
		
00:27:50 --> 00:27:52
			that but when there's lack of interest when
		
00:27:52 --> 00:27:55
			people you know lose trust or lose hope
		
00:27:55 --> 00:27:56
			and or faith in their institutions and they
		
00:27:56 --> 00:27:58
			don't care anymore that is really what causes
		
00:27:58 --> 00:28:01
			the problem you know that's really um what
		
00:28:01 --> 00:28:03
			what where I find the issue to uh
		
00:28:03 --> 00:28:05
			to be to be is that we just
		
00:28:05 --> 00:28:08
			for some reason we people have lacks lack
		
00:28:08 --> 00:28:11
			interest now and what I want to do
		
00:28:11 --> 00:28:12
			is I want I want people to regain
		
00:28:12 --> 00:28:15
			that trust again and regain interest again and
		
00:28:15 --> 00:28:17
			start talking and getting involved and that will
		
00:28:17 --> 00:28:19
			help or that will change how leadership uh
		
00:28:19 --> 00:28:26
			function Allah on him there are very nice
		
00:28:26 --> 00:28:28
			uh that people are putting for us and
		
00:28:28 --> 00:28:37
			his team they work uh extremely extremely hard
		
00:28:37 --> 00:28:41
			um okay I think there's one more did
		
00:28:41 --> 00:28:46
			I miss anything okay there's nothing new so
		
00:28:46 --> 00:28:48
			I'll go back to that brother's eight questions
		
00:28:48 --> 00:28:52
			I'll answer one more inshallah um how do
		
00:28:52 --> 00:28:53
			you think we should go about having a
		
00:28:53 --> 00:28:56
			stronger network in our wider community or networking
		
00:28:56 --> 00:28:59
			events networking and events are um are definitely
		
00:28:59 --> 00:29:02
			one of the more complex complex issues to
		
00:29:02 --> 00:29:04
			cover and to actually get done I I
		
00:29:04 --> 00:29:06
			don't have a good grasp on how it's
		
00:29:06 --> 00:29:09
			going to be done that's not my field
		
00:29:09 --> 00:29:11
			of expertise networking is definitely not what I
		
00:29:11 --> 00:29:13
			know how to do I don't know how
		
00:29:13 --> 00:29:14
			exactly how we can go by it but
		
00:29:14 --> 00:29:16
			I think the fact that we don't have
		
00:29:16 --> 00:29:18
			it is a problem and I know that
		
00:29:18 --> 00:29:20
			we have the potential to have networking events
		
00:29:20 --> 00:29:23
			and to bring people together I think it
		
00:29:23 --> 00:29:26
			starts by the institutions first of all coming
		
00:29:26 --> 00:29:27
			together and networking a bit more and people
		
00:29:27 --> 00:29:29
			getting to know one another and more discussions
		
00:29:29 --> 00:29:31
			happening amongst leadership figuring out what we want
		
00:29:31 --> 00:29:33
			and what we need and and if change
		
00:29:33 --> 00:29:35
			is is uh you know at the doorstep
		
00:29:35 --> 00:29:37
			then change needs to be needs to be
		
00:29:37 --> 00:29:39
			made and then it kind of filters out
		
00:29:39 --> 00:29:40
			it filters down to everyone else in the
		
00:29:40 --> 00:29:44
			community um you know the idea is this
		
00:29:44 --> 00:29:47
			that networking can be a community or a
		
00:29:47 --> 00:29:50
			public-based initiative uh if people are interested
		
00:29:50 --> 00:29:51
			in or people believe that this is something
		
00:29:51 --> 00:29:53
			that can make a difference I really do
		
00:29:53 --> 00:29:55
			think it will once you know people you're
		
00:29:55 --> 00:29:57
			less likely to have problems with them you're
		
00:29:57 --> 00:29:59
			less likely to have bad assumptions about them
		
00:29:59 --> 00:30:00
			you're more likely to support them when they
		
00:30:00 --> 00:30:02
			have initiatives themselves and it's just a matter
		
00:30:02 --> 00:30:03
			of you know figuring out uh you know
		
00:30:03 --> 00:30:05
			how to do that and and we did
		
00:30:05 --> 00:30:06
			have something called the Muslim Fellowship Network as
		
00:30:06 --> 00:30:08
			I said you know we're going to look
		
00:30:08 --> 00:30:09
			into seeing how we can launch that and
		
00:30:09 --> 00:30:11
			get more people you know who are who
		
00:30:11 --> 00:30:13
			are interested in this this type of work
		
00:30:13 --> 00:30:14
			involved in it and see if we can
		
00:30:14 --> 00:30:16
			launch something that is that is helpful bismillah
		
00:30:16 --> 00:30:22
			um what time is it now okay so
		
00:30:22 --> 00:30:25
			we're um six oh three all right so
		
00:30:25 --> 00:30:26
			I thought we would run for maybe half
		
00:30:26 --> 00:30:27
			an hour I don't think there's any new
		
00:30:27 --> 00:30:30
			questions um the questions that we have from
		
00:30:30 --> 00:30:33
			this but there's a lot of questions I
		
00:30:33 --> 00:30:34
			saw more and then if there's nothing new
		
00:30:34 --> 00:30:37
			we'll uh we'll we'll end it inshallah um
		
00:30:37 --> 00:30:44
			should we not more should we should we
		
00:30:44 --> 00:30:46
			not be more blatant during speeches and affirming
		
00:30:46 --> 00:30:48
			connection between dean and logic and discerning any
		
00:30:48 --> 00:30:52
			valid ideas conception practice and bigotry associated with
		
00:30:52 --> 00:30:56
			the dean that arose from culturalization okay um
		
00:30:56 --> 00:31:00
			yeah that's a big question should we be
		
00:31:00 --> 00:31:02
			you know making getting people to see the
		
00:31:02 --> 00:31:07
			connection between dean and um and logic or
		
00:31:07 --> 00:31:10
			rationale and proper methods of thinking definitely that's
		
00:31:10 --> 00:31:12
			been what I you know that's my my
		
00:31:12 --> 00:31:14
			firm belief that's what I've been working on
		
00:31:14 --> 00:31:18
			you know personally most of my life I
		
00:31:18 --> 00:31:20
			believe that we have the stronger idea not
		
00:31:20 --> 00:31:21
			because it's my idea it's because it's all
		
00:31:21 --> 00:31:24
			it's allah subhanahu wa ta'ala's revelation whatever
		
00:31:24 --> 00:31:26
			he says subhanahu wa ta'ala is going
		
00:31:26 --> 00:31:28
			to be the truth because he is the
		
00:31:28 --> 00:31:30
			truth and that means the idea that I
		
00:31:30 --> 00:31:32
			have not being mine has nothing to do
		
00:31:32 --> 00:31:34
			with me it's came from him so has
		
00:31:34 --> 00:31:35
			to be the stronger idea and I believe
		
00:31:35 --> 00:31:38
			whoever has the stronger idea is not afraid
		
00:31:38 --> 00:31:41
			from debates and arguments and logical and rational
		
00:31:41 --> 00:31:44
			disputes because because if you have the stronger
		
00:31:44 --> 00:31:46
			idea you will prevail at the end and
		
00:31:46 --> 00:31:49
			it's strong ideas that rule the world eventually
		
00:31:49 --> 00:31:52
			it's not you know it's not military power
		
00:31:52 --> 00:31:53
			it's not it's none of that it's whoever
		
00:31:53 --> 00:31:55
			has the strongest idea and I think if
		
00:31:55 --> 00:31:58
			we continue to cover our ideas with the
		
00:31:58 --> 00:32:01
			with a lot of cultural clutter and a
		
00:32:01 --> 00:32:06
			lot of I need traditions and a lot
		
00:32:06 --> 00:32:08
			of fear that people you know may ask
		
00:32:08 --> 00:32:09
			too many questions or we can't really talk
		
00:32:09 --> 00:32:11
			about this in detail because people may lose
		
00:32:11 --> 00:32:13
			their iman or they're not I think that
		
00:32:13 --> 00:32:15
			is the biggest you know crime that you
		
00:32:15 --> 00:32:17
			can you can you can commit as a
		
00:32:17 --> 00:32:19
			muslim and the quran talks about in the
		
00:32:19 --> 00:32:29
			latina the quran talks
		
00:32:29 --> 00:32:31
			about those who withhold knowledge or or try
		
00:32:31 --> 00:32:34
			to change narratives because they for whatever reason
		
00:32:34 --> 00:32:37
			it's it's it's always it's always harmful in
		
00:32:37 --> 00:32:41
			the long run you know explain things properly
		
00:32:41 --> 00:32:44
			inform people well you know offer knowledge that
		
00:32:44 --> 00:32:47
			is pure that is proper regardless of how
		
00:32:47 --> 00:32:49
			you know whether you what you fear of
		
00:32:49 --> 00:32:51
			regardless of whether you think people are going
		
00:32:51 --> 00:32:52
			to like it doesn't matter just explain things
		
00:32:52 --> 00:32:55
			properly and it will eventually work out and
		
00:32:55 --> 00:32:57
			I think because of the fear of that
		
00:32:57 --> 00:32:59
			a lot of uh you know we we
		
00:32:59 --> 00:33:02
			have been kind of suffering with with cultural
		
00:33:02 --> 00:33:05
			rule you know with cultural ruling the dean
		
00:33:05 --> 00:33:07
			instead of with culture ruling the dean instead
		
00:33:07 --> 00:33:10
			of islam ruling culture or islam getting the
		
00:33:10 --> 00:33:12
			last say on what is going to be
		
00:33:12 --> 00:33:15
			acceptable culturally what is not we have the
		
00:33:15 --> 00:33:17
			opposite happening we have culture getting the last
		
00:33:17 --> 00:33:19
			say on what is going to be acceptable
		
00:33:19 --> 00:33:21
			religiously or not meaning the religion will say
		
00:33:21 --> 00:33:22
			this is okay but then you'll say well
		
00:33:22 --> 00:33:24
			but culturally it's not acceptable in this place
		
00:33:24 --> 00:33:26
			yeah but I don't understand how is culture
		
00:33:26 --> 00:33:28
			ruling or the and then the opposite it
		
00:33:28 --> 00:33:30
			happens and it's uh you know the dean
		
00:33:30 --> 00:33:31
			doesn't accept this but well culture is okay
		
00:33:31 --> 00:33:33
			with it so you know we continue to
		
00:33:33 --> 00:33:35
			do it and that's where this has to
		
00:33:35 --> 00:33:36
			we have to change in that in that
		
00:33:36 --> 00:33:38
			in these regards and we have to change
		
00:33:38 --> 00:33:40
			quickly because uh you know youth are very
		
00:33:40 --> 00:33:43
			a lot the thing about youth is that
		
00:33:43 --> 00:33:45
			they're extremely logical they're very passionate they're very
		
00:33:45 --> 00:33:48
			logical if you show arguments that are flawed
		
00:33:48 --> 00:33:49
			a few times in a row they will
		
00:33:49 --> 00:33:51
			lose connection to whatever it is you're doing
		
00:33:51 --> 00:33:54
			and you know a lot of parents want
		
00:33:54 --> 00:33:57
			their kids to follow their culture but they
		
00:33:57 --> 00:33:58
			don't tell them it's culture they tell them
		
00:33:58 --> 00:34:01
			it's the dean and the cultures most of
		
00:34:01 --> 00:34:03
			the time don't make that much sense and
		
00:34:03 --> 00:34:05
			the dean always does and that causes discrepancy
		
00:34:05 --> 00:34:07
			for the youth because they're like well if
		
00:34:07 --> 00:34:08
			this is what the dean is saying it
		
00:34:08 --> 00:34:09
			makes no sense maybe the dean isn't all
		
00:34:09 --> 00:34:12
			that great as you're telling me but really
		
00:34:12 --> 00:34:13
			what they're being told is something that is
		
00:34:13 --> 00:34:15
			cultural and not really islamic and I think
		
00:34:15 --> 00:34:17
			that that you know the differentiation has to
		
00:34:17 --> 00:34:20
			happen and that's going to require parents educating
		
00:34:20 --> 00:34:23
			themselves on islam properly and accepting accepting that
		
00:34:23 --> 00:34:25
			a lot of their you know cultural all
		
00:34:25 --> 00:34:27
			of the cultural aspects of their lives aren't
		
00:34:27 --> 00:34:30
			as important as they think they are and
		
00:34:30 --> 00:34:31
			you know they have to choose their battles
		
00:34:31 --> 00:34:34
			and if they want to win over any
		
00:34:34 --> 00:34:37
			uh their children and have their children actually
		
00:34:37 --> 00:34:39
			follow islam that they have to you know
		
00:34:39 --> 00:34:44
			compromise certain certain topics okay um oh there's
		
00:34:44 --> 00:34:49
			one more um oh that's actually there's a
		
00:34:49 --> 00:34:51
			lack of interest within our youth you think
		
00:34:51 --> 00:34:53
			because the time the place we live in
		
00:34:53 --> 00:34:55
			we need to be using a different mentorship
		
00:34:55 --> 00:34:59
			program to serve our community uh could it
		
00:34:59 --> 00:35:01
			be that world foundation before it needs to
		
00:35:01 --> 00:35:04
			be changed elementary yes definitely uh those who
		
00:35:04 --> 00:35:07
			are going to mentor have to be uh
		
00:35:07 --> 00:35:10
			you know have to be uh realistic and
		
00:35:10 --> 00:35:11
			pragmatic i mean they have they have to
		
00:35:11 --> 00:35:12
			be a part of the popular culture they
		
00:35:12 --> 00:35:14
			have to understand how that works i i
		
00:35:14 --> 00:35:16
			don't think you know people in their 50s
		
00:35:16 --> 00:35:18
			are going to be you know mentoring people
		
00:35:18 --> 00:35:20
			in their you know teens that doesn't happen
		
00:35:20 --> 00:35:22
			um it rarely happens it you know does
		
00:35:22 --> 00:35:23
			but it's very rare what i'm thinking about
		
00:35:23 --> 00:35:26
			is more is is closer like when i
		
00:35:26 --> 00:35:29
			started teaching quran i was literally 15 years
		
00:35:29 --> 00:35:30
			old that was the day that i when
		
00:35:30 --> 00:35:32
			my sheikh uh you know had we had
		
00:35:32 --> 00:35:34
			finished i memorized when i was 13 i
		
00:35:34 --> 00:35:36
			was 15 i finished reading my first and
		
00:35:36 --> 00:35:38
			he's and he told me you know you
		
00:35:38 --> 00:35:40
			have to go and you know the you
		
00:35:40 --> 00:35:43
			know the the learning of the quran is
		
00:35:43 --> 00:35:44
			based on the fact that the moment you
		
00:35:44 --> 00:35:45
			learn it you go teach it so go
		
00:35:45 --> 00:35:47
			and start teaching so i was 15 i
		
00:35:47 --> 00:35:49
			was still grade nine i think or eight
		
00:35:49 --> 00:35:51
			grade nine so i go and i and
		
00:35:51 --> 00:35:52
			i put together in a room my brother
		
00:35:52 --> 00:35:55
			my two brothers and they each brought a
		
00:35:55 --> 00:35:57
			friend and there were four children and i
		
00:35:57 --> 00:35:58
			just sat down and i started you know
		
00:35:58 --> 00:36:00
			teaching them and then you know a week
		
00:36:00 --> 00:36:03
			later they my they brought another friend who
		
00:36:03 --> 00:36:04
			you know they told her this is fun
		
00:36:04 --> 00:36:06
			and cool and because i was young and
		
00:36:06 --> 00:36:09
			like them and i wasn't i wasn't this
		
00:36:09 --> 00:36:11
			old man with this and no hair i
		
00:36:11 --> 00:36:13
			was just a young guy so they you
		
00:36:13 --> 00:36:14
			know i gave them candy at the end
		
00:36:14 --> 00:36:16
			of the memorize and they liked it and
		
00:36:16 --> 00:36:17
			you know we did it in a room
		
00:36:17 --> 00:36:19
			in our house and they and after a
		
00:36:19 --> 00:36:21
			couple of days a couple of weeks there
		
00:36:21 --> 00:36:22
			was maybe 15 of them that were coming
		
00:36:22 --> 00:36:24
			and the room wasn't big enough so i
		
00:36:24 --> 00:36:25
			went to the masjid and i started there
		
00:36:25 --> 00:36:28
			and i before i left syria literally almost
		
00:36:28 --> 00:36:31
			every child within the village or every you
		
00:36:31 --> 00:36:33
			know was was enrolled in the program over
		
00:36:33 --> 00:36:36
			400 500 children in a village that only
		
00:36:36 --> 00:36:39
			had you know 2800 people to begin with
		
00:36:39 --> 00:36:41
			so things can grow like that if it
		
00:36:41 --> 00:36:43
			wasn't because i you know i was very
		
00:36:43 --> 00:36:46
			green very naive and i wasn't that knowledgeable
		
00:36:46 --> 00:36:48
			at 15 or 16 but i was young
		
00:36:48 --> 00:36:50
			and i knew a little bit more than
		
00:36:50 --> 00:36:52
			they did obviously they were you know grade
		
00:36:52 --> 00:36:54
			three and two and one and five and
		
00:36:54 --> 00:36:57
			so i had i had some advantage over
		
00:36:57 --> 00:36:59
			them in terms of life experience which was
		
00:36:59 --> 00:37:01
			something i was able to offer them and
		
00:37:01 --> 00:37:02
			i continue to mentor them throughout their lives
		
00:37:02 --> 00:37:04
			and i had people doing the same for
		
00:37:04 --> 00:37:05
			me when i was 15 i people in
		
00:37:05 --> 00:37:08
			their 20s were mentoring me and teaching me
		
00:37:08 --> 00:37:09
			and guiding me and telling me you know
		
00:37:09 --> 00:37:10
			what the my best options were going to
		
00:37:10 --> 00:37:12
			be and who i should go who are
		
00:37:12 --> 00:37:14
			the shoes i should go learn from and
		
00:37:14 --> 00:37:16
			what the university i should enroll in and
		
00:37:16 --> 00:37:17
			you know whenever i had a problem and
		
00:37:17 --> 00:37:19
			with a student or with someone i was
		
00:37:19 --> 00:37:21
			helping i would go to them and ask
		
00:37:21 --> 00:37:22
			for them and that's how it works so
		
00:37:22 --> 00:37:24
			it's more getting you know it's getting that
		
00:37:24 --> 00:37:27
			uh it's the demographic of the guys and
		
00:37:27 --> 00:37:30
			ladies in their 20s that i that i
		
00:37:30 --> 00:37:32
			can't seem to you know get them to
		
00:37:32 --> 00:37:34
			get on board with this i need people
		
00:37:34 --> 00:37:35
			in their 20s when you're in your 20s
		
00:37:35 --> 00:37:37
			you're you know you're just you're at that
		
00:37:37 --> 00:37:40
			perfect place like i wish i you know
		
00:37:40 --> 00:37:41
			i wish i just stayed 25 all my
		
00:37:41 --> 00:37:43
			life and just never never grew just stayed
		
00:37:43 --> 00:37:45
			there because it's a perfect time to be
		
00:37:45 --> 00:37:47
			you're you're you know you're physically at your
		
00:37:47 --> 00:37:49
			peak you're mentally at your peak you're you're
		
00:37:49 --> 00:37:51
			you're young you don't have as many you
		
00:37:51 --> 00:37:55
			know you don't have much to worry about
		
00:37:55 --> 00:37:57
			in life you don't you really haven't if
		
00:37:57 --> 00:37:59
			you started a family is still young family
		
00:37:59 --> 00:38:00
			if you haven't you still don't have much
		
00:38:00 --> 00:38:02
			you know so it's the perfect place for
		
00:38:02 --> 00:38:04
			you to take interest in others and start
		
00:38:04 --> 00:38:07
			helping out so if that's the uh that's
		
00:38:07 --> 00:38:08
			the demographic that that's the key demographic that
		
00:38:08 --> 00:38:11
			we need to engage that those university students
		
00:38:11 --> 00:38:14
			who have within their hands the power to
		
00:38:14 --> 00:38:16
			change any community they can do anything they
		
00:38:16 --> 00:38:17
			want really if they just put their mind
		
00:38:17 --> 00:38:19
			to it and they have the ability to
		
00:38:19 --> 00:38:22
			mentor the younger generation yeah if you know
		
00:38:22 --> 00:38:24
			if you bring the message to the message
		
00:38:24 --> 00:38:27
			of your your teenager to talk to me
		
00:38:27 --> 00:38:28
			you listen to me it's not going to
		
00:38:28 --> 00:38:30
			go that well you know no matter how
		
00:38:30 --> 00:38:32
			hip i try to i'm not hip anymore
		
00:38:32 --> 00:38:35
			like i'm not cool anymore i used to
		
00:38:35 --> 00:38:37
			be in my 20s i had a motorcycle
		
00:38:37 --> 00:38:40
			and put my long hair i look i
		
00:38:40 --> 00:38:42
			look i look much more i'm not anymore
		
00:38:42 --> 00:38:44
			and that's fine that's how life is you
		
00:38:44 --> 00:38:45
			move on in life you move from one
		
00:38:45 --> 00:38:47
			stage to the other it's just that that
		
00:38:47 --> 00:38:50
			this demographic the you know our brother and
		
00:38:50 --> 00:38:52
			sister in their 20s they have to start
		
00:38:52 --> 00:38:55
			working on you know getting this community on
		
00:38:55 --> 00:38:57
			its feet again from every from getting to
		
00:38:57 --> 00:39:00
			leadership positions from mentoring and then my job
		
00:39:00 --> 00:39:02
			is to help educate them and guide them
		
00:39:02 --> 00:39:04
			like they'll probably need to have proper islamic
		
00:39:04 --> 00:39:06
			knowledge a lot of them would go i
		
00:39:06 --> 00:39:07
			can mentor but i don't know much about
		
00:39:07 --> 00:39:09
			islam i'll take care of that i'll teach
		
00:39:09 --> 00:39:10
			you everything you need to know i don't
		
00:39:10 --> 00:39:12
			know much quran i can fix that as
		
00:39:12 --> 00:39:14
			well and i need uh advice on how
		
00:39:14 --> 00:39:16
			to deal with no not a problem that's
		
00:39:16 --> 00:39:17
			where we come in we come in to
		
00:39:17 --> 00:39:20
			offer that that extra advice so really if
		
00:39:20 --> 00:39:21
			you want to make a difference for your
		
00:39:21 --> 00:39:24
			you know for the younger generation you know
		
00:39:24 --> 00:39:26
			go after those 20 year olds and you
		
00:39:26 --> 00:39:28
			know the university students you know early professionals
		
00:39:28 --> 00:39:31
			and get them involved uh and ask them
		
00:39:31 --> 00:39:33
			to start you know working on uh you
		
00:39:33 --> 00:39:34
			know all it takes is just look for
		
00:39:34 --> 00:39:37
			someone younger than you to you know if
		
00:39:37 --> 00:39:38
			there are any 20 year olds listening to
		
00:39:38 --> 00:39:40
			me look for someone younger than you in
		
00:39:40 --> 00:39:42
			your family or in your vicinity to to
		
00:39:42 --> 00:39:44
			aid to support to mentor to teach to
		
00:39:44 --> 00:39:47
			educate to help um in their lives and
		
00:39:47 --> 00:39:49
			you'll see a huge difference in how all
		
00:39:49 --> 00:39:52
			this works so that's that's my two cents
		
00:39:52 --> 00:39:58
			on it um do you have any recommendations
		
00:39:58 --> 00:40:03
			how to how to operationalizing values any practical
		
00:40:03 --> 00:40:08
			tools oh yeah values are interesting things values
		
00:40:08 --> 00:40:12
			are this mix of of of of beliefs
		
00:40:12 --> 00:40:16
			and convictions uh that are embedded with deep
		
00:40:16 --> 00:40:21
			thought that have been positively reinforced by the
		
00:40:21 --> 00:40:23
			community and by your upbringing so it's actually
		
00:40:23 --> 00:40:26
			it's a complex process that we don't necessarily
		
00:40:26 --> 00:40:29
			understand in detail what you can do or
		
00:40:29 --> 00:40:32
			what you should do is you should engage
		
00:40:32 --> 00:40:34
			in deep thought to fuck or is a
		
00:40:34 --> 00:40:37
			very underrated act of worship in islam to
		
00:40:37 --> 00:40:40
			fuck or which is for you to take
		
00:40:40 --> 00:40:44
			time uh really thinking about about your life
		
00:40:44 --> 00:40:47
			and about you know bigger questions and issues
		
00:40:47 --> 00:40:49
			and and and the more you do that
		
00:40:49 --> 00:40:51
			the more you spend time doing that the
		
00:40:51 --> 00:40:53
			more you're building values and you don't even
		
00:40:53 --> 00:40:55
			know it your subconsciousness is is picking up
		
00:40:55 --> 00:40:58
			on this deep thought process that you're spending
		
00:40:58 --> 00:41:01
			on a certain issue and it's organizing what
		
00:41:01 --> 00:41:02
			it wants and what it's going to do
		
00:41:02 --> 00:41:05
			in specific scenarios or in given any situations
		
00:41:05 --> 00:41:08
			or circumstances so that's why the prophet alaihissalaatu
		
00:41:08 --> 00:41:10
			wasalam performed a lot of tafakkur that's why
		
00:41:10 --> 00:41:12
			the quran talks about tafakkur that's why all
		
00:41:12 --> 00:41:16
			scholars historically perform tafakkur all scholars hands down
		
00:41:16 --> 00:41:18
			had time where they would just sit and
		
00:41:18 --> 00:41:20
			they would perform tafakkur where they would just
		
00:41:20 --> 00:41:22
			you know sit in a place that is
		
00:41:22 --> 00:41:23
			relaxing where you have a you know nice
		
00:41:23 --> 00:41:25
			scenery and a cup of coffee i would
		
00:41:25 --> 00:41:27
			say ramadan or a cup of tea and
		
00:41:27 --> 00:41:29
			you just engage in thoughts where you're just
		
00:41:29 --> 00:41:32
			thinking people meditate today you don't need meditation
		
00:41:32 --> 00:41:34
			we have prayer and we have tafakkur we
		
00:41:34 --> 00:41:35
			have more than what we need in terms
		
00:41:35 --> 00:41:38
			of spirituality and tafakkur is is extremely important
		
00:41:38 --> 00:41:40
			and it makes a difference because it's how
		
00:41:40 --> 00:41:42
			you it's how we build values and then
		
00:41:42 --> 00:41:44
			another thing i can give you is that
		
00:41:44 --> 00:41:48
			after situations after circumstances after any given uh
		
00:41:48 --> 00:41:51
			encounter in your life pause and think about
		
00:41:51 --> 00:41:53
			it we don't do that as much because
		
00:41:53 --> 00:41:55
			we feel we're sometimes embarrassed by the way
		
00:41:55 --> 00:41:57
			we behaved or we weren't happy with it
		
00:41:57 --> 00:41:59
			so you want to delete it from our
		
00:41:59 --> 00:42:00
			minds quickly so we can move on no
		
00:42:00 --> 00:42:02
			don't move on go back and revisit why
		
00:42:02 --> 00:42:04
			is it that i spoke that way why
		
00:42:04 --> 00:42:06
			did i not respond you know the way
		
00:42:06 --> 00:42:08
			i think i should have responded what caused
		
00:42:08 --> 00:42:10
			this and then you you kind of backtrack
		
00:42:10 --> 00:42:12
			and you figure out what values you have
		
00:42:12 --> 00:42:14
			that caused you to suffer at that moment
		
00:42:14 --> 00:42:16
			or not be able to behave the way
		
00:42:16 --> 00:42:18
			you think you should have behaved whether you
		
00:42:18 --> 00:42:19
			were you know you felt you were too
		
00:42:19 --> 00:42:23
			weak too passive too aggressive too rude whatever
		
00:42:23 --> 00:42:23
			it is that you did that you thought
		
00:42:23 --> 00:42:26
			i didn't like how i behaved that then
		
00:42:26 --> 00:42:28
			backtrack and figure out what value you had
		
00:42:28 --> 00:42:31
			that you know produced that behavior and then
		
00:42:31 --> 00:42:32
			spend time thinking about it and spend time
		
00:42:32 --> 00:42:34
			figuring out what caused it what happened in
		
00:42:34 --> 00:42:36
			your you know in your within your your
		
00:42:36 --> 00:42:38
			your younger life and your upbringing and what
		
00:42:38 --> 00:42:41
			affected that and and that's how you change
		
00:42:41 --> 00:42:43
			values is through deep thought and through time
		
00:42:44 --> 00:42:48
			and uh spent uh reflecting on these on
		
00:42:48 --> 00:42:52
			these problems if i have suggestions or ideas
		
00:42:52 --> 00:42:55
			who would i contact um really you can
		
00:42:55 --> 00:42:57
			uh you can if you have any suggestions
		
00:42:57 --> 00:43:00
			for anything i mean for how we can
		
00:43:00 --> 00:43:02
			build you know our community make differences you
		
00:43:02 --> 00:43:04
			can contact you can contact me you can
		
00:43:04 --> 00:43:06
			contact any of the leadership and you can
		
00:43:06 --> 00:43:08
			email the institutions uh you know you can
		
00:43:08 --> 00:43:10
			uh you can come up to board members
		
00:43:10 --> 00:43:12
			you know look out for look we have
		
00:43:12 --> 00:43:14
			board members who are shabab or youth now
		
00:43:14 --> 00:43:16
			on almost every on every in every uh
		
00:43:16 --> 00:43:18
			institution in the city and come up to
		
00:43:18 --> 00:43:19
			them and you can talk to them about
		
00:43:19 --> 00:43:21
			uh about about what you want to say
		
00:43:21 --> 00:43:23
			and what you want to and you bring
		
00:43:23 --> 00:43:25
			forward and i think uh i believe the
		
00:43:25 --> 00:43:28
			the lmm still has their their youth council
		
00:43:28 --> 00:43:29
			i started that a few years ago i
		
00:43:29 --> 00:43:32
			believe it's still there and i think uh
		
00:43:32 --> 00:43:34
			i think it still has people on it
		
00:43:34 --> 00:43:36
			so you can always contact them i'm not
		
00:43:36 --> 00:43:37
			very i don't know to be honest time
		
00:43:37 --> 00:43:39
			is my is the bottom line for that
		
00:43:39 --> 00:43:42
			question i'm not sure but i'm i'm positive
		
00:43:42 --> 00:43:44
			that if you if you contact institutions you'll
		
00:43:44 --> 00:43:46
			figure you'll find something that you can talk
		
00:43:46 --> 00:43:48
			to and bring your forward your suggestions and
		
00:43:48 --> 00:43:50
			and if you want to work on something
		
00:43:50 --> 00:43:51
			which is what i think you know i'm
		
00:43:51 --> 00:43:53
			hoping that you know people will be more
		
00:43:53 --> 00:43:55
			interested in is what you want to work
		
00:43:55 --> 00:43:59
			on um which because ideas there's an abundance
		
00:43:59 --> 00:44:02
			of ideas people shoot me ideas day and
		
00:44:02 --> 00:44:04
			night i have my own set of ideas
		
00:44:04 --> 00:44:06
			as well so there's a lot of ideas
		
00:44:06 --> 00:44:08
			very few people willing to work on them
		
00:44:08 --> 00:44:10
			very few people who can uh you know
		
00:44:10 --> 00:44:14
			really champion an idea take it and and
		
00:44:14 --> 00:44:15
			move with it and work with it and
		
00:44:15 --> 00:44:18
			actually make it happen and get people interested
		
00:44:18 --> 00:44:19
			with them so that's kind of what we're
		
00:44:19 --> 00:44:23
			lacking and uh and even if the institutions
		
00:44:23 --> 00:44:24
			don't don't listen to you if you have
		
00:44:24 --> 00:44:26
			a good idea yeah i mean again you
		
00:44:26 --> 00:44:29
			you're you're you're you're young this is your
		
00:44:29 --> 00:44:32
			time uh whatever is whatever initiative you do
		
00:44:32 --> 00:44:34
			will will actually be much more beneficial and
		
00:44:34 --> 00:44:39
			much more uh effective than whatever others are
		
00:44:39 --> 00:44:40
			doing so just go for it even if
		
00:44:40 --> 00:44:41
			you have to do it outside the institutions
		
00:44:41 --> 00:44:43
			go ahead and do it but yeah i
		
00:44:43 --> 00:44:46
			think i think you'll find support inshallah um
		
00:44:46 --> 00:44:52
			so okay one more i think there's one
		
00:44:52 --> 00:44:54
			more new question i'll answer nothing else comes
		
00:44:54 --> 00:44:56
			we'll we'll end it uh what services do
		
00:44:56 --> 00:44:58
			you think we are lacking in our institutions
		
00:44:58 --> 00:45:00
			oh there's a lot of first of all
		
00:45:00 --> 00:45:03
			formal islamic education and informal islamic education what
		
00:45:03 --> 00:45:05
			i do in misogyny for example i give
		
00:45:05 --> 00:45:08
			public halaqat they're public halaqat they're just open
		
00:45:08 --> 00:45:10
			if you come today you'll benefit if you
		
00:45:10 --> 00:45:11
			don't come for another year and then come
		
00:45:11 --> 00:45:13
			the day after you'll also benefit it's just
		
00:45:13 --> 00:45:15
			it's open i try you know it's it's
		
00:45:15 --> 00:45:17
			what we need is something that's more structured
		
00:45:17 --> 00:45:19
			where you know you enroll in something and
		
00:45:19 --> 00:45:20
			at the end of it uh you know
		
00:45:20 --> 00:45:21
			you get a certificate you need to learn
		
00:45:21 --> 00:45:24
			so we need formal and informal islamic education
		
00:45:24 --> 00:45:26
			whether through halaqat or through an actual institution
		
00:45:26 --> 00:45:28
			that we run and that we fund and
		
00:45:28 --> 00:45:30
			that has its own entity and we're able
		
00:45:30 --> 00:45:32
			to actually certify people with degrees at the
		
00:45:32 --> 00:45:34
			end of it so i think that's an
		
00:45:34 --> 00:45:36
			extremely important one i think we lack in
		
00:45:36 --> 00:45:38
			mental health services i think uh you know
		
00:45:38 --> 00:45:40
			that we're at a it's extremely important that
		
00:45:40 --> 00:45:43
			that we take time to talk about mental
		
00:45:43 --> 00:45:46
			health um whether whether um the the narratives
		
00:45:46 --> 00:45:48
			that we have as muslims we need to
		
00:45:48 --> 00:45:49
			fix a lot of the narratives because we
		
00:45:49 --> 00:45:51
			don't seem to have the right narratives and
		
00:45:51 --> 00:45:53
			we need to offer support for uh for
		
00:45:53 --> 00:45:56
			families who have issues that relate to mental
		
00:45:56 --> 00:45:58
			health i think that's a that's a big
		
00:45:58 --> 00:46:00
			issue right there that we need to focus
		
00:46:00 --> 00:46:04
			on i think um we need to have
		
00:46:04 --> 00:46:06
			services that are directed towards immigrants our muslim
		
00:46:06 --> 00:46:08
			brothers and sisters who are coming from different
		
00:46:08 --> 00:46:10
			countries who don't have the language who don't
		
00:46:10 --> 00:46:11
			have prospect in terms of getting jobs and
		
00:46:11 --> 00:46:15
			actually service them prepare to integrate them into
		
00:46:15 --> 00:46:18
			our society help their kids and help the
		
00:46:18 --> 00:46:20
			wives and help the husbands actually figure out
		
00:46:20 --> 00:46:21
			what they're going to do and how they're
		
00:46:21 --> 00:46:22
			going to do it i think we need
		
00:46:22 --> 00:46:27
			to have academic uh services tutorship uh you
		
00:46:27 --> 00:46:31
			know tutoring uh youth and and career selection
		
00:46:31 --> 00:46:33
			and profession yeah i need choices and helping
		
00:46:33 --> 00:46:35
			people figure out what they're going to do
		
00:46:35 --> 00:46:37
			with their lives and and why they're going
		
00:46:37 --> 00:46:39
			to do it and help them guide their
		
00:46:39 --> 00:46:43
			their choices um yeah i mean i i
		
00:46:43 --> 00:46:46
			we put together a list of services that
		
00:46:46 --> 00:46:48
			are needed uh when we put together the
		
00:46:48 --> 00:46:50
			muslim fellowship network i i'm not going to
		
00:46:50 --> 00:46:52
			share all of them right now but uh
		
00:46:52 --> 00:46:54
			at the end i don't even think my
		
00:46:54 --> 00:46:57
			opinion matters when what services are needed i
		
00:46:57 --> 00:47:00
			don't think my opinion matters i think whoever
		
00:47:00 --> 00:47:02
			is on i think your opinion matters you
		
00:47:02 --> 00:47:05
			say what services are needed so that i
		
00:47:05 --> 00:47:07
			can i can provide it um i can
		
00:47:07 --> 00:47:08
			for me to sit down and say i
		
00:47:08 --> 00:47:09
			think this is what it needs is what
		
00:47:09 --> 00:47:10
			needed but i don't need any of these
		
00:47:10 --> 00:47:14
			things myself um i'm just trying to you
		
00:47:14 --> 00:47:18
			know brainstorm what i think others need but
		
00:47:18 --> 00:47:20
			if others just came and said this is
		
00:47:20 --> 00:47:22
			what we need then that would end the
		
00:47:22 --> 00:47:24
			discussion and then it would be upon myself
		
00:47:24 --> 00:47:26
			and people who are like me to provide
		
00:47:26 --> 00:47:31
			that service that's why involvement and interaction uh
		
00:47:31 --> 00:47:33
			from the larger public uh in abundance is
		
00:47:33 --> 00:47:35
			needed that's why we need to survey more
		
00:47:35 --> 00:47:36
			we need to get people more involved we
		
00:47:36 --> 00:47:39
			get people to care again and explain what
		
00:47:39 --> 00:47:40
			is that is needed so that we can
		
00:47:40 --> 00:47:43
			provide it instead of me yeah assuming what
		
00:47:43 --> 00:47:45
			is needed you know i'm shooting in the
		
00:47:45 --> 00:47:47
			dark here seeing is this what you need
		
00:47:47 --> 00:47:49
			no just come and say what you need
		
00:47:49 --> 00:47:50
			and let others also say with you and
		
00:47:50 --> 00:47:52
			we can put together things and programs and
		
00:47:52 --> 00:47:56
			services that actually meet these needs and um
		
00:47:56 --> 00:47:59
			and that's what i think is more important
		
00:48:00 --> 00:48:03
			okay i think we've finally come to the
		
00:48:03 --> 00:48:05
			point where we're finished with all the questions
		
00:48:05 --> 00:48:07
			uh the brother will put eight questions i'm
		
00:48:07 --> 00:48:08
			not going to answer all of them it's
		
00:48:08 --> 00:48:10
			going to take forever but i will answer
		
00:48:10 --> 00:48:14
			him inshallah um personally on on a different
		
00:48:14 --> 00:48:18
			uh a different forum inshallah okay for uh
		
00:48:18 --> 00:48:21
			tuning in uh we will be repackaging this
		
00:48:21 --> 00:48:25
			um this series soon to be uh you
		
00:48:25 --> 00:48:27
			know published and put out again i really
		
00:48:27 --> 00:48:29
			encourage people to uh to listen to it
		
00:48:29 --> 00:48:31
			to watch it um to give us feedback
		
00:48:31 --> 00:48:34
			on it and i'm going to inshallah record
		
00:48:34 --> 00:48:36
			an arabic translation of it and do it
		
00:48:36 --> 00:48:38
			in arabic as well and i think if
		
00:48:38 --> 00:48:40
			you know the topics that we discussed in
		
00:48:40 --> 00:48:44
			it are um you know are um you
		
00:48:44 --> 00:48:47
			know thought about revised revisited and studied that
		
00:48:47 --> 00:48:49
			we can actually do something inshallah that has
		
00:48:49 --> 00:48:50
			a lot of khair in it for our
		
00:48:50 --> 00:48:53
			our communities um ramadan kareem and inshallah subhanahu
		
00:48:53 --> 00:48:56
			wa ta'ala this uh these difficult times
		
00:48:56 --> 00:48:58
			pass and we emerge from them much uh
		
00:48:58 --> 00:49:02
			much more wise uh and and uh filled
		
00:49:02 --> 00:49:05
			with optimism ready to actually you know bring
		
00:49:05 --> 00:49:08
			bring change and into our communities again thank
		
00:49:08 --> 00:49:09
			you for listening