Ahmad Saleem – The Rise of Islam in Rwanda

			It was on April 4 1994,
		

			when the plane of the President of Rwanda was shut down,
		

			and there were to ethnic tribes that lived in Rwanda, the photos and the Tutsis,
		

			the whole toes, they decided that after this atrocity, they are going to attack the Tutsis, who are
the ruling party of that country at that time.
		

			The massacre began with machetes and machine guns. And in three months time, more than 1 million
innocent people were killed
		

			from Tutsis.
		

			Now, the Tutsis they sought refuge
		

			from the all other areas that they were living in, they all ran towards the capital Kigali. When
they arrived in Kigali, they sought refuge in churches,
		

			and Catholic churches,
		

			only to be handed to the dead squads for further persecution.
		

			So the only refuge they had left in the city of Kigali was the mosques and the houses of Muslims.
Knowing that the hotels had actually given a decree that anybody found supporting a Tutsi
		

			will be prosecuted, including their families.
		

			Muslims at that time in 1994, in April accounted for point 5% of Rwanda's population,
		

			half a percent.
		

			But despite the dangers that they faced at the hands of hotels, their values and their beliefs,
		

			led them to do the right thing.
		

			So they took the Tutsis, that we're seeking refuge inside the basements of mosques in the barns.
		

			And they kept them there for three months.
		

			Now, to ensure that nobody gets a whim or doubt of you're actually having a tootsie in your house.
The interviews of people mentioned that they would buy the same amount of food that they would
usually buy so that no suspicions come on them.
		

			That they're they're having Tutsis in their houses.
		

			On July 3, or July 4 1994, the massacre ended the government regained control, everything went back
to normal. But one thing did not go back to normal.
		

			The Tutsis when they saw the generosity of Muslims,
		

			despite the fact that the Muslims had lived under persecutions at the hands of Tutsis in the first
place,
		

			converted to Islam in numbers.
		

			And a recent interview in March 2018. The Mufti
		

			Yes, and they have a Mufti now officially appointed by the government, the Mufti of Rwanda, he
stated that the population of Muslims in Rwanda is somewhere between 15 to 20%. They don't have
statistical analysis like Canada and the West. They're still far behind on that.
		

			The Rwandan government they actually recognize this. When the 2017 eid Salah had more than 250,000
people that showed up for Salah.
		

			And they were shocked that Where did all these Muslims come from.
		

			But not only that Tutsis accepted Islam at the hands of Muslims and their character. The hotels that
were part of gangs and militias, they started having psychological and mental problems because of
the crimes they committed. The crimes they committed crept onto their psyche. So the only refuge
they could find was refuge in Islam, and they too became Muslims.
		

			And this happened in our time when all the media coverage was taking place, but no media coverage
took place of this particular incident.
		

			Very little.
		

			All the governments were aware of it but nobody said a thing.
		

			The point over here with this whole story is that Allah subhanaw taala he mentioned in the Quran,
for us as Muslims, and he says, What to hire one one high level bindery what Toccoa support one
another, cooperate with one another with good and
		

			impiety
		

			Well, I want to hire me, well, you're the one and do not be supporters of evil and transgression.
		

			What duckula Fear Allah subhanaw taala have Taqwa of Allah subhanaw taala. In Elijah, do you go to a
pub? Allah subhanaw taala has his punishment and his punishment is very, very severe. You see, it
was very easy at that time for the Muslims to say, You are the people that have persecuted us for
the last 30 years. Why should we support you?
		

			We should stand in the lines of the Hutus who are going to raise our voices. But that was not the
right thing to do.
		

			And that's what Allah subhanaw taala says in this balance in this effort of supporting good and not
being part of evil. Remember that you know this, this battle is going to take place at the end of
the day have Taqwa of Allah subhanaw taala. If you choose the wrong things, if you support the wrong
things, then what does Allah have Taqwa of Allah? Why? Because at the end of the day, you and I and
every single one of us here alive on the face of this earth will face a loss.
		

			And in Allah Who should either
		

			in another verse, Allah subhanho, in Surah, Lhasa ALLAH SubhanA, Allah What did he say while also
the move of Sedona, they have mentioned many translations of the worst of the verse alacer. But one
of the ones that I find really fascinating is that it is not referring to time,
		

			this, this verse will last or is not referring to time, it is referring to periods of historic
history that have passed. So Allah is saying what ulcer that I take I give Allah is taking an oath,
by all the historical periods in time, the 19th century, the 18th century, 17th century, what
happened in that in Santa Fe Hospital, in San was at last, except those that believe what our soul
will help.
		

			And those that stood in the side of health, the truth. And if we do that, like the Muslims did with
Tutsis, you will have to persevere and for that persevere Allah Subhana Allah says what our soul was
Sabra, that standing in the time of help standing for your values, standing for your religion is
going to be very difficult. But when we stand for that, there is going to be persecution and for
that, we are going to need a son.
		

			So let's go back to this word verse. What are the word Tao and over here?
		

			There are two parties involved in it. This lf that you see one, right there are two parties involved
in it without getting into the grammar.
		

			There is the more in and the more on there is the supporter and the supported.
		

			And the Sunnah of Allah subhanaw taala is that every single one of us in our lives we have in our
lives times where we can be the supporter.
		

			And then we can become the ones that need support and somebody supports us.
		

			And we should always forget that if you are in the time of Raha if you are in the time of happiness,
if you are in the time, where Allah has given you never forget that that same Allah subhanaw taala
is capable of putting you in a position where you would be in need.
		

			Then the next part of this words, verse is Albert, the word Albert, he says every good thing on the
face of this earth is built.
		

			In another definition of Albert,
		

			even though time again, he mentioned that there are three elements involved in will, which is your
Abida, which is very bad that and our marmelade depending on the context of the verse, we choose one
of these three meanings of the word Albir.
		

			So in this particular verse Tao I know, I know billary what Taqwa II that we become supporters of
people in their goods, what are some of the forms of Darwin that we can do in our day to day,
remember that, you know, doing town, the way that Muslims did in Rwanda is quite difficult if you
don't have a daily practice of doing this town on a day to day smaller scale on a smaller scale. We
cannot expect someone to go into the gym and do a benchpress of 350 pounds unless he has progressed.
And he has done that progression to reach that strength. So what can we do as muslims in the society
we live in so we can be supporters of good? So one of the few examples? You know, I know one of one
		

			brother, mashallah a small thing that he you know,
		

			He ordered these battery packs that you get from Amazon that helps you restart a car. So if you know
the car needs a boost, you don't need another car, you just have this small device, you connect the
cables, and it starts the car. And he has made a mission in his life, that wherever he sees a car
stalled, he suppose over takes that small battery costs 50 bucks, it's in his car, pulls over Do you
need a boost gives a boost, and off he goes. And that only takes two to three minutes, or even less.
		

			This is the one who you find an opportunity to do good, every good deed that you can do. And another
opportunity we have, you know, it's for me, it's pretty cold outside today. But when snow comes in
the next month, or the next couple of weeks, you're driving and you see someone holding groceries
and they happen to go into the grocery store and the weather was clear, but on the way out the snow
cane,
		

			pull over, get that person in your car,
		

			drop them to the place where you want to,
		

			it's probably going to take five minutes out of your time, maybe 10.
		

			But that style, I know.
		

			There's so many other avenues that if we put our minds and hearts to and then remember one thing,
		

			I have bull family Elon law, he is the one who were in
		

			that whatever you choose to do, whether it is the battery pack, or whether it is that you are going
to help people with groceries or whether it is that you're going to help people in any other way
shape and form that your mind and your body pleases so long as you're not helping them in their
evil.
		

			Stick to that because Allah subhanaw taala says that the most beloved of actions in the eyes
prophecies that I'm says the most beloved of actions in the eyes of Allah subhanaw taala are those
that are in that are consistent,
		

			even if they are small, well, even if they're very little.
		

			So inshallah make from yourselves this promise today that when you're going to go out, you're going
to think about one or two things, that until you meet Allah subhanaw taala that you're going to that
would be your forte, that would be your thing. Because remember that we as a community cannot grow
and connect and be a role model unless every single one of us commits to one little degree of change
in their lives. One little degree of good that you're going to they're going to provide to this
community.
		

			You notice that in the case of the in Rwanda, the Tutsis did not need flyers or Quran copies.
		

			What they needed was support in their life in this dunya because they are living with us in this
dunya. And then comes the Accra. Even in this verse, Allah subhanaw taala says, Without will, that
help one another in better in the world in this dunya? And it's logical, if I don't care about you
and your needs in this dunya How can I come to you and say, you know, I'm really worried about your
ACO.
		

			I'm really worried about your you know, what's going to happen to you after you die. And the
President's like, I'm hungry, I need for now.
		

			I may die, because if I don't get food, but then we're focused on just giving that message, that
message, our actions will speak louder than our words. So when we walk away, insha Allah today, we
commit to every single one of us, one of us commits to ourselves, that will do one little good deed
that we'll stick to until the day Allah subhana wa until the day each one of us meets Allah subhanaw
taala. Then the next part of the worst. Well, I had to hire one who is me? Well, you are the one.
		

			Today we're living in a day in day and age, where the boundaries of what's good and bad are
shifting.
		

			What used to be good, what used to be bad 10 years ago, or 20 years ago, is now completely fine or
even promoted.
		

			And we have to be very, very careful about the values of our Islam, the same freedom that grants
somebody else to choose what's good, and what's not good for them, grants us this freedom in this
country. According to the Charter of Rights, it gives us this freedom, that we choose that religion
and we stick to those values without hurting someone else, without demeaning someone else without
looking down. But this does not prevent us from saying that particular thing or a particular value
contradicts with my value in Islam, and that has been guaranteed to be by the freedom of rights,
freedom, Charter of Rights, and we have to pursue that and instill those values in our children.
		

			Lastly, Allah subhanaw taala in another verse,
		

			Allah Subhana Allah says, Woman, yeah, I have a number again. So Jamia this all this story also
tells us that notice how they saved this persecuted small group of people, but then Allah subhanaw
taala Reza,
		

			back to them, they are in power today, the Tutsis, they control Rwanda. And moreover, you know, the
Muslims are in really good terms and it was a small deed that their time at that point very
difficult for them but they saved one soul. And Allah made that one action of there's a source of
resurrecting their OMA or their nation in Rwanda and having so much interim for them in the in the
country that they have their own Mufti today.
		

			We ask Allah subhanaw taala that he grants us the Tofik to do what I'm able to do actions that
actually please Allah subhanaw taala to be the real people who are more in people who help one
another and good and who stay away from evil and who do not support any evil in the society. Oh
Lokali ha That was tougher. Hola. Hola. Hola. Como decided it was the main festival in the whole of
Irvine.