Ebrahim Bham – Islam and disabilities
AI: Summary ©
The importance of Islam's creative power and its ability to create people with disabilities is emphasized. The transcript discusses the negative impact of people with disabilities on their lives and the culture of rewarding them with their health. The transcript also describes a blind man who became a member of the Quraysh after being warned by the orator and hoping to return to Islam.
AI: Summary ©
As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu.
Alhamdulillah, alhamdulillahi ala ahlihi ba'da ilmih, wa ala
ahlihi ba'da qudratih, wassalatu wassalamu ala sayyidi al
-anbiyahi wa al-mursaleen, wa ala alihi wa
as'habihi, wasallama tasliman kafiran kafira.
Amma ba'dun fawwubillahi minash shaytanir rajim, bismillahir rahmanir
raheem.
la yuslawil qadiluna minal mu'mineen, ghayru lil dharari
wal mujahiduna fil sabilillah.
Sadaqallahul Azeem.
My dear respected ulema, elders and brothers, we
begin by praising Almighty Allah, sending salutations upon
our beloved Nabiye Kareem sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
We are all aware that this Muslim Ummah
encompasses people from different groups, different ethnic and
race races, different ethnic geographical and groupings, and
with different identities.
The differences we observe in people, whether it
be in physical appearances, whether it be in
their cognitive capacities, whether it be in their
health, whether it be in their limitations, it
is all part of Allah Ta'ala's creative
power.
Amongst the signs of Allah Ta'ala, He
created people, He created the heavens and earth,
He created people in different languages and different
colors and different races.
It is part of Allah Ta'ala's creative
power that He created people differently.
This verse profoundly affirms the inherent honor granted
to all humanity without exception.
Despite the fact that people are from different
races, ethnicity, different capacities, everyone shares in the
dignity of being a human being.
Says Allah in the Quran, We have granted
respect and dignity to every child of Adam
Alayhi Salaam.
Every human being by virtue of being a
human being has been granted respect by Allah
Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
One of our great ulema, Mawlana Sajjad Noman
Image mentioned today, we don't practice upon this
verse.
He said, today you and I, we respect
people because of their titles.
He is so an influential person, he is
a Mawlana, he is an alim, he is
a doctor, he is a lawyer.
Allah didn't tell us to respect titles.
Allah Ta'ala told us to respect human
beings.
Allah Ta'ala said each and every human
being has been given dignity by Allah Subhanahu
Wa Ta'ala.
So this honor that Allah Ta'ala has
given is not conditional to a person's abilities
or his perceived limitations.
Today I want to speak upon a topic
and speak about a group of people in
our community.
They might be in a minority, but they
are people within our community.
People who have disabilities, whether it be physical
or mental disabilities.
They are also a very important part of
our community.
How do we as a community relate to
them and how do we treat them?
I will try inshallah to enumerate my points.
The first point I will make mention of
was, as we engage in this discussion with
regard to people who are living with disabilities
or sometimes of parents who have children who
have disabilities, it is crucial for us to
remember that our understanding of people with disability
should reflect the honor that Allah Subhanahu Wa
Ta'ala has bestowed upon all his creation.
Our approach to individuals with disabilities must be
rooted in respect, inclusion, support, recognizing people with
disabilities as integral members of the community and
equal participants in Allah's honored creation.
The first point.
The second point.
Many a times, people who suffer disabilities and
sometimes they grow with those disabilities and sometimes
parents or relatives or family members who have
people who have disabilities might question, why did
it happen to us?
Why did it happen to my child?
Why did it happen to someone within my
close family circle?
We must understand that one of the corner
principles of our belief as Muslims that everything,
including challenges and circumstances we face is part
of Allah Ta'ala's qadr.
It is part of Allah Ta'ala's taqdeer.
There are times when parents and there are
times when people who are going through that
they sometimes will question that, why is this
happening to us?
And in fact, today you find a tendency,
you find a trend that people who are
healthy, not realizing that their health has been
given to them by Allah subhanahu wa ta
'ala, they start questioning.
People who are in government, people who are
in power, people who are in authority.
They start looking at people who have disabilities
as a burden upon society.
And they said, why should we be spending?
Why should we be spending wealth and resources
on people who are not productive and cannot
give back to society?
But they can give back to society in
different ways as I will go on to
make mention with regard to it.
So it is something that we have to
understand that this comes from Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala.
And Allah Ta'ala's wisdom is far beyond
human understanding.
His plans are always just.
Even if they might not sync and align
with our limited perceptions.
So the most important thing for us to
understand is that whatever happens, it happens within
the plan, the qadr and the wisdom of
almighty Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
Why a person has disabilities?
Why he has...
And of course when we talk about disabilities,
I'm talking about disabilities across the spectrum.
There's always been different ways and the politically
correct way with regard to dealing with people.
First we used to call and say people
with physical challenges, but that doesn't take into
account people who are blind or people who
are deaf.
So they say people who are living with
disabilities, whatever the type of disabilities is.
So this is within the plan with the
wisdom of almighty Allah.
Even if we cannot understand the wisdom of
almighty Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, even if
the wisdom of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala
does not align with our limited understanding and
our limited sphere of intellect that we have.
Thirdly, the important thing for us to understand
is that people who are living with disabilities,
it is not a flaw from almighty Allah
subhanahu wa ta'ala.
It is not a punishment from almighty Allah
subhanahu wa ta'ala.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has kept and
created each and everything according to His plan.
لَهُمَ قَالِمُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْخُ Allah subhanahu wa ta
'ala has got everything that He has created.
It is according to His plan and His
wisdom which Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has
created.
And we've got no right to actually discriminate
or abuse a person who has that disability.
Because if we are doing so, we are
not actually targeting him.
We are targeting the creator who has created
him in such a manner.
So if you are a person who is
having a difficulty with walking, who might be
crippled, a person who is blind, a person
who is deaf, who has difficulty with regard
to hearing, and we criticize him, we look
down upon him, what are we doing?
We are not looking down upon him.
We are looking down upon the one who
has created him like that.
And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has created
him that way.
So in that way, you are taking out
a fault in the creation of almighty Allah
subhanahu wa ta'ala.
So people who have this disability, we must
keep in mind, no flaw and there is
no punishment with regard to it from Allah
ta'ala that because of that they have
been punished by Allah ta'ala.
You know, from Allah ta'ala, because they
are having this type of disability or they
are living with this disability.
People might remember in the late 1990s, an
English manager by the name of Glenn Hoddle,
who was the manager of the England soccer
team.
And he said that people who are living
with disabilities are living and they have a
karma with regard to the wrongs that they
have done in the previous existence of this.
Because of that, he was severely sanctioned and
he was sacked as an English manager.
And can you imagine a Muslim can ever
have this type of situation and ever have
this type of thoughts?
Allah ta'ala does not reward or punish
people with regard to the situation that you
find yourself in.
Allah will not reward you because you have
wealth.
Allah will not punish you with regard to
your poverty.
Allah ta'ala says in the holy Quran,
Allah has created life and death to test
people with regard to the circumstances He put
them through to see who does righteous deeds.
So when you are in a test in
this world, Allah ta'ala will test you
in different ways.
The Urdu poet, in the Urdu way they
say, Allah ta'ala Sometimes He tests by
giving you.
Sometimes He tests by taking you.
Sometimes He tests you by giving you good
health.
And Allah will question you with regard to
the good health that He has given you.
Nabiye Karim sallallahu alaihi wasallam on one occasion
went with three of his companions to, we
were very hungry, they came out at a
time when normally people didn't come out and
they went to a very famous person who
was known for his hospitality.
Abu Ayyub Ansari radiyallahu ta'ala.
Nabiye Karim sallallahu alaihi wasallam went, Abu Ayyub
Ansari radiyallahu ta'ala was overjoyed that Nabi
sallallahu alaihi wasallam, Abu Bakr and Umar came.
He kicked quickly, he had a small sheep,
he slaughtered it.
Wife had some flour, she made some bread.
He had some three different types of kajur,
he presented it in front of Nabi sallallahu
alaihi wasallam.
After Nabiye Karim sallallahu alaihi wasallam ate all
of those things.
Nabiye Karim sallallahu alaihi wasallam said, rutabun, wa
tamarun, wa busurun, wa lahmun, wa khubzun.
Nabi sallallahu alaihi wasallam said, five different things
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala provided us with.
And Nabi sallallahu alaihi wasallam started crying.
How many people will cry after having a
full meal?
How many people will cry after having a
full meal?
Nabi sallallahu alaihi wasallam cried and he said,
thumma latus'alunna yawma'ithin anil na'eem.
These are the favors about which Allah will
question you.
If Allah has given you good health, Allah
will question you.
So Allah ta'ala puts us through these
type of test.
So when a person has these disabilities and
a person is living with them, it doesn't
mean that he is punished by Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala.
It is part of the test.
It is part of Allah subhanahu wa ta
'ala's beautiful creative way of why he has
made people in different ways.
And sometimes because of this test that Allah
ta'ala puts them through, Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala rewards them because of them going
through that with patience and fortitude.
So in this test that Allah ta'ala
grants, it is Allah ta'ala gives it
to them because Allah loves them.
Allah wants to refine them.
They provide an opportunity to purify the soul,
strengthen the faith, and to develop qualities like
patience and perseverance, and empathy on behalf of
those people who have health and they have
to deal with people who have disabilities.
In fact, there is a reward with regard
to people who have disabilities and they make
patience and they adopt patience.
Nabiya Karim sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had said
on the authority of Hanas ibn Malik r
.a who said, إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَالَ تَعَالَ إِذَا
ابْتَلَيْتَ عَبْدِي بِحَبِيبَتَيْهِ فَسَبَرَ If Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala tests a person with two beloved
things of His, His two eyes, His sight,
if Allah ta'ala tests him with Him
by taking away that sight and he remains
patient with that, there is no recompense for
him but Jannah.
So there is a reward for people who
go through these type of things.
And one hadith in Kirmili which is such
a great hadith for all of us who
do have health, Nabiya Karim sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam had said, When those who are given
health, if they will see the reward that
Allah ta'ala on the day of Qiyamah,
on the day of judgement, will give to
those people who are in difficulty, who had
physical challenges, who had disability, if you see
the reward Allah will give them on the
day of judgement, you would wish that Allah
ta'ala in this world would have, your
skin would have been cut into pieces with
scissors so that you could get the same
reward.
So the people who are going through these
challenges, physical challenges, or people living with disabilities,
so there is nothing wrong.
A person can reach perfection and excellence despite
those challenges.
And the third point with regard to what
I'm going to make mention of is there
are examples in the Quran and Sunnah from
great people of the past, from Anbiya alayhimu
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, Sahaba Ikram, who had
disabilities, who lived with disabilities, and they were
able to achieve great spiritual heights despite the
disabilities and challenges they had.
Who is unaware with regard to the incident
of Ayyub alayhi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, made
mention by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in
the 17th juz of the Holy Quran, in
Suratul Anbiya.
18 years he had leprosy.
And one day his wife told him, that
you know, why are you not making dua
to Almighty Allah?
You are a favored of Allah, you are
a prophet of Almighty Allah subhanahu wa ta
'ala.
And he said, I feel ashamed that for
70 years Allah gave me health.
70 years Allah gave me health.
Allah gave me innumerable favors.
I feel ashamed of asking Allah ta'ala
for assistance when I have been tested for
a comparatively shorter term than the favors Allah
has bestowed upon me.
But when she insisted, he made a dua,
which Allah has made mention.
وَأَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَ رَبَّهُ أَنِّي مَسَّنِي يَكْدُرُ وَأَنتَ
أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ Recall the time when Ayyub alayhi
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam made dua to Almighty
Allah.
And what did he say?
Oh Allah, difficulty has come upon me and
you are the most merciful of those who
show mercy.
No complaints.
No Allah, why did you choose me?
Oh Allah, difficulty has come upon me.
You are the most merciful, show mercy upon
me.
In this particular regard, a more appropriate example
could be that of Hazrat Musa alayhi sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam who had a stuttering.
Hazrat Musa alayhi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was
bestowed with prophethood and he had a stuttering.
And he related his difficulty to Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala which tells us that people
who have difficulty, who have disabilities, sometimes they
can champion or they can go and tell
people and plead with regard to their rights
or with regard to their difficulties.
So what did he say?
رَبِّ شَرَحْ لِهِ سَدْرِي وَيَسِّرَ لِي أَمْرِي وَأَحْلُلُ
أُقَدَتَم مِن لِسَانِي Oh Allah, remove the stuttering
from my tongue that people could understand me.
And then he made du'a to Almighty
Allah.
وَأَخِي حَارُونُهُ وَأَفْسَحُ مِنِّي لِسَانَ Oh Allah, my
brother Harun is more eloquent than me.
Send him as a helper to me.
I am stuttering.
I might not have the eloquence that he
has.
Send him with me.
So he made du'a to Almighty Allah
subhanahu wa ta'ala to help him with
regard to his speech impairment.
Then amongst the sahaba, there were so many
great people who were there.
But look at the great status that they
had.
There are so many ayahs that were revealed
from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala with regard
to them.
Thabit bin Qais was the orator of the
Ansar.
He was the orator of the Ansar, Thabit
bin Qais.
He was an excellent orator.
In fact, whenever delegations used to come, our
beloved Nabiye Karim s.a.w. used to
call Thabit bin Qais to give the talk.
He was an excellent orator, but he was
deaf.
When Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala revealed the
ayat in the Holy Quran, لا ترفعوا أصواتكم
فوق صوت النبي Don't raise your voice over
the voice of our beloved Nabiye Karim s
.a.w. Perhaps because of his situation, when
he used to speak, he used to speak
more louder than other people.
When he heard this verse, he went into
hiding.
That do not raise your voice over the
voice of Nabiye Karim s.a.w. And
he felt that, I have a naturally loud
voice, but perhaps I have spoken loudly in
the presence of Nabiye Karim s.a.w.
which could be tantamount to disrespect.
And when Nabiye Karim s.a.w. after
a while said, What has happened to Thabit?
Ya Rasulullah, because of this verse, he went
away.
He went into hiding.
Nabiye Karim s.a.w. called him and
said, Thabit, this is not about you.
This is about people who speak loud in
my presence out of disrespect.
Not because of you, you have a naturally
loud voice.
He was a deaf orator.
And you see, every particular category of people
you have within the Sahaba and within the
great heroes of Islam, you have a hero.
So for example, people who are wealthy, they
can have Abdul Rahman ibn Auf as a
hero.
People who have, you know, who have their
love for Jihad, Khalid ibn Walid r.a.
with a hero.
Everyone has a hero.
In this particular regard, the greatest hero that
we can talk about is with regard to
Abdullah ibn Ummi Maktoum.
A blind Sahabi.
Subhanallah.
He was a blind Sahabi who was born
blind.
His mother's name was Hatika.
She was known as Ummi Maktoum.
The mother of the concealed one.
And that is why he came to be
known as Abdullah ibn Ummi Maktoum.
She used to be known as Ummi Maktoum,
the mother of the concealed one because he
was blind.
He became a Muslim in the very early
stages of Islam.
And he remained firm and he persevered upon
Islam despite the difficulty that came upon the
earlier Muslims.
Which came upon him also because he was
blind.
But Nabiya Karim s.a.w. gave him
the greatest amount of respect and dignity despite
the fact that he was blind.
So you will find that the most famous
incident of his happened because he was blind,
he wanted to become a Hafiz.
He had a passion for becoming a Hafiz.
Every small time and occasion and opportunity he
had, he used to come to our beloved
Nabiya Karim s.a.w. and said, Ya
Rasulullah, teach me a few ayats that I
can go memorize and come back to you.
And one day he came, because he was
blind, he was not aware that who was
with Nabiya Karim s.a.w. who was
speaking to prominent members of the Quraysh hoping
that they could accept Islam.
And Nabiya Karim s.a.w. showed a
certain degree that given the fact that I'm
speaking to prominent people, if they become Muslims,
it could help the situation of Islam.
And here is a person who knows me,
he could come afterwards.
So Nabiya Karim s.a.w. turned and
continued his discussion with the people of Quraysh.
And Allah s.w.t reminded Nabiya Karim
s.a.w. abasa wa tawalla an ja
'a hul a'ma You turned away from someone
who was blind.
Nabiya Karim s.a.w. there after and
Ibn Abdullah bin Ummi Maktum used to come,
Nabi s.a.w. used to get up
out of respect for him.
And used to say, Welcome to the one
because of whom I was reminded by Allah
s.w.t. Because of you I was
reminded.
Ulama have said that there were 16 verses
of the holy Qur'an that was revealed
because of Ibn Abdullah bin Ummi Maktum.
16 verses of the Qur'an revealed because
of a blind sahabi.
When the time came for jihad, he excused
himself and said, Ya Rasulullah, I would also
like to go to jihad, but I can't
make myself available because I'll become a hindrance
to the people who are fighting.
So Allah s.w.t. revealed a verse
to the people who go out in jihad,
they are superior than the people who don't
go out in jihad.
And he came and complained.
And he said, Ya Rasulullah, what about people
like us who want to go but we
can't go because of our situation.
Allah s.w.t. added into that verse,
غيروا أولئك ذره Because of the insistence of
Ibn Abdullah bin Ummi Maktum.
They are not equal except the person who
has a valid reason.
But despite the fact in every battle, he
used to try and be in the forefront
with regard to the battle.
And eventually in the battle of Qadisiyah, he
told the people, hide me amongst your midst.
Hide me amongst your midst.
So that I can take part in the
battle.
And he was martyred in that battle.
And when they found him after the battle,
he had the flag of Islam in his
hand.
Here is a Sahabi who was blind and
he became a martyr.
Which shows that disability will not prevent you
and should not prevent you from reaching the
higher stages of spiritual excellence.
This is Ibn Abdullah bin Ummi Maktum.
Nabi s.w.t used to make him
the Ameer.
Ten times they made him the Ameer.
In today's time when they talk great about
the aspect with regard to the rights of
people living with disabilities, they talk about inclusion.
That you must include people.
And the definition of inclusion is a sense
of belonging.
Feeling respected and valued for who you are,
rather than your challenges.
What greater aspect of inclusion that Nabi s
.w.t making a blind Sahabi as an
Ameer of Medina.
Ten times.
This is what Nabi s.w.t...
Now given these type of things, what is
our duty towards them?
Go and visit them.
One day Nabi s.w.t said, take
me to this man, his name was Sufyan,
who lives in Banu Waqif, which was far
away from Majid al-Nabawi.
He was blind, I want to go and
visit him.
Make arrangements for them.
Go and help them.
Our masjid should have that type of facilities
to make it easy for people with disabilities
to come.
And we should see to it, even with
regard to the way we place our shoes.
For us it's easy, we place our shoes,
I will be able to come and fetch
it.
What happens with people who have disabilities?
How do they come and access the masjid
if you put your shoes in a way
that is not good?
Let me conclude with one very amazing thing.
You know it is so amazing, and this
is my last point, that such beautiful teachings
we have that includes each and every aspect
of the community.
We don't look down upon anyone in the
community, even people who have disabilities.
If we have such great teachings, it would
seem that we should be the ones in
the forefront with regard to showing empathy and
kindness to people who have challenges.
Unfortunately it is not so.
I have a nephew, and today I made
mention, I spoke to him last night, I
said I'm going to make mention of you.
Where's the challenge?
He's on a wheelchair, and he told me
something.
I get greater sympathy and empathy from non
-Muslims and Muslims.
I get greater sympathy and empathy from non
-Muslims and Muslims.
You see, at least sometimes when you see
people who are in disability, struggling, and they
are in a mall, or they want to,
you know, their lips might not be working,
they need to go somewhere, at least go
and offer to help, at least show kindness,
at least show a willingness to assist.
With these type of teachings that we have,
how is it possible that a person can
say that I have greater sympathy from people
who are not Muslims than from people who
are Muslims?
So this is just one example with regard
to many.
I have given the talk with regard to
it, and in this talk I have spoken
with regard to the inherent respect and dignity
Allah has given to every human being, despite
his challenges, despite his background, despite his limited
disabilities that he might have.
I have spoken with respect with regard to
the wisdom of Allah and whatever he has
created.
I have told you there is nothing wrong
with regard to people.
It is not a punishment from Allah.
It is part of the test.
I have also spoken about the great rewards
Allah will give them because of the patience.
I have given the example of great people
in our past who had this and still
they spiritually excelled.
May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala give us
the tawfeeq of understanding.
Fatiha.