The Echoes Of Gods Word
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Channel: Hamza Yusuf
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I would now like to invite one of the most respected scholars of our generation Shia Hamza Yusuf
Salam Alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh
spinarak Nam Rahim o salat wa salam Mata Sita Muhammad wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa sallam to Sleeman kathira what a holdover of what a novela hallelujah
hamdulillah
velocity bandwidth and shall bless this gathering and give us the angelic presence in Shaolin keep our hearts united. I shall talk about a few things. The one of them is a about a hadith that is related from Satan Omar.
And there are many versions of this hadith This is one particular one but the meaning of this hadith is articulated in several different ways. The prophets Allah said him said say you'll see what will matter if he acted as a man but that one should lead
lion you Minho, Illa Rajan arafa Dino who were jahad Allah He the Appleby he will be the Sani he phonetic under the Saba Katsura, Whosoever
was Sharon arafa. Dino law here for sada v. So the gist of this hadith is that there would be towards the latter time as the difficulties of the end of time, begin to manifest. And we're seeing these and so we have to be aware of them because we tend to forget sometimes that one fourth of our religion, according to the hadith of gibreel, at a serum are the signs of the latter days. This is one fourth because the jabrill at a serum as the prophets Eliza them about
a man about Islam he man and his son, and then he asked him about the signs of the latter days. And at the end of the Hadith, he asked Omar attended Manasa l Do you know who the questioner is? And he said a lot of pseudo Anna Milan is measured you know better. And he said, in the heart attack on your limo comm Dino calm This is gibreel who's come to teach you your religion. And so the Luma took from that, that there are these four dimensions to Islam. It's an each of these dimensions is is important. And traditionally, the signs of the end of time were part of the religion to understand. Now we're living in a particularly difficult time in many areas of the Muslim world. And if people
aren't aware of the difficulties and the tribulations that come with being in the world, sometimes this can affect their Eman. So it's very important that we keep in our understanding, we keep this in mind and not forget this. The prophets Allah Islam said that there will be great difficulties. One of the things that he said he he said in the how the oma Amati oma tomorrow Houma my oma is a oma it's a community that has the mercy of God on it. It's a mahoma and then he said you are either addabbo hafi dunya ha, the difficulties of this oma the chastisement of this oma is in this world
and fits in well balaiah was a colossal
social strife, tribulations calamities and earthquakes. I mean, it's very interesting that when you when you hear about earthquakes, generally, in the Muslim world, our earthquakes are huge earthquakes, and they caught a lot of people die in Muslim earthquake. If you look at like here, they have an earthquake and two people die.
Seriously, we have earthquakes here two people died, you have an earthquake in the Muslim world, and you're looking at literally unbelievable numbers sometimes. This there's a divine aspect to this, that these are Shahada. Allah is taking them as Shahada because the the the the one who dies having his house fall on him according to the Hadith is Shaheed
so we have a different worldview. And we have to incorporate this worldview constantly in how we view things that we believe that we live in a benevolent universe. We believe in a right manner, Rahim. All of the Quranic sutras begin with Bismillahirrahmanirrahim and so we believe that Allah is Rama, and then he sent his prophet as a Rama Rama arasaka illa Rahmatullah Allah mean, we sent you as a mercy to all the world. We will
Maybe he was a mercy to the Christians. He was a mercy to the Jews. He was a mercy to the trees and the forest and the animals. There is a story of Aqua Venezia when he arrived later on, and this is habits in our tradition is considered a sound story. In fact, while we actually ascertain the truth of this by gathering several witnesses, it's considered a kadamba motomachi era. It is considered a miracle that's agreed upon, and we tend to forget that we believe in miracles. There's a lot of Muslims now that don't want to believe in miracles. They say yeah, hey, the miracle of Islam is the Koran. That's one miracle of Islam. But don't forget there are many miracles and miracles continue
on. They continue on a cut on that will be tended only and kurama woman from be the forbidden kurama this is what Imam and Lacan he says, In the yo ha, that we assert miracles and anyone that rejects them, we reject Him. The miracles of the Olia the people that are close to Allah subhana wa Tada, aka bourbon Navya. They needed a forest to build payroll on the city of Palawan in the great state of Tunis.
He called out as loud as he could you Hello, hi awana Natasha will alaba Minister Unicom. He said, Oh, you animals, we need this forest for our needs here. And we're asking your permission. The people that were in his army said for three days, they saw the animals migrating from that for us.
People don't believe these things anymore. Well, I believe them, I have no problem with them at all. Because these people were amazing people and don't think, don't think Christianity spread without miracles, Judaism spread without miracles. All religions in their formative period have a lot of miracle. That's how they get people to follow them.
And then once it gets established, it's established. But people believe in these things. So the Prophet sallallahu sallam, when he said this, that there would be tribulations, and he mentioned these earthquakes. We have major earthquakes. We have major calamities in Syria right now. You look at what's happening in Syria. And I want to remind the series because every Syrian I meet now, they say to me, why aren't any Why isn't anybody doing anything? This is false. Muslims have to do something, then they're 100%. Right. But I want to say to my Syrian brothers and sisters, welcome to a well established club, you have membership in a club that has other members, and they have made
the same claims and the same observances. You're in the club of the darf. Aryans, you're in the club of the Palestinians. You're in the club of the Kashmiris. You're in the club of the chase nians. You're in the club of the Iraqis. Really, we have tribulations in many of these places, and people have been ignoring these things. This is why we get more and more tribulations because we ignore these existing things and more come we live in a world that Allah subhanho wa Taala has promised us that unless we are directed towards Allah subhanho wa Taala he will do everything to redirect us. If we're not directed towards Allah subhana wa Adana, he will redirect us towards himself. Because this
is why we were created. We were not created for 401k plans. You were not created for 56 inch television sets with Netflix, to watch movies until you drop dead. You were not created. I'm serious. You were not created to play Solitaire on your computer.
That's not the purpose of all of this technology. You were created to know your Lord, you were created to study you were created to delve deeply into the meaning of your very existence in whatever capacity you have, because different peoples have different capacities. So the Prophet sallallahu Sallam told us that there will be tribulations and we should be aware of this. He told us that towards the end of time, you will see the the the people that Allah reassure our own opinion. He said there will be poor people who were the desert people and they were poor and they were taking care of goats and and animals and then they'll begin to build huge buildings. These are signs before
your very eyes. You were seeing signs of our profits alized them. He told us that you will see the buildings of Mecca reach the mountain tops, the buildings of Mecca will reach the mountain tops, and this is happening in our lifetime. When I first went to Mecca, there were no buildings even close to the tops of the mountains.
A Mecca and now it's filled with buildings that are beginning to reach the mountaintop. I was on one of the tallest mountains in Mecca and you can see the clock tower now surpasses the mountains. The prophets of the light is that I'm said in a hadith he said either h a mecca Bridgette kovai ma if you see Mecca, if you see its mountains with holes, tears through them. This is what it means. bioregions Kava eema what why a sour banyana Rosa Jabari Ha. And you see the buildings reach the Oriental rewire Toronto, they will actually surpass the mountain tops. And then he said for a while Natasa to, it means that the PSA has cast its shadow. Mr. masucci says in this, he he bought a twin
and the new was sad. It means that the the hour is near, it's coming close. But if you took that literally and in Hadeeth tradition, and also the tradition of sort of parameter happycar, that if the Prophet says something, you should always interpret it literally unless there's a reason to go to a metaphorical interpretation. Now we have the clock tower casting a shadow over the Kaaba. So the clock tower, what do they call it in Saudi Arabia, Assad? Assad so you could take it literally the clock has cast a shadow over the Kaaba, literally or metaphorically
to unshackle. The hour is drawing near. All of our lives are dissipating. There's three sides according to our own ama. When we speak about the end of time, there are three ends of time. The first one is the end of your life. The first one is the end of your life. Five minutes left. I just started it's too depressing for people. He's like, man, we don't need to hear this. This is minute. This isn't
where the young people. We need some hope. Keep the hope alive. I'm going to get to the hopeful part.
Five minutes Really? When? Six Thank you. Okay, so
where was I? You guys interrupted me? The sky. Hello. I come up. What time is it come sad. They say Come sir. What time is it? 732.
They used to ask Yogi Berra, you know Yogi Berra, he's a baseball player say what time did you mean now? Because you can never ask what time it is because it's always moving along. Right? So you say What time is it? Well, when you asked it was this time, but now it's, you can't that's the nature of time. You can't You can't grab it.
There's three sides. The first one is your life, your life will come to an end, we all have terminal lives, they come to an end. The second one is a generation right now we're having a generation disappear. For instance, Holocaust survivors. This is a generation of people that experienced something. They have tattoos on their arms, many of them. And then they're living testimonies to a historical event that happened that most of us weren't alive when it happened. That generation is dying out, they'll be gone in a very short time. So there are no more eyewitnesses to that event. The World War Two generation is dying out. They're gone. Just like now there's no Confederate war
veterans anymore. There's probably I think, the last World War One veteran died in, in England recently. So a generation will die. And then finally, you have the ultimate and which is when all of this is closed down. But we have a ways to go and I want to emphasize this. And that's why young people don't be bothered but even if we didn't the prophets alight is that I'm said, if the end of time comes and you find yourself planting a seedling if you're able to before the actual end comes finished planting, so we never give up because you would rather meet your Lord having planted something and done something positive than meet him without having done that deed. We're always
looking towards our Lord. We don't look necessarily at the fruits in this world. Like the the the halifa the kale of that pass by the old man who was planting zaytuna trees and everybody knows the olive tree takes a long time to mature till you get olives. And he said, Lima that was a tune that's a good omen ha, why are you doing this zaytoun you're not going to eat from it. He says that are over. I can't enough Vanessa aku they planted those before us and we ate from what they planted. So we must plan for those who come after us. This is a vision of what we're supposed to be doing. Our lives are temporal, but we have to see that we're torchbearers. That was a topic yesterday, of
passing on the torch, just like you have a
There's a certain type of marathon race. If you if people who no track, there's a baton and you hand the baton to the next runner, these relay races, right, I ran that in high school. And you have to learn how to get the baton and and and take the baton and move and you're the next person because you have energy, that person is worn out. Take it, I can't take any more. So you grab it, you carry it as far as you can you expend all your energy, and then you hand it on to the next group. This is the nature of our lives on Earth. We're carrying the baton for a short time, but we have to think about handing it to the next group of people. And we have all these young people and I like him on
my bus him said something beautiful one day in Toronto, it had an effect on me. He said to the young people, if anybody tells you you're the future, say no. I'm the president. I'm the president. You have things to do right now. You have things to do right now. And you should do them to the best of your ability. But I want you to be aware of all of these tribulations and all of these calamities that are happening. Don't worry. We have to struggle to make it better to do whatever we can in our power. But don't worry, and RP botulinum toxin. The End affair is for the people of taqwa Allah subhana wa tada says what ethical Violetta mean Miam Quran don't get constricted about their plots.
Don't get constricted about all of the things that they're doing against you. And then he says if you have Taqwa and if you're patient, Allah is with you. If you don't have tequila and you don't have patience, then he leaves you to yourself. So we need to practice piety. We need to practice patience. Allah subhana wa Adana gave you a complete min Hajj in the Quran, in non Muslim Mena when Muslim adds one more meaning or when mommy not well, honey Tina? Well, carnita was Sadie Akina was sidepod was Sabina wasabia. What has been what has she had when Mutasa de Pina when matassa Deckard was saw Amina was saw Emacs won't have enough rojo Madhavi that
what that Kadena luck has he had on with Dec Yara
alima Allah subhanho wa Taala says those who are people in a state of submission to Allah subhanho wa Taala Muslim moon, they're in a state of submission to Allah subhanho wa Taala. But then he says they're also in a state of tous de their mode, meaning it's more than just the outward forms of submission. There's an inward a self assess, there's an inward ascent to that submission that they believe in Allah subhana wa tada because you can be a Muslim and be a Mona phip. But the movement No, this is deeper. And then the people of Gounod's, some of them have us Iran, they say at Medallia monaca Attila the people that continue to be in a state of thought, with Allah subhana wa Tada.
They're continuous in their state, will qumola have to stand before God in a state of obedience. This is how we want to meet our Lord in a state of obedience. And then he says the people have sent truthfulness.
Yeah, even to the nominal a topo lava Kunal Masada pin, be with truthful people. We're a nation of Sith, Allah subhana wa tada tells us to be Shahada, Kunal awami, in a bit of Shahada and in a one hour Allah.
Allah.
Allah says, be people who established justice and then he says, be witnesses for the sake of your Lord for the sake of Allah subhana wa Tada. Even if it means witnessing against yourself when you do wrong things, have the courage, have the honesty and have the fortitude to say that this is wrong. What I did was wrong. What we did was wrong. What these Muslims did was wrong. We have to have the ability to be truthful, even witnesses against ourselves, our parents, our own relatives. This is Islam. It's a high thing it's calling you to rise above your knifes rise above your egos rise above your Caprice rise above these things really elevate yourself tanto acido, Mahara mirrabooka Malik
Allah says to Allo which means come but it also means elevate yourselves. It's from Lulu comm elevate yourself and listen to what your Lord has prohibited you to do. Because these things will elevate you. If you avoid them. You will be elevated in the world you will be elevated Allah will raise you up he will raise you up as a community but you have to be virtuous people you have to be people a virtue. And then he says the people of suffer wasabi Dena wasabi rod we have to be people of patience there to fund them.
Mental types of patients, you have a sub zero out of five well several 100 Masia patients in doing what is right and then patients in avoiding what is wrong, because your knifes will be tempted, your lower self will be tempted. So you have to avoid those. And then Allah subhana wa tada says that there are people who should, this is a very important attribute, who sure is to whether it is humility, we have to be a humble people. We have to be humble before a lot. Now I want to focus on this for one second. For more than a second. I know I'm almost out of time, but I want to focus on this.
We must stop all of this arrogance and sectarianism amongst some of the community members that we have, who only have one way of doing things one way there's only one way my way or the highway, and that's it my way or the highway. No, we have a religion that is deeply nuanced. It has a broad also, there are multiple interpretations for many of the rulings of Islam. And be aware of arrogating to yourself, the role that Allah subhanho wa Taala has given to his self alone, Allah knows his religion. Most of the issues he had out of our great scholars were done by signing their photos with while Allahu
Allahu wa rasuluh Allah knows best. In other words, this is the best I can do but Allah knows best. We have we have to stop all of this madness where somebody says yeah, how long? You can't that's how long is that much money is it agreed upon? Do you have you studied these books? Have you studied that also? Because there are some things that are almost say there's a difference of opinion, some of the Otama different certain things and you will have this you will have opinions of onomah that say in the halala you will not have Rama the union verbena Houma
les animaux NACA zero mentalness. that the halaal is clear, the haraam is clear. And between them are gray areas. Many people don't know them only the amount our expertise in these and we're talking about the giants are not people who have studied and done their Nizami course, or done their graduate from four years at a Islamic University know some of the teachers I studied with studied for 30 years at the hands of their teachers 30 years and they have lifelong learners. Shaykh Abdullah bin Veja, one of the greatest living scholars today. He studied until he was he studied from the time he was about four years old until the time he was 21. Every day, five to six days a
week 1015 hours a day pure study with his father and the other teachers. He memorized 10 carats of Quran he memorized all of the the domain of the pre Islamic Arab he learned the all of these texts in Arabic grammar, and in learned Elvia, they ignore another 1000 lines after the Elvia he studied the cavea he studied the lock doesn't have to memorize the whole nature of the method or the mathematic while law when you see him with his piety and the way he addresses these issues. Hello, Adam. I've heard in many times, they are lanos best, this is the best I can do. And I've asked him about it. He said it's not in the six collections. This is a level and then we have people saying
who is yet Abdullah bin beja. Who is he? Who are these these dwarfs? Really who would know events do physical dwarves? I'm talking about intellectual dwarves physical dwarves. That's not a problem. You know, that's the way Allah created them. But an intellectual dwarf you created yourself. Allah gave you the ability to expand your mind if your mind is not expanded, you are to blame but knowledge comes with patience comes with learning they're pushing me off quick. So I'm going to be getting out of here. But really, Allah subhana wa tada says in what in the head he was in a heavy metal como una de la Haider. Well, hon conferred upon Tata Tata amerihome beno Homura Hullo has been the melody and
very hone. Allah says your oma is one oma and I am your Lord. So be have Taqwa of me have Taqwa of me. And then he says, but despite that, they divided they split the and follow different books. They split know our book is the book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah. But it is in accordance with valid understandings, not always in agreement, but in agreement that each one is valid and this is the beauty of our religion. It's the power of our religion. So my advice to myself and all of you we have to be humble towards this faith. May Allah bless all of you, take you back to your homes, safe and sound. May Allah forgive me for anything. I
might have said, I want to add also, just in.
In conclusion,
I think the the the MSA is one of the most important organizations because we have many young people in college who come. And this is a this is the lifeboat. Because college today in the United States of America is like going to Sodom and Gomorrah, in many places. It's like going to Sodom and Gomorrah. You have. You have co Ed dorms now, you have coed bathrooms in some of the college campuses now for pure equality, usually, because now there's a whole argument they want to have argument to let women go topless, because this is not right. The men can walk around topless, and a lot of them are so obese now that they have very large breasts. So why should the women not be able
to go out to eat? These are the arguments that they're making? Why should they go around? Not topless. Pretty soon we're gonna have people walking around in G strings. We had naked men in Berkeley, walking around naked bear naked birthday suit on and he walked around the city naked until finally somebody worked out an ordinance that there's actually a health issue for him sitting down in public places. And they got him forced him to wear some kind of loincloth.
Tarzan in Berkeley, this is the this is the great American civilization man a long way from Victoria. Queen Victoria, member of Victorian England, Charles Dickens.
Really Jane Austen.
What would they think they pull out their hair pass out on street have a heart attack? I'm serious if they walked down in Georgetown today or down here in Washington, DC and saw people first of all, I mean, people have tattoos, you know, of like, they have tattoos of demons on their shoulders. And then I was behind somebody who had a tattoo of a 1966 Mustang on their back like I was, you know, it worked out it was a 66 Mustang because the license plate said 1966
on their back. I know this is tragic for people. This is tragic that this has happened to our society, our civilization. I really, and we're getting Muslims putting on tattoos. We've got young Muslims now putting on tattoos true. We have now these these. in the Arab world, there are entertainers that are starting to wear tattoos, and we have tattoos in Islam. All right, this seriously, but they're temporary is called henna. If you want to put a tattoo on just put a temporary one on there. If you're 17 or 18 years old, I want to tattoo just put a temporary one on there. It'll wear off by the time your intellect comes back to you. All right.