Hamza Yusuf – Reasons For Seasons

			spinarak naam Rahim hamdulillah hombre alameen wa salatu salam o Hara Shara, for me even more
serene. However, of course, a level that arousing the hungry, hungry London, we're very happy at
zaytuna to be launching our second season's journal edition. Although it's taken us a little bit of
time, we believe that the quality speaks for itself, the level of articles, the level of work that's
gone into it. I think people are going to be very happy when they see it. The reason that I, I named
it seasons and the reason I did that is because one, I love watching seasons, I like watching
transitions. One of the things that I really like about a law is that he's made this planet with
		

			four seasons. I mean, I just think, why he did because sometimes when it's summertime, I think why
isn't every day like this, but then I realized, I wouldn't appreciate that day if it wasn't like
that. And then when winter comes, it's amazing too. And When spring comes, so behind Allah and then
autumn when the leaves are falling and changing colors, and so I actually really enjoy that. And one
of the things that Allah says in the Quran is one of the reasons that he did that was for you to be
thankful. Limon Ratan Tata cara, or the shipper or the one who wanted to remember God, that also to
be grateful to God. That's why he made this changing of the night in the day, and the transitions in
		

			the world. So I mean, I really love that about my Lord. And I was thinking, today I was peeling an
orange. And I was thinking how easily it is to peel an orange. Like when you actually break it, and
you get that smell that comes out of it. God didn't have to do that, you know, but it's just
		

			such a beautiful thing to do. And then the fact that it breaks into pieces is like a very generous
fruit. So if you're with other people, you can share, it could have been just one month fruit, like
an apple will lie. I was thinking about that today, just this orange and I was looking at how easily
the peel came off. And just thinking, you know, mallamma is grateful not just for the, the orange,
but for the peel and for the smell and for the taste. And for the benefit of it all. It's just, I
really feel like modern people have become so disconnected, because now they have orange drink. And
it says, just like real orange. That's the mortal world. To me. It's it's all synthetic. It's one,
		

			you know, it's one step away from God's will. And so people are disconnected. One of the things that
I learned from living with nomadic people. And something that I'm very appreciative of the time that
I spent with them was just to look at things. One of the things that we used to do in woody Tania
was just watch the little dung beetles that are amazing. They're these amazing little creatures. And
they'll watch them because they're everywhere. And you just watch them you have to marvel and little
children do that. It's one of the things about children that I really like, is that they just,
they're amazed at little things that people have become very disconnected from. And so that's part
		

			of why I wanted that name, because I really like that season's one of the really odd things about
modern moons is that we are constantly going on about how universal Islam is this universal
religion. And yet, the way in which Muslims practice it is so exclusivist and so provincial, as to
alienate so many other peoples. And one of the things that Islam has always had is this universal
appeal. There's so many Islamic books and magazines and pamphlets that I see out there that I
wouldn't want to give to my mother. I wouldn't want to give to a non Muslim. Because one it's poorly
written, it's poorly presented to the information inside of it is inaccurate or it's limited, it's
		

			exclusivist, inappropriately, contextualized there, there's all these problems. And so I think,
presenting Islam in a way in which somebody says it and that's, that's, I like that. That's
something that's Islam to me. That's why when it was presented to me, I really was attracted to it.
And so we feel like we need to, we just need to humble ourselves a little bit. As as a community. I
think we need to be a little more self effacing I really
		

			feel that it would help us to be critical of ourselves. I mean, the people I work with know that I
mean, I'm very critical of the work that we do I want it to be better. And I look at it and I'm I'm
always looking, how do we improve this? Because I that's that to me, that's Islam. Islam is how do I
improve? My prayer should be improving, it shouldn't be diminished or leveling out. When there's
always room for improvement in the prayer, there's always room for more awareness, more presence,
better recitation of Quran, even
		

			more presence in the world. There's always room for improvement. And that's why I really feel that
when we're committed to that, we're going to, I think, look at ourselves more critically,
constructively. I'm not talking about turning into flagellate eaters and whipping our backs. The woe
is me syndrome that's not in any way, what I'm talking about, I'm talking about constructively, how
can we actually really do things that are going to improve our community. And instead of whining,
and complaining, I really feel it's be much more useful to give some solutions. There's so many
armchair critics out there in the Muslim community, that criticize this or that effort, or this, or
		

			that effort, and they're not doing anything. And sometimes absolutely right. I totally agree with
their criticism. It's not like, it's not true. But it's like, give us an alternative. Let's see
something better. Those those are the people that I want to be like, and aspire to, are the ones
that really want to, to do something that the Chinese say, Don't curse, light a candle instead of
cursing the darkness. I really believe that Allah has enabled us with means unprecedented in human
history, for getting a message out there. And I also believe that we as people that really do
believe in God and His messengers a lot he will send them, we have to ask ourselves, why is it that
		

			we've made God and His messengers so unappealing? What why is it that the devil has made vice so
appealing? That's something I really I asked myself all the time. How is it that the devil's got the
best PR people, he's got the best public relations people, he's got the best marketing. I mean, you
look at what he's doing out there, and what he's taking people to. And you have to say this, he's
got one smooth operation, he is a smooth operator. But I really believe vice sells but virtues, the
bargain. I really believe that's the bargain out there. But it needs to be presented. I read a book
once in the titles, somewhat less famous, but it was a Christian book, it was called God has a
		

			communication problem. But it was actually about poor preaching. It was is actually about preachers,
how they're doing such a bad job at telling people about God. And I really think that that's true in
the Muslim world as well. But we also have a real problem in being a Khalifa is a representative.
And we call the Saudis as halifa, to rasulillah, the represent the Messenger of Allah. And that's
why every Muslim in essence is an ambassador. And the thing about ambassadors, and I've met several
ambassadors in my life, one thing that's really always struck me about ambassadors, they are the
most civil, the most polite and courteous, and the most conciliatory people you'll ever meet. And
		

			that's why their government sent them to represent them. So I feel seasons in that way is hopefully
an ambassador of the Islamic tradition. That's how I want I want people to see it, and and realize
that this is an intelligent religion. It's a religion that has intelligent people in it, that are
thinking about important issues, and trying to come to some understanding of those. We don't have
all the answers. God alone has all the answers. We don't have all the answers but Islam. What it
does, I feel is it provides enough that you do not become confused. You don't lose your mind. You
don't lose your sanity or your humanity. But we as Muslims always have to be very careful about
		

			thinking that any individual or any group knows it all. Because that's just not the case. That's why
we always end our statements with a low iron and avanos best because that's the reality.
		

			So that's what we're trying to do. We're trying to put something out there that the Muslims will be
proud of, and hopefully that the Prophet sallallahu Sallam himself will be proud of because that's
what we really want is that Allah is pleased with us and then that his messenger on the Day of
Judgment is pleased that we were among the ranks of his oma. So May Allah grant us that pleasure.
And Shawn, thank you very much. Oracle la sequel, or Fokker como la. And please make prayers for our
success for the success of this journal. And the success of the Institute was medical ma