Jumu’ah Khutbah at the East London Mosque
May 13, 2016
Jamal Badawi – A Justly Balanced Ummah
AI: Summary ©
The speakers explore the importance of balance and being a never-ending person in Islam, with a focus on the use of "naive" in context for teaching. They also discuss the meaningings of "opma" in the Arabic language and its use in various context. The speakers emphasize the need for a stable approach to one's life, rather than just a focus on one's beliefs, and emphasize the importance of finding balance between loyalty and acceptance of others. They also mention the need for a witness to mankind and reforming Islam.
AI: Transcript ©
In Al Hamdulillah Hinata who want to stay in who wanna study he wanna start Pharaoh? One minute de la. on how to be he mysuru Areum fusina Amina? Yes de la hufa who was martyred. oma up little fella taggi de la jolla. murshida y Chateau
la ma Hua hula sharika wash. Mohammed Abu rasuluh wasafi human healthy little Bella rissalah what the Amana one also had oma fecha de humo hayama jazza v nebia nanometric
I'll do let him in the shaytani r rajim. Yeah, you heard Latina man otaku? La haka. tokachi. Well move on
to Muslim moon, a MOBA idea respected Imam who kindly allowed me to give the hookah when I should have been sitting amongst you to learn from him.
The mobile topic of this hauteville insha Allah is the justly balanced oma and on metal Wotsits.
Allah subhanho wa Taala recounts his favours upon the Muslim Ummah by giving them the deen that is par excellence. The genome was Satya
co lo tada all the lamina shaytaan over gene look at early carjon mattawa SATA, the tekun Shahada Arlen ness, way akuna rasuluh alaykum shahida
in sha Allah in the beginning of the hotbar will try to focus on this key terms in the area. It's actually part of the A about Kibler instead of Bukhara
what, what is the significance that Allah says, john nacwa, we made you.
Secondly, what is the concept of oma? How does it differ from other expressions like nations? Does it have only one meaning and the foreign? Or does the meaning vary also, depending on the context in which the term appears?
And then we'll try to shed light on the notion of wasa and why I humbly chose or agree with the translation, just the balanced even though moderation could also be a valid translation. But the major part of the hook but after going through this inshallah, would be to talk a little bit about the manifestation of this was a thing Yeah, just balance, so that it's not restricted to slogan, but to see how it figures in the teachings of Islam, in the matters of belief, worship, and practice, and inshallah I try my best to stick to the assigned time.
Beginning first
with john nachum.
We made you remain prophetic to Allah Subhana Allah, we made you which means that this characteristics of just balance or was a Thea is not something you did not arrive at because of your smartness and experience.
It is not something that evolved gradually because this is part of the social development. It comes from Allah and only Allah subhanho wa Taala.
As some may say that this is very significant, that we as human beings, we cannot arrive at this just balance on our own.
Using our research, researchers good fine, but you can't really reach that
thirst because as humans, we're biased
for a variety of reasons. So I see something as what's up and just veterans, but it could be totally off balance.
Secondly, to arrive adjust balance as a salient characteristic that is at the heart of Islamic teaching.
It is very difficult for us to have the sufficient knowledge and wisdom. So we need someone
beyond us, above us, to show us this was a theme.
That's one,
a second term
on
some translated as nation. But I humbly have my reservation on this.
Because nation, at least since the emergence of nation state, as we understand it today, nations are defined by certain geographic boundaries, common history, one or more dominant, dominant ethnic, or racial groups. That's how most people would see nations today, not with the universality of Islam. But to be fair, also, as indicated in the introduction, we have to understand the terms in the Quran, in the light of their textual context, because same term may have different meaning in a different kind of context, or CF. And also more seriously that we can deal with it in this way.
In terms of historical context, such as in the Koran were revealed when Muslims were being fought, attack and attack fought against an attack, and it says, kill those who are fighting against you. It doesn't mean as some people superficially generalized fight anyone who's not a Muslim, there's no ground for that, whatsoever. So look at also those usage.
The use of the term oma
in the Quran,
can be on much general or macro level, like you might say it and it'll be actually on a very special definition. And the Quran gives us all of us as all of us usages.
For example, it could be on the very broad level, and refers to the human beings in their initial development can unnatural, or metanoia head Allah says, All people, with one Omen, initially, there were one before all this divisions and fights and all of these.
It could also be a reference to a small group of people.
Not the whole humanity.
As we read in the Quran, in the story of Prophet Musa this
fella Mahara Dima mediana what is the LA he on meta Minh and Nancy? Yes cone that when Musashi Sam came to the waters of Midian, after he left Egypt, of course,
he found an oma
on my own human beings obviously knows this word the shepherds are watering that flux. So you have to relate it
lots of usage in the Quran of oma
refers to something broader than that, but not as broad as you know, what we're talking about in a minute Charla
Amen, amen. Metin Illa Allah Subhana Allah says there is no oma except that it would not mean a prophet has gone among them.
And since there are so many prophets
in various parts of the world, some we heard the stories about some we didn't, as Allah says, roussanne pepco sosna Hamada. makup borusan laminata somatics are the 25 prophets whose name appeared in the Quran, I'm not all because this is his own mega means. Township, it could be a region or a small area and the word where a prophet was sent because the only prophet that Allah sent as a conclusion of this prophetic tradition with a universal message to all human beings is Mohammed Salah logic. So prior to that various from
but you know something that's rather amazing in the Quran that a righteous person, a true servant of Allah
and propagators of true monotheism. Prophet Ibrahim Alayhi Salam
is called in the Quran. oma in the in the Ibrahima can be omitted carnita Lila Hannifin, when a miracle will Misaki so you will find variety of meanings. Again, we have to be very careful in what context it deals with. But there is one more meaning. I think that is more relevant and more direct related to the football in the context of this.
That oma actually is a group of people
who are tied and bonded together.
Not by race, not by color, not by limited areas in the word or region. They're tied together by Allah Illallah Muhammad Rasulullah
no Asafa yet, my nation versus your nation are raised versus your race know,
the oma that shares that was a theme that our last panel Tyler has prescribed for it.
We find that term
actually not only applicable to this area on Matan wasa doesn't talk about Egyptian Muslims or Bengali, Muslim, all of you as Muslims, whether you're living in a majority situation, numerically or minority, it doesn't really make any difference, because any member anywhere in the whole world, that say there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, He is automatically a member of that.
The Beloved Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used
in a very closer sense also community of believers, when he went to Medina, and then the so called a sahifa apartment that was agreed or treaty
especially with the more dominant Jewish tribes who dwelled in Medina, which was called the etheric before
and he says referring to all Muslims, that all Muslims
look at the articulation of what it means all Muslims, whether Mahajan, the migrants are answered the residence of Medina whether they are from one tribe or the other, whether they are from Arab nations or others like Blood and Sand man, and so Hi, all of them are on methadone maintenance, they are a community of believer
different and distinct from others, because what joined them is llama hamburgers,
out of a sense of fairness,
that apparently in later times, some did not appreciate it. His sense of fairness and equality. Is it all the Jewish people, whether they are from this and enumerated this tribe, or that tribe, are also like Muslims, look at their quality on mutton min tune in as they are a community of believers that are distinct from other people.
That is the meaning community of believer. But then
what that that term was certainly in the Arabic Quranic term was certain.
As mentioned earlier,
I'm not objecting to people who use the term for example, moderate.
moderation in itself is not a negative concept. Like we say you eat in moderation, you do this in moderation is positive, it mute.
But the reason I have this slide, there is a vision on it
is that today
in the political structure in the world, and the dominant powers, the word moderates came to me and for some people, is a moderate Muslim, is not so fanatic, praying five times a day, he pays drama, or maybe occasionally it is moderate. For in the minds of some people, when a Muslim is invited to the party, which actually should not be there anyway, that is drinks and so on. He's so fanatic. doesn't even take just a little bit of wine. If not one, just be.
So I'm afraid that in the minds of some, you are moderate, if you follow my way of life, if you're you're a moderate, if you give up your identity as Muslim, and just do, like Romans do, it is just the slight abuse of the term that make me more reserved, an effect, I see the term just balanced, as better it conveys the meaning, provided that we understand that who who determines that just balance is not your whims or my whims or anybody's whims. Because we said earlier, Jana from Allah made you which means the only source legitimate source of that just balance is not just what anyone says, but it is governed by the Firaon
Soon. And this however, the things that are definitive and arguable as the basis of our Islam as Muslims, just before moving to the more important part,
it is useful also to understand a concept by understanding the opposite of that.
What is the opposite of just balance?
Well, again, some people would use Western concept like extremism, it's alright. Yeah, extremism also like moderation, seem to indicate going to extreme which, by our human nature, we reject going extreme one way or the other commission or omission for that matter.
But
the
that only determinant
of that was, like I said, is the Quran and Sunnah based on this, he came from a Lost Planet that he has the complete wisdom, knowledge
and sovereignty actually to tell us what to do.
And the method vaalu
that's the Quranic term, and they prefer to use the for a theorem. If somebody wants to translate it, extremism, fine. But this is the Quranic theory. And it appears in the Quran in a number of places. Like Yeah, love kitabi la Lu fi Dena Co Op, don't exaggerate in your religion. That's with respect to the owner status of profit ASAP SLM as a messenger of Allah. But to go beyond that a great messenger of Allah is one of the five little as five greatest prop Yes, no problem, but to carry that into other areas that infringes on the sovereignty of Allah subhana wa Tada. He needs absolute oneness, that is, from an Islamic perspective is going into and it's not me who's saying
that it's not Muslim, Allah Himself, instilling that in the Quran, without meant to offend anyone. Allah has every right to tell us the truth, as it is, but we don't force that truth on anyone, for that matter. exaggeration.
And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam also use this and Hadees Yakumo Kumalo the common public outcome upon beware of exaggeration, or hollow, it destroyed people before you, which means while Allah Subhana, Allah has blessed you with this was a failure. If you divert from this philosophy, there is no guarantee because you have to abide by it so that it works out in your life. Once you deviate from that, it could destroy you, it could be variety of meaning of destruction, physical,
physiological, or otherwise.
Now,
properly this so far, seem to be easier things to grasp, and
a lot of people talk about It's not the first time but what I'm doing inshallah, in the remaining part of the hotbar is to humbly suggest,
how can that
just balance be applied in every aspect of Islam? So it's not just one aspect of it runs actually in the core of Islam? Number one, six areas. Number one, even in the matter of belief, there is diversity. What do you mean just balance that just balanced between an exaggeration of saying, I don't believe in anything that I cannot see or touch? And between someone who says, I accept anything, no matter how irrational and no matter how it doesn't make any sense, no matter how it is a myth that doesn't have any basis of reality and take it as my faith and my way of life.
It is a just a balance between using the mind reason, actually reason
is one of the five major
objectives or supreme objectives of Sharia Mikasa the Sharia
law, often the word could be actually translated more properly reason.
And nobody can argue about this. In fact, the Quran began, the first word revealed to Prophet Muhammad SAW Selim.
So you don't say that Muslims are supposed to be dogmatic, not you know, believe in anything that the mind cannot totally grasp crap. And if you look at the first five as it speaks about the pen, Allah will tell them unlimited Santa's Malaviya knowledge
So nobody can argue with it. And between the first revelation in terms of chronology, the order of revelation, in the cave of Hara, and the last area in the Quran, there is always praises for knowledge and knowledge about people who are seeking that for the sake of Allah and bringing prosperity also to fellow human beings in Quran and Hadees. However, it is curious, that I noted, for example, that since the Quran is not all that in the chronology, Allah has his wisdom, there are good reasons for that, but I'm not getting into this. We find that the order of surah in the Quran begins with alfetta, which is almost like prayer to Allah to guide me when I read this book to the
truth.
But then the next surah is a Bukhara after a brief introduction, then kelty taboola in response to that, because he had lost his own nose. So they say, all right, this is answered, barely Kalki taboola like Buffy Alif Lam Meem, then this is the book that there is no doubt about it. But then it begins in terms of subject matters by giving the profile of Mata Ki houden lil Mata Ki and the first characteristic of those believers is what adlerian I mean, Luna will have a no contradiction, which means we started with the mind and using of reason because to understand your deen also, you must use reason. And the finance speaks are the metaphor garden they think about creation. So reason is
there.
But when you start reading the Quran in its final order.
Remember, as if Allah telling us early on
mind here should not also be used in exaggeration, because we don't worship the mind or reason we use mind and reason. But that our thing that supersede is going beyond the mental capacity of all human beings combined. How do you explain arsh? The Throne of Allah? How would you explain the that Allah subhanaw taala cannot be seen or heard like human beings. This is a method that you have to take for faith. But it is not contrary reason. It's not against reason. It is simply because reason is not equipped enough issues like Al Qaeda, that many people that so called the predestination, which is not a good translation anyway, keep our human wasting their time. This is our mind, have
its limbs, use your mind fully where it belongs. And it's appropriate to take the matter of Eman which is it's not irrational it is Supra or beyond rationality. So you find again, the balance even in the matter of attitude toward faith.
Secondly,
there is also the just balance in the matter of worship, the worship of Allah, we will probably heard the Hadith where three people went to the house of the Prophet sallallahu sallam, and they noted that he's just ordinary person, he wakes at night and prey on the cat and nothing new has been edited. So maybe they felt that what the prophet is doing is not that much. They have an image, perhaps the Prophet that doesn't sleep, let's do anything else, but a better
so he heard that overheard that he goes to them, are you guys who said this, this and that? They say yes, Ella Salalah? He said, because one of them said, to catch up with the Prophet because Allah already said he's going to Gen. The Prophet. So so we have to compete, do something more. So one of them said, I will not. I'll keep fasting every day for Ramadan and Ramadan. Every day. The other person said, I'm going to stay all night every night pray.
And the third say I'm not going to married to me to marry women, meaning that nobody takes away my attention. And when the Prophet went to the visit,
you know that I am the most
heating of Allah have you at koco Well,
I am the one who feels alone more than anyone else. However, he said, I fast meaning voluntary fest some days, I break the fest other days.
I pray sometimes at night, but I also rest and sleep and also a Mary. This is my son, this is my way. If one doesn't follow my son, no, he's not of me, for that matter. So look even a matter of a pair that between extremes to be monitored in a moment.
Steady, living in a monastery, or to forget all about a less, no, there is that just balance that is in line. It's consistent with human nature that Allah created us accordingly. And the third area, which is very important, especially in response to those who say, modernize Islam, there is a difference between response to modernity, which is built in in Sharia, to respond to changing places times, you know, and situation of people without infringing on the basics.
But they forget that this term is alien to Muslims. I have a humble presentation I made several times. It said,
reforming Islam, or reforming Muslims.
And renewal through Thursday, that's the our Islamic
terminology, the rejuvenation of the faith. Because when I checked the, the meaning of reform actually means to make things all I knew, you know, if you get a piece of plasticine like some kids play with that, you can make a snake, but you can squeeze it, make it a horse, you can squeeze something, just that if no, rejuvenation is within its
boundaries.
And that is them in has How can we understand our feet in depth, and related also to the situation world we're living because that's actually one of the foundations of faith was one, the just balanced between the permanent stable things in Shahada doesn't change every day. So you don't have any sense of direction. Nobody infringes on the Sabbath. But in application, again, you can look into the situation, you're living in the the permanency of the Supreme or mocassin, a Sharia, which even secular people agree it's make sense, said
safeguarding faith,
live, reason, family and owner property. You cannot tamper with this essay, no, this was the seventh century. Even today, there are just as relevant not for Muslims only for all they might be difference in application, but the mocassin should be stable. But when it comes to adverse and means they used to make sn just by sound human seven. Now when you get 1000s of people, there's no harm of using microphones. It's not as earlier, when the microphones came, some people consider even the professor's LMC was there, it's a means it's not an end in itself of reaching the message to others or sending the message to others. It has also to have just balance between loyalty, ultimate loyalty
to Allah Subhana Allah to the messenger and to the believers. But in the meantime, having the tolerance and acceptance of other people living, even if we don't agree with what they believe we don't impose. We have to examine our jurisprudence. Not like some people call for just dump it all, you know, all these scholars, we're talking about different times, and it's irrelevant to us. So the old others who say that we should freeze any age the head, and some people use that term, which is not correct, by the way, oh, the dodo is the head has already been closed. There is a balance between these
two appreciate and make the app for those great scholars for the juridical contributions over centuries. We're grateful that they did that. But in the meantime, we don't freeze it in history. Within that spirit, also see what other applications that might need
be needed to deal with our contemporary life. That the balance between living peacefully and courteously with others from other faith communities or no faith community, in fact,
and between
separation from them either hostility
or separation from people neither seem to represent the Quran, the very famous a sort of 60
a
day unhackme Allahu Allah de la mujer partido confit de when am you free to come in theory come
into our room to lay him in Allah. Allah does not forbid you Muslim with respect to those who did not fight you because of your deen or drive you out of your homes that you should deal with them with kindness and justice. Not just because there is no text that the Quran is understood properly, in its textual and historical context, they say, Can I believe an unbeliever simply because he doesn't believe is free. The Quran says like graphic design, let there be no compunction or coercion. in faith, this had been taken things that had been in a given situation, to generalize it, and do it for 300 very quickly, you know, to balance, just balance between enjoying the bounties of
Allah and just take anything and make your your aim and life nothing but enjoyment of food and this and that.
They called unspeak Guru was, what to eat and drink, but commit,
no, excesses fifthly in social, political, economic life, you don't just cater to the needs of the individual in the name of encouraging creativity, nor you suppress individual creativity and dynamic of caring for people who are vulnerable or in need in society, again, that is easy to find lots of examples for it. And finally,
we also
try to balance in our life, between sticking to our identity as Muslim that we should be proud of, but also dealing with other people's. So no extreme of dual doing like Romans do, even if they do all kinds of sin and evil or isolating from them because profits were sent not to isolate themselves, because they're afraid of being
scarred by non-believing society, including Prophet Mohammed Salah Lewis, he talked to all people regardless of their sins because that's his duty to guidance, and that explain what the end with so that you'll be witnesses for Allah, to humankind, even as the Prophet is a witness of Allah to you. May Allah Subhana Allah help us all to perform this just balance witness to mankind.