Sky Views 09 12 2019
Date:
Channel: Khalid Yasin
File Size: 39.84MB
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AI Generated Summary ©
The speakers discuss the importance of learning about Islam and its benefits in developing one's behavior and values. They stress the need for individuals to live in the present and not let anyone speak out, as it is crucial for personal development and the development of one's personal and family lives. The speakers also emphasize the importance of finding one's own cultural and political influences and finding a "back-to-school" approach to pursuing Islam. They stress the need for people to hold onto their citizenship and comply with state policy laws.AI Generated Transcript ©
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For in Africa kabelo hydro Have you had the Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was Shambo more more data to our data a bit
cooler. For now, I want to say that a Somali Allahu Allah cattle, my dear brothers and sisters in Assam, this is your brother shefali, Jessie speaking to you from my
Facebook Live platform. This is another episode of sky views and the sky views of my views. Make no mistake about it, I take full responsibility for what I have to say on this platform.
We have created this platform so that
I would be able to make statements and answer questions and address issues that may not be commonly addressed.
Today, I want to answer a few questions.
And I just want to answer those questions in the best way that I can. I'll I'll try to be as brief and direct as possible. The first question that I was asked is, why are you? Why did you choose the theme Islam in the 21st century? That's a very valid question. I've been discussing this theme about the last three years, maybe four years, and try to talk about all the relevant things that are connected to this particular theme.
I chose this theme because I found out that was very common. It was very commonplace that Muslim teachers, Muslim lecturers, Muslim scholars,
and Muslims in general,
they tend to be discussing, quote unquote, religious issues. And these religious religious issues. Of course, they are important because they, they find their basis in our system of faith. However, it is necessary that we Muslims living in the 21st century that we make our religion relevant, live, connected to what is going on, on a day to day basis. And the world is not just operating on the principles of religion. Hello. In case you didn't know that the world is not operating the world that we are a part of, regardless of what society you live in, in what geography that you share the world, your society, your country, the planet is not operating exclusively on a religious principle.
Therefore, we people who are part of society, and understand that we have an obligation and responsibility to neighbors, colleagues, co workers, fellow countrymen and women. We have a constitutional responsibility. We have a general social responsibility, we have a responsibility within our family. We have a general responsibility in the neighborhood that we live in. We have a responsibility, and a connection with other people and issues that don't happen to be religious issues. For instance,
we have to discuss issues like hunger,
you know, hunger in the world. Today, 1 million people in the world that is one fifth of the world's population live off of less than $1
less than $1.
That's a real fact. And for us Muslims, you know, who had been told in the end, and given the illustration by the prophet Salaam, Sam, in terms of how we should regard others who have less than we do. And that means people who don't have water, they don't have access to clean water. People that don't have access to food, people that don't have access to housing, medicine, education, of people who themselves are under some kind of social oppression where they are actually suffering. We have a relationship with those people and we have to make our Islamic practice our Islamic observation relevant even to those 1 billion people
Because the world now is a global village. And we have to make sure that we make room in our minds and in our hearts and in our lives, for people who are living in various situations around the world, therefore,
I chose to do research. This research started maybe about 10 years ago.
And this research included
about 30 or more topics, which were deemed to be critical issues facing humanity.
Now some of those critical issues facing humanity, also critical issues facing Islam and Muslims, or I'd rather say critical issues facing Muslims. There are no critical issues facing Islam at home, Dena Kumar, demantoid Aiko, Mati, what are the two the common Islam Deena, so this Dean belongs to a law, and there are no critical issues facing Islam as a dean, but there are critical issues facing Muslims and non Muslims in the world. So I began writing, doing essays, you might want to call it or research papers, or you might call them white papers, I started developing these white papers about 10 years ago, you know, around 2009. And by the 2015, I had written for myself at least 30 different
white papers outlining, discussing the some critical issues facing humanity, and among critical issues facing humanity. Now.
That's a critical issue that was facing humanity
100 years ago, or 500 years ago, or 1000 years ago. Now, though, that's history. That's a part of our reality. That's it. That's history. But this is now that was then and we have to discuss, we have to have a discussion.
You know, we have to reflect we have to think about we have to ponder, we have to look into, we have to figure out what's going on in the world today. What's affecting other human beings? What is impacting the lives of other human beings? And that's what I did. And once I finished those papers, to be very honest with your brothers and sisters, I think that that was sort of like a,
I don't know, a bulb went off in my head.
You know, something clicked in my life.
Something changed inside of me. Because now I could no longer deny, you know, I could no longer just like put to the side issues that we see as headlines just as print. No, I couldn't do that any longer.
Each time, I saw an issue taking place, anywhere in the world saw or heard, or witnessed or read an issue.
It was one of those issues that impacted those critical issues facing humanity. Not just the issues facing Muslims, but critical issues facing humanity. And that's when I decided that we Muslims have to live our lives and discuss our Islam with others, and live our Islamic practice and reality within the context
of the world, and its issues, and its people within the context of the Constitution, of the country that we live in, within the context of the neighborhood that we live in, within the context and in relationship to the people that we come across every single day.
Colleagues, co workers, neighbors, friends,
this is why I chose to discuss Islam in the 21st century because it is necessary. It is vital. It is whadjuk upon us Muslims, that when we think about Islam, we don't think about Islam as a nostalgia,
a thing in the past. We think about Islam as a reality in the present, where we live, and that's why I chose to discuss is now in 21st century. And by the way, this is not a topic that comes up in any conversation that I witness. I've never come up I've never had a
Conversation with anyone, anywhere in the world of any background. Well, I could not somehow relate the principles of Islam to that compensation.
That's because
I impose it upon myself
to look at the world from my perspective, but not look at the world, just the way other people look at the world,
view the world as it is, but live in the world according to the perspectives that I have committed myself to the rules and the principles that I have committed myself to. And that is the system of Islam.
So that's my answer to question number one. Why have I been discussing the topic Islam in the 21st century? Or the next question is,
Chef, do you have a special message for young Muslims? I most certainly do.
And brothers and sisters, you know, in my heart, I'm 73. However, in my heart, I'm still young.
And because I'm young, I still have the feelings and the sensitivities of the young people. I have never forgotten my own youth.
And I always go back to thinking about my children,
their dilemmas.
What I missed, you know, my faults, my shortcomings, what I owe my debts to them, my obligation, what am I, what am I going to meet them? I think about that everyday and their children. So those are two generations behind me that's coming behind me. Those are the same generations that exist all over the world. These are the younger generations, whether they be in their 50s today, or whether they are in their 20s today, or whether they are just in their adolescence. These are the generations we have to think about every single day. And the Quran dedicates itself to discussions about young people, stories about young people, lessons about young people. And so for me, when
someone asked me Do I have a special message for young Muslims, and most certainly do. Number one, young Muslims.
Don't forget the Don't forget
the ABCs of Islam. You know, Islam, one on one,
and Islam one on one, of course, it begins with booney and Islam, Allah Samson, you know, the Shanti and law in the law, you know, bear witness that there is nothing to be worshipped except the last panel with Allah, and that Muhammad Salah sentences messenger and His Prophet. Yes, it begins with that. Keep that always in mind that your Shahada is the most sacred possession or tool that you have to identify and distinguish yourself by.
Number two, understand that the principles of Islam, the prayer,
the fasting, the Zika, and the Hajj. These are all tools in our toolkit, so to speak.
Allah subhanaw taala didn't make it obligatory upon us to pray, or to fast or to pay the cat or to make Hajj because Allah subhanaw taala needs us to do that. No, he made this incumbent upon us, obligatory upon us because we need to do that.
There's a need within the human psyche. there's a there's a need within the development of the human behavior.
There is a need for the development of the human
etiquette.
These things prayer, fasting,
Zakah and Hajj. These issues are these principles of these practices, that Almighty God imposed upon us, we Muslims, we need that. That's part of Islam model one. You're not doing it because your mother and father sake do it. Although they told you to do it, before you understood that you needed to do it. You're not doing it for that reason. You're doing it because you need to do it. It's just like eating you're not eating just because you're hungry. You're eating because hunger is a natural response is a natural mechanism is a natural drive inside the human being to
encourage them to eat.
So you see, hunger is a natural drive. It's a natural instinct. Hunger is something that comes about naturally. You know, when you become hungry, you
Think about eating the body is has a desire for something. thirst is natural. You think about and you have a field, to drink something, that's a natural impulse.
We need to develop within ourselves within our psyche, the natural impulse to worship. Prayer is the worship. Fasting is a denial. But fasting is also a discipline. Zakah is a principle that teaches us to take a portion of what God has given to us the legal things that God has given to us in surplus and share it with others.
perform it hive is making a Germany making a sacrifice, in this case to Mecca, to perform the Hajj once in your life, if you're able to do that, that teaches you preparation, sacrifice, discipline, and also when you arrive there, how to interact with other people, and how to in spite of the fact that you are with a million other people or two or 3 million other people to keep your focus on what you need to do for yourself based upon the commitment that you have made.
See, so this is a one on one at this time, but also another part of the one on one, this lambos has nothing to do with the five colors is behavior,
character,
developing your character,
polishing your behavior,
developing yourself as a human being so that other human beings have regard and respect for you. distinguishing yourself as a human, distinguishing yourself among other human beings, so that other human beings will understand that when you shine, it's because of Islam.
When you succeed and prosper is because of Islam.
When you are able to be when you rise to the position of leadership, it is because of the badge of Islam.
This is what I want to say to young people. Don't forget your Islam one on one, Islam as a gift that's given to you whether it was passed on to you by your parents, or whether it was given to you because you embraced Islam.
That's my message to you. Now, along with that.
As the last panelist, Allah mentioned in the Quran, what was a female attack a love of
attack a love of devil,
what I tend to say in a C book of dunya, Allah subhanaw taala mentioned to us in the Quran, and I'm just going to translate a give a general translation to that law says, and si t, the,
the way towards the home of the ACA that means paradise
sikhi that means diligently seek the way towards the ACA.
The academic means paradise, seek IE a way towards paradise. However, do not forget your share inside this dunya. Now what share, share could be benefit and share could be responsibility. So, you know, be all the Muslim that you can be.
Worship as much as you can remember last month out as often as you can celebrate upon the process. And as often as you can do all the things read and learn the Islamic disciplines compete to be the best Muslim that you can be.
But don't forget your responsibility inside of the dunya. What's your responsibility?
Your responsibility inside of the dunya is that you should be the best human being that you can be. Each one of us have a set
of social responsibilities. Some of them are direct, and some of them are indirect. Those direct and indirect responsibilities is our share of this Junior.
The benefit that we seek for ourselves for our families, the benefit that we seek the support of our share of the dunya Don't forget that now not forgetting that means prepare yourself for that. How do you prepare yourself to get benefit? And how do you prepare yourself to be responsible? You prepare yourself by
engaging in the disciplines that give you certain skills,
knowledge capabilities. So, brothers and sisters, young Muslims, if you're in school, stay in school and finish school.
Don't let somebody talk you out of finishing school.
No
Somebody talked you into going somewhere to study something, you don't just leave school and go somewhere and study. Now that's bad advice.
finish school, then go somewhere and study religion that is finished your school. You know, if you're in high school, finish it and go to college, or go to a trade school, if you're in college, finish it and earn your degree and determine whether or not you want to go to a graduate degree or postgraduate degree. But finish if that's what you're doing. Finish it. Why because
you world needs doctors, engineers, professionals, the world needs attorneys, the world need technicians, mathematicians, people that can build bridges in people that can build societies and, and people that can
people that can fly airplanes and build airplanes and people that invent we need that we Muslims need that we should not be consumers of somebody else's tech nology No,
we ourselves should be the owners, the purveyors, you know, we should be the ones developing and offering that to the rest of the world. So if you're in school, stay in school.
And if you're in a country that offers you education, you are blessed, you are in doubt. And don't let somebody talk you out of something that you have been blessed and endowed with.
Don't really be a part of the society where you are. Don't be reckless. You let me Don't dodge out of the way of responsibility trying to be religious, no, no, religion is here.
Religion is here. Religion is here. religions are on the tongue.
This is not just something that you do with your body.
religions that just denying yourself a food and drink religious mysticism, not recite in some type of words. You know, religion is not just looking a certain kind of way. You know, religion is that inside of a building, like a mosque or school? No, religion is everywhere. It's how you are, who you are, what you do, wherever you are.
That's the kind of Muslim you want to be. If you're in the Western world, you are blessed. And challenge. Yes, they are definitely a challenge.
Some of the most educated people, some of the most immoral people, some of the most educated and sophisticated intellectual people are also the most immoral, and pathetic. And, and, and devious, cruel, evil people.
But that doesn't mean just because many of the developed in educated people are cruel and wicked and evil and immoral. It doesn't mean that the society itself is immoral, doesn't mean that don't anybody talk to you into that? No. Freedom is a prize.
Freedom is a privilege. And when you have been given the freedom to speak, the freedom to write, move about, express your ideas, you have the freedom to vote,
be able to select and elect someone who you believe should represent you.
You have the right to do that you have the you have the privilege to do that. The Constitutional privilege to do that in the Western world. Take advantage of that. Be a part of the society doesn't mean be a part of everything. And be whatever you want and do what everyone is doing doesn't mean that it means the part of the society to take the benefit that you can be a part of the society so that you can adopt your responsibility and be a part of the society so that you have the opportunity to change the direction of that society.
You got to be in it to win it.
That's a true statement. Although that statement was co opted for some immoral purposes. So young people listen, be the best Muslim that you could be. But guess what? To be the best Muslim you can be you don't need to look like somebody in another country. That's not true.
The uniform of Islam is taqwa.
There's a little bit of difference in terms of the outer uniform for men and women, and that's only because of their anatomy.
And every Muslim basically understands the distinctions of dress when it comes to
Men and women, most Muslims understand that. But it doesn't mean that we have to adopt the dress of somebody in another country. In order for us to have an Islamic identity, that's not true. And whoever tells you that they just leading you somewhere that they want to be, they want to make them they want to make themselves comfortable by you acquiescing to what they are doing. You don't have to do that.
Wherever you want to wear,
whatever you think, compliment yourself as a person, whatever you think, helps you distinguish yourself as a Muslim, do that, wear that. But there's no one size fits all. And there's no one particular dress that every Muslim got to look like, you don't want it from Africa, or Asia or from Arabia, or from India or anywhere else in the world. That's not true. You live in the Western world? Well, you need to know what is the common or what is the common dress of your country?
What is the common dress of your country,
it's not the beginning.
And it may not be the book either.
You need to use your intelligence to see look around yourself and see what the common people determined to be decent. appropriate for the time and the place and the professional and career that you might be doing. People that work in hospitals, they have a special dress, policeman, fireman, they have a special dress.
People don't work in a bank, they have a special dress. You know, there's a there's a time and a place in a particular uniform and a dress for everyone. And we Muslims do not have to adopt the dress of another group of Muslims in another country. Based on the claim that this is the way the prophet SAW Sam used to dress. Well. We need to be very careful and very clear about that.
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he was an example of Canada co located Canada confy Rasulullah Hasina limin cambio de la vaca loca zero that is true. There is in the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam there the best example for anyone anywhere. For those who believe in loss upon dial in the last day that is true, but it doesn't mean that we have to dress like Arabs, because the prophet SAW symbols and it's natural.
If someone decides that I like the dress of the Prophet solo Sim, in spite of the fact that it's an out of dress, nothing wrong with that.
Whether you wear something on your head, or you wear a particular garment does nothing wrong with that. However, you need to find out whether what you're wearing is appropriate with the career or the time or the place, or the profession that you are engaged in or the people that you are working with. So that you're not too rigid. You got to be open minded, you got to be open hearted, you got to be open handed, because this is what is required in dealing with other human beings and tolerating other human beings.
So do young Muslims, be the best Muslim that you can be? Enjoy yourselves.
But understand your share your distinction in this society where you are and be the best, and learn to compete. Why because
the word compete is a part of the word competency.
You know, competency,
something that we should all want to be we should all want to be competent in language, competent in math, competent in other social skills, want to be competent among other human beings, because when you are competent, you're able to compete
and make no mistake about it. This world is about competition. You don't have to want to compete. You must compete for statical highlight,
swim,
race, swim, strive, as if you are in a race. This was the last one Bella has encouraged us to do. So do young Muslims, don't be frustrated. Don't get spaced out. Don't get zoned out. You know don't
focus yourself upon things that in the long run, you find that they are meaningless.
Think about the meaningful things
you know
don't spend a lot of time hugging your phone.
Because when the phone drops and breaks, maybe you feel like a part of you has dropped and broken.
But you don't have access to your phone, maybe you feel a big void in your life. Why? Because you didn't realize that was just a piece of technology that some people put together, it was not a part of your life.
Learn to take your phone and put it down.
Take your phone and put it away, put it out of sight.
Use it for what it is it is a tool.
But don't let it be a tool for fools.
Don't become addicted to what's in the phone, don't become addicted to the phone, it's only a tool
and use everything. Use all the technology that must peloton has given to us today.
make reference to all the teachers, all the teachers, including check Google
and his family. You know, shake Twitter and check Instagram and check Snapchat and you know, shake WhatsApp, and you know all those different the whole family have shaped Google
use them.
But realize they're just tools.
But when you become absorbed in technology, so the technology rides you, and uses and manipulates you, instead of you utilizing the technology and taking advantage of the technology and controlling the technology.
Get a job.
I don't mean that you have to go to somebody and become employed. That's not what I mean by get a job. Get a job means have something to do every single day.
Get a life plan.
Because if you can't get a life plan, it's very hard for you to get a life.
Who wants a phone without a GPS, who wants to get in a car without a GPS? Who wants to get on a plane without a GPS? Today, GPS, you know, a global positioning system. That's what it stands for, is a necessity. Everybody wants that to be a part of any vehicle or anything that they go to any technology that they're going to buy or use. So where's your GPS?
Your life plan is your GPS? Do you have a life plan? ask yourself that question and be honest with yourself. No, your education is not your life plan?
Is something on the path of your life plan is something you gained on the way to the implementation? Or the fulfilling the objective of your life plan? Do you have a life plan?
Did you sit down? Did you take the time to think about your life? And to write out for yourself? You know where you want to be and what you want to accomplish in the next five or 10 years? Did you do that? And when you researched it and wrote it out and organized it? Whether it took a day or two days or whether took a week or whatever it was? Did you write it?
Yeah, did you write it?
Now, did you talk about it? Did you write it? Did you document it?
And if you wrote it in documented or typed it on whatever you did or texted it out? Did you spell check it? Did you double space it the same way you would do an essay in school
units like English one on one when we were in the eighth or ninth grade.
And then after you did that, share it with somebody that you really respect your father, your mother, your uncle, your aunt, your your homeboy your homegirl, your professor in the university or some a mentor that you have, or some person that you really respect, share it with them. Let them read what you have written as your life plan.
And then after that, take it back and memorize it.
That's your life plan. Do you have one?
It's yes or no. There's no like maybe, you know, something like almost no water doesn't become almost wet it is or either there's no water or there is water, and women do not almost get pregnant.
So you don't almost have a life plan. You have women you do not have one. I say if you don't have one, be honest with yourself. Don't be in denial. By the way that's not a river in Egypt.
Don't be in denial.
Don't lie to yourself. Don't fool yourself and say I have a life plan. Almost. No, you either have one by definition or you do not.
If you don't start today and do one
I don't mind telling you that I was 56 years old
when I completed lifeplan
supanova 56.
So it's not like, you know, I had a life plan 40 years ago, and I'm kind of like telling you about it now. No, 56 I was 56 years old. That means like 18 years ago.
Something like that.
18 years ago, I sat on a plane with an Amish young man
who was a life coach. And because we were flying from
Kenya, to New York, it was a long flight, I had a chance to have a long conversation with him. And he was a life coach. in that conversation, this young Amish, young man said to me,
chic, or chef,
I think you need a life plan.
I think that you need one because when I defined what it was, you don't have it. I could have been arrogant. I could have been in denial. I could have said that. Was he? No, no, to be very honest with you. I thank Almighty God, I thank Allah subhanho wa Taala that when I got off that plane, six months later, I had my life plan. And I have been encouraging people to do a life plan ever since. So young people, young Muslims, if you don't have a life plan, you need to get one and older Muslims. If you don't have a life plan, by definition, I don't care how old you are, how sophisticated you are, how educated you are, how intellectual you are, how wealthy and influential
that you are. If you don't have a life plan, you don't have one.
Those who fail to plan,
plan to fail inevitably.
That's the axiom.
That's the anecdote, if you want to call it that. So that's my special message for young Muslims. Next, somebody asks a question, Chef, do you have a special message for Muslim reverts? Absolutely. You know, I'm a believer in the Islamic Sharia in the Islamic Fiqh. In the Islamic jurisprudence, there's a category called Muslim on judo. Muslim Judo is the Arabic terminology, which means new Muslims, it also could mean those who are first generation to Islam, or those that are new to Islam. It also means those who have entered Islam from another system of life.
Some people may call that conversion. But when we know that, Almighty God, Almighty God has made everyone by definition by birth by disposition,
our original disposition is being submitted to Almighty God, our natural disposition as human beings is to be in compliance with what Almighty God has ordained for us. And it is our parents or the environment that we live in, that we are raised in that select for us to be something other than the natural disposition of being in submission to Almighty God.
So we votes today we like to call we converts. Today, we like to call ourselves reverse as opposed to convert. We're reverting back to our natural disposition. We're reverting back to being Muslim. And so to become a Muslim to embrace Islam is to revert back to our natural disposition. So I'm revert.
I'm not a young revert.
But I am a new Muslim.
Obviously, I'm not a young Muslim, but I'm a new Muslim. That is I was a first generation Muslim and the United States of America. I became a Muslim in 1965.
It seems like eons ago, by the way, that was the same year that our beloved brother, Alhaji Malik Chavez, better known to the world as Malcolm X, rushing to lolly may Allah have mercy upon his soul, he was assassinated in February of 1965. And I was fortunate enough to become a Muslim and to embrace Islam in October of the same year 1965.
So my message to reverse whether you are first generation revert second generation revert third Gen
revert, like my grandchildren, they are third generation Muslims. That is the grandfather was a revert. And their parents they were second generation reverts. Okay, and the third generation, my grandchildren, although they were born Muslim by the natural disposition, and by the tradition of Islam to their parents, they were born Muslims, they may decide to be something different.
So my message for reverse is that we have a special challenge, we have a special disposition.
Don't
be afraid of the challenges. There are people who came before us who had the same challenge. That is, they were the first Muslims of that age.
They will first Muslims of that country or that era.
They were the first Muslim generation.
And they faced many challenges.
We also faced many challenges, and we will continue to face many challenges. You know, when we became Muslims, we didn't speak Arabic, and most of us still don't speak Arabic.
We couldn't read the core and many of us today still do not read the Quran directly from the must have from the Quran itself. We didn't know who the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu wasallam is, we know who he was. We wasn't familiar with his biography or his life. We weren't taught that in school, we had to learn it. It wasn't easy.
We went through a lot of changes.
We dressed we acted, we spoke we imitated others who taught us. We went to other countries, we stay for a long time, short time, and we ate the food and lived in those countries. And we learned and we adopted the cultural traits and habits and thinking of other people on our way to learning Islam.
But now, in our Twilight, in our maturity, we don't have to imitate anybody any longer.
Because we are genuine Muslims.
We are Muslims who have reverted and embraced Islam to another system. But we are following the code. And we are following the sooner the behavior, the example and the pattern of Mohammed so a lot of them and the three generations that came after him, we are doing our best to follow that behavior, that pattern.
It's not always easy
to live in a country, like America or like Europe or like Australia, or like Canada. Okay, it's not easy to live in Western societies and practice Islam is not easy.
It's not easy to have parents who are Christians or Jews or Hindus or Buddhists or whatever persuasive they are or atheist. It's not easy to come from a background
that is diametrically different.
Then what we have embraced,
they will judge you, they will question you, they will be disoriented towards you, they will be disappointed with you.
They will be inclined to dislike your choice or they will be inclined to separate away from you they will feel as if you have abandoned them you you will meet many different challenges but you will overcome them. In time you will learn to
you will learn to, to value
to embrace and to hold on to and to commit to the values that you have. You will understand the value of Islam, you will understand the distinction of Islam and on your own you will hold on to Islam you will hold on to it.
At the end of the day. Islam is sweet.
Islam is powerful.
Islam is riveting.
You know Islam is deep.
Islam is rewarding.
To be a Muslim is to be a very distinguished person.
After some time, you will understand you will get your equilibrium together, you'll you'll get your social identity together. And when you are with other people who are of different persuasions, you will not feel inferior, you're not feel out of place. Because you'll find out that your heart is in the right place your behaviors in the right place. Your mind is in the right place and you are prepared
in many ways to succeed
You are prepared in many ways to lead. This is a gift from Allah subhanho wa Taala. And so as a revert, keep your distinction in mind.
Don't think that you have to comply with other people's cultural persuasion persuasions you do not.
Learn to tolerate, learn to share, learn to appreciate
other people's cultural persuasions
and adapt them if you think that they are good,
nothing wrong with that, whether in food or in dress, or in language, on demeanor, or whatever the case might be, but don't forget your identity, wherever you live at the country you live in. Don't forget your identity.
Don't forget the distinction that you carry within the society that you live.
And don't forget
the privileges and the distinctions that Almighty God has given to you. If you're living in a country where you have where you have some of the best privileges of any human beings in the world. Don't forget that. Don't throw that to the side.
The Dean is mamilla his actions
put your dean into practice.
He's like putting your money where your mouth is.
Whatever is in your heart, whatever's inside your mind, practice in your life.
Don't be a tongue Muslim. You know, that is religion on the tongue.
You know, don't be a Muslim in dress that is religion on the outside.
Don't be a Muslim and Islam a Muslim in name only.
Be Muslim.
The real genuine down to earth. concrete.
Honey, set what you call it Muslim.
Because we reverts, we people that embrace Islam, sometime those that came to the deen last. A loss upon Allah gives them the capability of being first.
As I travel around the Muslim world, I find out that some of the people who have been Muslim for generations and generations, they take it for granted. They take the knowledge for granted, they take the principles for granted. And because of that, many of them, they have become islamically dysfunctional.
We don't want to get into a lot of detail. All you got to do is travel the world. And you can see, you know, when you become socially and islamically dysfunctional, it shows in so many ways in your lifestyle.
We Muslims in the West who have embraced Islam,
many of the habits,
principles, and social disciplines that we gained as we grew up, we find out that we have more tools some time than other people have
more tools to function inside of the society. We have different levels of sophistication that we that other people take for granted that we have. So don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. If you feel me.
You were Muslim. You in the West, you in America, you're in Canada, you're in Australia, you're living in Europe. That's where you embrace the song.
Hold on to all the values that you had before you were a Muslim, because all those values are still valuable for you.
Your citizenship, your constitutional privileges, they are all valuable, very valuable. And you'll find out when you travel.
Be the best Muslim that you can be in understand that it is a favorite from the last panel data for you to be a revert.
Allah selected you
to be Muslim.
And he selected you to be Muslim to give you a favor, to give you a distinction to give you an opportunity and a chance that you could be one of the best human beings in your environment.
And don't forget that.
Dear brothers and sisters, another question that someone asked me is, do you have a special message for Muslims living in the USA and Europe? Yes.
To live in the USA or Europe or to live in Canada or to live in Australia or one of the Western countries in the world.
world, the so called developed societies is a favor from Allah subhanho wa Taala. And as I mentioned before, of course, it's a challenge.
When you come to the Western countries, the so called sophisticated countries, the developed countries, where people are more educated, more intellectual, more endowed with things, and more endowed, you know, with
things that many people take for granted. I mean, water is running everywhere, food is available everywhere, everywhere you go, there's electricity, it's available, everywhere you go, there's clothing, different levels of clothing, people have different levels of lifestyles, and incomes and all kinds of sophisticated
items and equipment, and toys, and all kinds of things that are available to us that we take for granted. Well,
one of the major things I would tell you not to take for granted is your constitutional privileges.
Your constitutional liberties,
your citizenship, that doesn't come without a price? Yes, it does. When you travel around the world, as I have, I've been to some 93 countries,
you come to find out that it's very important that you hold on to your passport, you find out how valuable your citizenship really is, you find out that with all the with all the faults and all the shortcomings in all the downsize that downsizes in all the you may want to call it deficit that exists in my society in America with all the deficit downsize, or challenges issues that come with living in America. And they are many.
I think, God, I thank Almighty God to have been born in the United States of America. Now, if you can't say that, that's your problem is that mine?
You know, if you do want to get your citizenship, and you think there's some places better than this country to live, you were born in America, you think is a better place to live? Good. Go there,
get the money together and go there. But I suggest you get a roundtrip ticket.
And I don't know anybody that went to another country, thinking that it's a better country and gave up the American passport. I don't know anybody. I don't say this, no one who did it. But I don't know anyone who did that.
There must be a reason.
Because with all the downsides, and all the devastates with all the issues with all the challenges that people want to talk about, that exists in Europe, that exists in Australia, that exists in the Canada or the United States, or any western country in the world, or any developed country in the world, but all the issues that people want to talk about
constitutional privilege
is number one,
no one has challenged me
to be a Muslim.
No one has challenged my right to be a Muslim
Alhamdulillah for that
no one has denied me the right to speak my mind.
No one has denied me the right to stand,
you know, to organize,
to
to gather together with other people to discuss a particular issue. No one has required me
that if I want to write a book,
if I want to send out a message
that I have to get permission from
a government agency.
Can you imagine that?
as an American, as a European, as an Australian, as a person living in Canada or any place in the developed world, that you would have to get permission, just permission for you to gather with other people to discuss a particular issue.
Well, in America, we don't need just permission for you to gather with other people to discuss a particular issue.
Well, in America, we don't have to worry about that. That goes with the constitutional privilege.
In America,
obtaining a passport and traveling all over the world and coming back to my country is a privilege that
goes with American citizenship. And traveling throughout my country, from New York to California, from Texas all the way to Canada, or going to Hawaii or going to Alaska and coming back.
It's all part of the
United States of America, all 50 states, there's no borders, no border checks, no nothing. And the United States of America being Muslim in Europe, or Canada, or Australia, and we shouldn't forget that because this is a gift that was given to us by Almighty God, anyone with that business. If I set a business up in New York, I do business in California, I do business in Anchorage, Alaska.
That's a privilege. And it's a privilege that I don't take for granted. There are many privileges that go with being Muslim, in the United States of America being Muslim in Europe, or Canada, or Australia. And we shouldn't forget that because this is a gift that was given to us by Almighty God, because you didn't have to be born.
In that particular country,
you could have been born in a place where you didn't have those privileges. And since we do have those privileges, I say, Don't adopt the thinking of people who are living in societies that do not have these privileges.
A certain thinking comes from living in a society where you are denied those basic privileges, a certain mentality, a certain thinking, a certain mindset comes when you were denied those basic privileges, we will not deny those privileges. We don't have to adopt that defensive thinking, that narrow minded thinking that thinking that we have to
abide by some kind of principles and policies, you know, that is set in stone because the government said so. No, it's not true. We have to respect the government. We have to comply with national
statewide fundamental laws and policies, we have to comply, reasonably comply. But
in the country that we live in, the government doesn't make any semantics.