Mirza Yawar Baig – Define Yourself

Mirza Yawar Baig
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AI: Summary ©

The speakers stress the importance of personal definition and investment in oneself, family, and ability to create a legacy. They emphasize the need for anticipation and participation in democratic processes to ensure everyone is represented and addressed. The speakers emphasize the importance of protecting privacy and avoiding instant pleasure, as well as protecting individual privacy in the election process. The speakers emphasize the need for engagement and cooperation in achieving goals and emphasize the importance of avoiding instant rewards and protecting one's interests and privacy.

AI: Summary ©

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			Bismillāhi r-Rahmāni r-Rahīm, al-ḥamdu liLlāhi
		
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			rabbiyāi l-'ālamīn, wa-salātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalá
		
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			ashrafī l-anbiyā'i wa-l-mursalīn, Muḥammadun
		
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			Rasūlu Llāh ﷺ taslīman kathīran kathīran.
		
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			O my brothers and sisters, it is very
		
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			important in life to define ourselves.
		
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			Everything depends on how I define myself, how
		
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			do I see myself, who am I?
		
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			Based on that, what do I do, what
		
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			can I do, what can't I do, what
		
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			is appropriate, what's not appropriate, what gives leverage,
		
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			what does not give leverage, and so on
		
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			and so forth.
		
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			Now, Allah swt made the laws that run
		
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			this universe, including our world.
		
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			They include the laws of physics, which we
		
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			call natural laws, but those are not the
		
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			only ones that Allah made.
		
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			There are others, which are equally powerful, non
		
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			-negotiable and inescapable, that govern and determine the
		
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			success, influence and happiness of human life.
		
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			Those who learn those laws and operate according
		
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			to them can have as much success and
		
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			influence and happiness as they wish.
		
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			Those who go against those laws, they pay
		
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			the price.
		
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			Sometimes they drag others into that mess as
		
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			well.
		
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			So, my question to myself and you is,
		
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			are we spectators or players?
		
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			How do we define ourselves?
		
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			Are we spectators or players?
		
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			The difference is skin in the game.
		
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			Spectators can watch and scream and scream encouragement
		
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			or abuse, wear T-shirts and caps and
		
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			discuss the game, but they have no impact
		
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			on the outcome.
		
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			They don't decide who wins or loses the
		
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			game because they have no skin in the
		
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			game.
		
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			They don't bleed for the cause.
		
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			They don't invest time, money, sweat and tears
		
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			to help their side to win.
		
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			They just scream from the stands.
		
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			That seems to be our situation as Muslims
		
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			today in the world.
		
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			We don't want to invest.
		
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			We don't want to bear inconvenience.
		
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			We don't want to stand in the street,
		
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			in the rain or sunshine to make our
		
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			voices heard.
		
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			We want someone else to do it for
		
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			us.
		
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			We want someone else to lose their jobs,
		
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			get doxxed, get brutalized by the police, even
		
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			go to jail for our cause.
		
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			But we don't even want to be seen
		
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			with them.
		
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			Yet we want our cause to win.
		
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			Well, all I can say to you is
		
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			good luck because you are going to need
		
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			a lot of it.
		
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			Allah subhana wa ta'ala created a world
		
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			of cause and effect.
		
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			Those who benefit from a rise in the
		
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			share price are shareholders in that firm.
		
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			Not those who read the financial times, but
		
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			have no money in the firm.
		
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			So, therefore, my advice to myself to you
		
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			is invest in yourself.
		
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			Invest in your family.
		
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			Invest in your society.
		
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			Ask yourself, how much money did I spend
		
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			to enhance my own knowledge, my own skills,
		
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			my own ability, my own understanding of life?
		
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			If we want influence, we have to do
		
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			this.
		
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			If you want power, start contributing.
		
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			It's like a tweet.
		
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			I saw the other day by somebody who
		
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			was obviously against BDS and the boycott campaign.
		
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			The tweet said, I want to boycott everything
		
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			made by Muslims.
		
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			Can someone please send out a list?
		
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			I mean, how tragic is that?
		
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			Now, remember, we came to give, not to
		
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			take.
		
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			Our teacher taught us.
		
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			And we were supposed to teach the world.
		
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			But instead, we forgot the teacher and his
		
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			teachings and started learning from others.
		
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			We didn't even have the sense to ask,
		
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			who am I learning from?
		
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			What is his interest in me?
		
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			Why would he teach me anything to benefit
		
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			me?
		
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			I remind myself and you that in the
		
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			life of every man and woman comes a
		
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			time when a window opens.
		
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			And they have a unique opportunity to make
		
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			an impact and influence others.
		
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			To succeed, we need to anticipate and prepare
		
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			for the opening and act with courage when
		
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			our window opens.
		
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			The window doesn't stay open all the time.
		
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			The window shuts.
		
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			And once the window shuts, life is over.
		
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			Even if you remain alive.
		
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			Our window is open now.
		
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			As I mentioned, once the window shuts, life
		
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			is over, even if you remain alive.
		
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			Because to live is not merely to draw
		
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			breath.
		
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			To draw breath is to survive.
		
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			To live is to create a legacy of
		
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			honour.
		
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			We hear two statements usually from well-meaning
		
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			but confused people regarding politics.
		
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			One, I am not interested in politics.
		
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			And the other one, politics is dirty.
		
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			Well, guess what?
		
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			As somebody said, you may not be interested
		
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			in politics, but politics is interested in you.
		
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			It's like a deer saying, I am not
		
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			interested in the wolf.
		
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			If the deer wants to survive and thrive,
		
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			there is only one way.
		
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			Get interested in the wolf to influence him
		
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			in your favour.
		
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			That's what we must do with politics.
		
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			Become interested, contribute, participate and become influential.
		
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			As for politics being dirty, that is true
		
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			as a description of the current state.
		
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			But that doesn't mean that it must necessarily
		
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			remain that way forever.
		
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			Anything dirty remains dirty for one reason only
		
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			and that is because those affected by the
		
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			dirt have got used to it and they
		
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			choose to remain with the dirt.
		
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			If those affected by dirty politics do what
		
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			they do when they encounter dirt in anything
		
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			else, the dirt will go the same way.
		
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			So, let us complete that statement, politics is
		
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			dirty and add, but we are going to
		
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			clean it.
		
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			Believe me, it will happen.
		
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			It is waiting to be cleaned.
		
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			The cleaning cannot happen without us getting our
		
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			hands dirty.
		
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			But once we start washing, both the fabric
		
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			of politics and our hands will become clean.
		
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			Politics is the art of influencing.
		
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			Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala sent us to
		
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			influence.
		
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			Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala said, كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ
		
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			أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَعْمُرُونَ مِن الْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ
		
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			الْمُنْكَرِ وَثُوبِرُونَ بِاللَّهِ Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala
		
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			said, you are the best people, your best
		
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			of people, best community ever raised for the
		
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			benefit of humanity.
		
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			You encourage good, you forbid evil and you
		
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			believe in Allah.
		
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			What is encouraging good and forbidding evil if
		
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			it is not influencing?
		
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			Tell me.
		
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			Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala told us that
		
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			our job is to clean society from all
		
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			kinds of evil and promote all kinds of
		
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			good.
		
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			Good governance comes at the top of that
		
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			list.
		
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			Society can only be cleaned by insiders, by
		
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			citizens.
		
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			Participating in society does not mean only living
		
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			in the place and having shops and buying
		
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			and selling things.
		
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			To participate is to be interested in the
		
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			welfare of the place.
		
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			That means to do, to invest time and
		
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			energy and money and talent and all kinds
		
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			of resources to help to do whatever is
		
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			necessary to ensure good governance.
		
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			It means to cooperate and collaborate with others
		
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			to make that happen.
		
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			It means to make societal change both our
		
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			long term and short term goal.
		
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			We can and must move from a position
		
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			of deciding which of two bad choices is
		
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			the least harmful to deciding which of two
		
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			or more good choices.
		
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			Is the most beneficial.
		
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			It can happen but not without participation.
		
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			We must play the game.
		
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			Not just watch from the sidelines and brainwash
		
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			ourselves that we can do nothing.
		
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			What is the role of Muslim citizens who
		
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			live in democratic countries?
		
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			Not only in this one, any democratic country.
		
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			Should they participate in government from voting to
		
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			standing for election to discharging their responsibilities in
		
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			different capacities in local and national government or
		
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			not?
		
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			Or should they abstain from doing any of
		
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			these things?
		
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			And if they should abstain, then tell me
		
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			how are they to ensure that their rights,
		
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			their needs and their issues are represented and
		
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			addressed by a government that they did not
		
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			elect or show any interest in.
		
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			We have multiple examples in the world and
		
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			historically about what happens when you refuse to
		
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			participate in governance.
		
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			None of them is good.
		
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			It's not about political parties but about being
		
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			interested in and being willing to contribute to
		
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			the nation.
		
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			We must understand that working to ensure good
		
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			governance is the most important part of citizenship.
		
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			That is the secret of power.
		
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			Not merely casting our vote, important though that
		
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			also is.
		
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			But standing for truth and justice and advocacy
		
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			of worthy causes, helping the weak, volunteering our
		
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			time and talents for the benefit of society,
		
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			putting our money and effort where our mouths
		
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			are when it comes to helping others.
		
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			We the people of the nation through the
		
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			ballot box have delegated the authority.
		
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			Please understand this.
		
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			We delegate the authority to run the nation
		
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			to those we elect, to those we elected.
		
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			But the responsibility remains with us.
		
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			We retain the responsibility for their success or
		
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			failure.
		
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			I recall my favourite quote.
		
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			It says, we get the government we deserve.
		
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			Somebody said this, not me.
		
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			It's my favourite.
		
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			We get the government we deserve.
		
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			Changing society is not instant coffee.
		
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			It won't happen overnight.
		
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			We have the example of the Syrah of
		
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			Rasulullah s.a.w. where Rasulullah s.a
		
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			.w. with him at the helm and the
		
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			best of all generations at his command.
		
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			It took them 23 years.
		
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			Societal change is running a marathon.
		
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			It's about the long haul.
		
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			We must convince ourselves that our society needs
		
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			change and that nobody else is going to
		
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			do it for us.
		
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			And get used to working for the long
		
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			term and stop looking for instant rewards.
		
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			Take the case of all the Sahaba who
		
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			died before Fatah Mecca.
		
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			None of them saw the victory of Islam.
		
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			Musa ibn Umair, Abdullah ibn Jahash, Sa'ad
		
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			ibn Mu'adh, Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalib, Khadija
		
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			ibn Khuwailid, Zaid ibn Haritha, Jafar ibn Abi
		
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			Talib, Radhi Allahu Anhum Ajma'in and many
		
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			others did not see the victory of Islam.
		
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			But they didn't get tired.
		
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			They didn't lose hope.
		
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			They didn't stop investing.
		
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			They did not despair or even slow down
		
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			their efforts for Islam.
		
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			They continued with undiminished energy and dedication.
		
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			They didn't have donor fatigue and activist fatigue
		
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			and this.
		
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			We have invented these terms to justify our
		
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			laziness, to justify the fact that we don't
		
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			want to move for our own benefit.
		
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			To move for your own benefit is the
		
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			absolute basic minimum, self-interest.
		
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			It's not even something to talk about.
		
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			If we do only that, we should be
		
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			ashamed of doing that.
		
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			We are supposed to do things for others'
		
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			good.
		
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			Not only for our good.
		
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			But we don't even do that.
		
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			So where are we?
		
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			Islam was victorious because of these people.
		
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			Because they invested themselves in the victory of
		
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			Islam.
		
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			Even though they did not live to see
		
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			that victory themselves.
		
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			And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is their
		
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			witness.
		
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			Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala said, مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
		
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			رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا آحَدُوا اللَّهَ عَلَيْهِ فَمِنْهُم مَنْ
		
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			خَضَىٰ نَحْبَهُ وَمِنْهُم مَنْ يَنْتَظِرُ وَمَا بَدَّلُوا تَفْدِيلًۭا
		
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			Allah said, among the believers are men, and
		
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			rijal here is not a gender statement, it
		
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			says man being somebody who has nobility, whether
		
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			it's a man or a woman, rijal.
		
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			Among the believers are men who have proven
		
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			true to what they pledged to Allah.
		
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			Who is saying they prove true to the
		
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			pledge?
		
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			Allah Himself.
		
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			Some of them have fulfilled their pledge with
		
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			their lives, others are awaiting their turn.
		
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			But they have not changed their commitment in
		
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			the least.
		
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			وَمَا بَدَّلُوا تَفْدِيلًۭا Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala
		
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			praised them and called them ar-rijal, real
		
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			men, real people, real people of nobility.
		
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			People of honour who were true to their
		
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			word, did not break their pledge.
		
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			Our pledge with Allah is for life.
		
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			Our akhirah is the reward for that pledge.
		
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			So how can we get tired?
		
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			How can we give up when Rasulullah ﷺ
		
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			never gave up?
		
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			And his Sahaba never gave up.
		
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			He is our example and to that we
		
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			must remain true.
		
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			Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala honoured the Sahaba
		
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			and told us about their attitude in times
		
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			of danger.
		
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			Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala said, وَلَمَّا رَأَى
		
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			الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الْأَهْزَابَ وَلَمَّا رَأَى الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الْأَهْزَابَ قَالُوا
		
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			هَذَا مَا وَعَدَنَا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَصَدَقَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
		
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			وَمَا زَادَهُمْ إِلَّا إِيمَانًا وَتَصْلِبًا Allah said, when
		
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			the believers saw the enemy alliance, they said,
		
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			this is what Allah and His Messenger ﷺ
		
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			promised us.
		
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			This is what they promised us.
		
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			The promise of Allah and His Messenger is
		
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			true.
		
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			And this only increased their faith and submission.
		
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			Because at that time, as you know, the
		
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			Manafiqin were trying to frighten them.
		
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			They were trying to say, this is what
		
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			Rasulullah ﷺ brought upon you and these people
		
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			are going to destroy you.
		
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			They said, no.
		
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			Nobody can destroy us without the will of
		
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			Allah and Allah will protect us.
		
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			Now, brothers and sisters, we must realize that
		
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			our task is to establish in our lives
		
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			our starting with myself and yourself.
		
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			A system based on the worship of Allah
		
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			ﷻ alone, obedience to Him and to His
		
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			Rasul ﷺ.
		
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			Focused on benefiting all of humanity.
		
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			We must change the present system based on
		
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			predatory capitalism and the worship of the self
		
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			to a system based on compassion and social
		
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			responsibility.
		
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			This takes time and sustained effort and investment
		
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			of all our talent and resources in something
		
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			which we truly believe is worth it.
		
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			It is a generational project for which we
		
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			must volunteer to go into the foundation to
		
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			be buried, known only to the one to
		
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			whom is our return.
		
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			On our shoulders will stand future generations who
		
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			will take it forward and see our vision
		
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			to its fruition.
		
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			But do we have a vision?
		
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			That is the real question.
		
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			This is what Rasul ﷺ had and his
		
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			Sahaba understood and shared with him.
		
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			And that is what gave them the energy
		
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			to continue in the face of apparently unsurmountable
		
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			odds, to keep contributing everything with unwavering sincerity
		
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			and enthusiasm.
		
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			That is how they won and history is
		
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			witness.
		
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			What are the odds when the creator of
		
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			the universe is with you?
		
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			Think about that.
		
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			In democratic societies, citizens delegate authority, not responsibility
		
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			as I mentioned before.
		
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			If those who delegate to whom authority was
		
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			delegated fail, it is the duty of citizens
		
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			to take back the authority and delegate it
		
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			to better people.
		
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			We must realize that to give ourselves good
		
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			government is our responsibility, not somebody else's.
		
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			In conclusion, I would like to state clearly
		
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			and unequivocally that Muslims living in democratic countries
		
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			must participate in government in every way, knowing
		
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			that it is entirely in keeping with Islam
		
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			to do so.
		
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			They must participate because Allah subhanahu wa ta
		
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			'ala orders them to support all that is
		
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			beneficial for everyone, Muslim or otherwise.
		
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			And to do that in a way that
		
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			showcases Islam for the rest of the world.
		
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			Muslims must participate in democracy because it is
		
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			only by participation that we can ensure that
		
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			our interests are addressed and our needs are
		
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			met.
		
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			We have seen examples of what happens when
		
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			we don't participate.
		
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			We are used and discarded.
		
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			That must not happen again.
		
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			That is the key.
		
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			You must go to vote, whether it is
		
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			raining or not, whatever the situation is, you
		
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			must go and vote.
		
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			Remember, this is the only opportunity that you
		
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			have in a democracy to be heard, to
		
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			influence your own future, and to protect yourself
		
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			from those who wish to hurt you.
		
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			Remember, any party, a party is not elected
		
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			by the majority of the population of the
		
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			country, but by the majority of those who
		
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			go and cast their vote.
		
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			This is the key to modern democracies and
		
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			the reason why we must vote.
		
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			If you don't enroll yourself and don't go
		
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			and vote, then don't blame anyone else for
		
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			the result.
		
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			You are responsible and you will pay the
		
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			price.
		
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			I ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to
		
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			save us from ourselves and to save us
		
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			from all kinds of misguidance from shaitan and
		
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			to guide us to him and to his
		
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			pleasure.