The way forward #5

Bismillah Al Rahman Rahim Al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen wa salatu salam ala Shafi Lambie evil mousseline, Muhammad Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi, wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa sallam to sleep on cathedral cathedral bonobo, my dear brothers and sisters, we are this is the fifth part of my series of lectures called the way forward.

We are living in a revolution, but perhaps not what you may think. So, let me explain.

We are living today in times that I call forks in history, like a fork, forking times in history are characterized by turmoil, epidemics, wars, economic collapse, political instability, Civil War, and so on. But it's precisely for that reason that the foundations of the structures of society are shaken. And for a short time, it is given into the hands of ordinary people

like you and me, to change the path of destiny.

To give you a few examples from history 1857, the War of Independence in India, the American Civil War 1861 to 65, the First and Second World Wars, The Great Depression of 1930, which ended with the World War Two in 1939, which shows that endings are not always happy. The Industrial Revolution 1760 to 1840,

are all markers in history

of forks, which lead to a change in the destiny of the world.

There were others but this list will survive for us to see how the decisions of people of the time the leaders and followers change the path of destiny for others.

We don't have the time to do an analysis of each of these events to point out what the decisions were. But we must do it. Because today, as I mentioned, we are living in another revolution. And what we choose to do, or not to do.

We define the path of destiny for coming generations. Believe me, our destiny is in our own hands.

And this is Islamic theology as well.

You in the hands of adults, not in the hands of children, or the youth. It is we adults who created this society, and we adults who can act to change it. That is why it doesn't sell. I'm focused on teaching adults, children, learn from adults, be those parents, or teachers or others, what they learn, that is their children. So be careful what you teach your children.

Children listen with the eyes. They don't care what you say until they see what you do. We Muslims, globally are like a ship caught in a storm,

battered by winds and ocean currents striving to drive it onto rocks. As captains of such a ship, we must do two paradoxical things simultaneously. One, be aware of the hostile forces that surround us, yet not allow them to distract us from our goal and our destination of navigating the ship safely out of the storm. The good news is that all storms and the bad news is that any storm can sink a ship, where the Captain has no idea about the destination or how to get their

navigation whether it is off ships or of life must be learned.

This means that we need to spend time and effort with teachers who know what to teach and how.

It is not

instant coffee.

It won't happen in your spare time. This is the choice that each one of us must make.

Because it is we will have to live our lives.

If you think learning takes too long

and is too expensive. Try ignorance.

Our biggest problem today is the absence of viable alternatives to leadership.

Our challenge is to produce ethical, moral global leaders. Without that the world is doomed.

It is as simple as that I'm not exaggerating.

We are fed and most of us believe and have internalized the myth that technology and wealth can solve all our problems. But both are value neutral tools. Neither good nor evil.

It is the mind that decides how to use them. And so it is the mind that we must work on

the big

So the most important change that has happened to us today, and especially in this country

is that we live in times when the voice of the ordinary individual is heard.

Not every individual, but those who are elected to office.

And that process of election is open to everyone, especially at the local level.

The question to ask is how many of us take the trouble to get elected

election doesn't happen by magic. But by first, gaining visibility, positive, positive visibility through social work, to helping people participating in public projects, working with people across boundaries of race and religion and culture. It happens by changing our isolationist ways and getting involved in our communities. It happens by thinking of where we live as our community.

If you want an index to see where we are,

on the scale.

See how many people participate in for example, our hunger work happens once in a year, or town cleaning drive, happens once a year, or Black Lives Matter protests, or food pantries.

Something that is not directly related only to Muslims.

See how many of us participate in interfaith work? Please add to this list and see what you can say about yourself. Ask yourself, how many of us have friends who are not like us? Who are non Muslim, we're not our race and culture and so on. So what do we have such do we have such friends

and my friends, I mean, people who are willing to spend time with us and we spend time with them, not a transactional relationship at work.

The first documented arrival of Muslims in this land was in the 17th century, the transatlantic slave trade,

which was industrialized slavery.

And the most brutal subjugation of human beings in the history of humanity.

One place to visit without which we cannot claim to be educated, is the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History. In the mid 18th century, then came the first wave of immigrants of Asia and the Middle East. That was roughly 200 years ago, 200 years ago, two centuries.

Then ask, why is it that there are that there are only three Muslim members of Congress?

After 200 years,

yet we complain that nobody listens to us? How can anyone listen to someone who's not there?

If I list the top 10 of US corporations by market cap, the CEOs of all of them are Indian. Not a single one is mostly,

neither of these examples have anything to do with discrimination. They have everything to do with focus.

The truth is that we only get what we pay for, whether at Walmart, or in life. That is the rule.

As I've said before, you're not visitors here. You are citizens. This is your country. So participate and contribute.

On January 2019 61, John F. Kennedy said in his inaugural address, ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.

His historic words emphasize the importance of civil civic action, and challenged every American to contribute in some way to the public good. I was six years old, when he said this.

And I was living in India, not yet. But these words have remained with me. And I apply them to all constituencies that I'm a part of.

These words apply as much today as they did in 1961. These words are the secret of leadership, because leading right on the shoulders of service, first you win hearts, then you shape destiny.

If you said if you study the Syrah of rasa Salam, you will see this reflected clearly. The soul as salam was the most beloved man in Makkah. He was hugely popular not because of canvassing for votes, but because of his service to his people. He was known for his kindness, his manners and visions and Faizal provocation. When he moved to Medina, he did three things in this order. He created the Ummah, a brotherhood of faith. He built his Masjid

And he created a constitution.

That constitution was the most inclusive, egalitarian document that you can imagine, which recognized differences of the most fundamental kind yet brought people together on issues of mutual importance.

What do we need to do today? Follow the Sunnah.

Treat every Muslim as your brother, because Allah subhanaw taala give them that place, bring the masjid alive, and learn to live and work with others and become valuable partners to them. We read

Allah subhanaw taala told us about what must bind us together. As one brotherhood. He said geladeira Lu, in the heavy OMA to combat Anwar Haider, what an Arab bukem far will do instead of Colombia. He said, Indeed, this religion of yours is only one that I am Euro. So worship Me alone. And so the moment he said, we're in a hottie who moto moto Wahida what hon. Taco he said, Surely this religion of yours is Omar view, this brotherhood of yours

is only one and I am Europe. So have Taqwa of me, be concerned about my pleasure, Allah.

Allah subhana, Allah told us, and the supervisor sort of taught us that our job is to worry about our own belief and actions, and treat everyone else as our brothers and sisters

leave their beliefs or actions between them and Allah, except when their actions are negative or harmful to society, in which case you correct them. But today, we want to sit in judgment on who will go to Jana and Jana, as if we own Jana and

let us worry about where we will go.

That is what Islam teaches us to focus on our email and our mail.

To get the truth is easy to see, but difficult to swallow. But if we want change, we must learn to swallow it.

In 1631, the construction of a building was started in India, which was completed in 1652 at a cost of $1 billion in today's currency.

The net worth of the battle built it was 25% of global GDP of the time, which amounted in today's money to roughly 3 trillion US dollars.

And he rolled over one of the wealthiest and most powerful empires in the world.

His name was Chaga.

And the building is called dogma.

In 1636, another building was started in America close to where we are sitting together, sitting today. The person who instigated that project was a Puritan minister. He earned his master's degree from Cambridge University England.

And he died at the age of 31.

An amount of 500 pounds was sanctioned for this building.

500 British pounds, the man bequeathed 50% of his wealth of $150,000 in today's money to that building.

That was a school, which went on to become a university in his name. His name was John Howard. Today, both buildings exist. The first has two occupants, both dead.

The second has been producing leaders in all aspects of society since 1916 36.

It is the first and the oldest college in America, and has the wealthiest endowment of $50.7 billion

and the largest library on Earth.

The difference between these two stories is the difference between sight and vision. As they say, much worse than not having sight is not having vision.

It shows graphically that it is not resources or power, but vision which has the biggest impact.

I have two questions for you and myself. What is your vision? And what are you prepared to do about realizing it?

The reality is that it is only action that comes and that is why in Islam, the emphasis is on faith and action. Not on faith and knowledge. Ema or I'm a little sunny, not EBA or Elmo salad.

Because only knowledge practice has effect

the biggest challenge we have today is to understand that Islam makes us winners in this life and after provided the practice it

the lives of the Gambia show that it is a strong connection with Allah subhanaw taala a clear vision dedicated

effort and the ability to win hearts that are the secrets of success

it is for us to learn and to live by this

was Allah Allah Bukhari while Ali he was a member