The way forward Part 4

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Fuller without him my

mind and respect your brothers, sisters elders

This is the fourth of the series of up all the way forward.

Each one builds on the previous one. So if you haven't, you want them for the last one on the site and everything else we have. You can go look for it.

I remind myself when you that there's something worse than not having eyesight. And that is not having vision.

History teaches one critical lesson.

Only those who contribute our values

only they have leverage are influential and have power.

Their religion or ethnicity doesn't matter.

What matters is their contribution on a local or global scale.

The world works on one overarching principle.

What's in it for me?

Wi FM

I say every person on the face of the planet listens to one FM station. What is that? Wi I fm? What's in it for me.

That's how it is and that's how it was

our belief and personal acts of worship, add value to us individually. Because if we work for the pleasure of Allah

Jalla Jalla who he will reward us in the earth era and he will put Baraka in our work in this life. But as far as the world is concerned, it doesn't matter what we believe. If we contribute, we are valued when we stop contributing no matter what we did in the past. We are discarded.

And that's exactly what we are seeing today with us.

Allah subhanaw taala told us to Makara Amata and author rejet leanness, that maroon I will my roofie what and how Neil monka what Domina villa.

Allah did not talk about ethnicity. Allah talked about contribution.

Allah said, You are the best community ever raised for humanity. You encourage good, you forbid evil and you have Iman in Allah faith in Allah. Allah is not talking about ethnicity.

He's not talking about color and tribe. He's talking about what you do. You are the best people not because of who you are. But because of what you do.

To help us understand this, let me ask you to list in your mind,

the top three universities in the world.

Think of the names top three universities in the world, top three hospitals in the world, you have encountered one of them in your life.

Top three libraries in the world, top three research laboratories in the world.

Top three manufacturing facilities have very high tech equipment in the world.

Think about three things that you use on a daily basis and if it wasn't there,

you would freak out

starting with your

maybes,

Android and Apple right.

And then ask

which of these

was made by a Muslim company? On which of these

is located in a Muslim country

ask another question.

If the world wakes up tomorrow morning

and there are no Muslims.

The World Wakes up tomorrow morning.

And all the Muslims have disappeared from the face of the earth there is no Muslim there is no sign of Islam

nothing

there is no all the contribution of present day Muslims have disappeared.

What do you think people will say?

Who will miss us?

Who will mourn us?

Using there will be street protests people's holding up like where are the bring back the Muslims bring back the Muslim we want the Muslim we love the Muslim. This is gonna happen

when you go out from here today, meet your non Muslim friends. Ask them this question.

Tell them this is what we asked the share pastors in your

I tell you get an answer. And the answer most likely will be Nana, man, you are an Icee. I need you I love you. No, no, no, I'm not a mommy.

I'm saying Muslims as a community as people. I'm not talking about me as an individual.

The question is, what is our contribution to the world today

we have become net consumers, not contributors in any field.

Any field.

Reality is contributors are valued consumers are used.

And that's why nobody cared about us.

In 1631, the foundation of a building was laid in India. It was completed in 1653. In 1636, four years after the first building was started.

The foundation of another building was laid across the world here in America very close to where we are.

The first today, both the buildings exist.

Both of them are there, good condition.

The first building was built by a man whose personal net worth was 25% of global GDP of the time.

That's wealth like you cannot even begin to imagine.

And you're not talking here about Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, whose wealth is in

you know,

company shares.

If Elon Musk sells one share of his company's network will fall. Here we're talking about gold and silver and Jewel, you're talking about real wealth

25% of global GDP.

That is a matter of build the first building. The second building was founded by a Puritan priest.

The first building has two occupants, both that

the second building continues to contribute leaders to every walk of life in the world, and continues to influence society, in profound and lasting ways. may not always be with you like, but there's always

that second building. And second institution really has an endowment of 50 point 7 billion US dollars, the wealthiest endowment of any institution.

It has a library, which is the biggest library in the world.

That is the story of that man, and Howard University.

And that's why I said worse than not having sight is not having vision. It's not a resources thing.

It's not a resources thing.

The net worth of the Puritan breezed was less than one horse

of shudder.

It's not a matter of money.

There's a difference between building structures and building people.

And that's why I said worse than not having sight is not having vision.

And that is why I want us to think about the way forward what must change with us. What must be focused on from today.

The Abbas if Halawa ended in 1250 H the Omega Khilafah in Ireland the loose

we like to say Spain it was never it was never ever Spain as a country.

Read is how we spoon feed ourselves cherry picked pieces of history and we feel good about ourselves. It was one piece called Andalus.

That ended in 1492 when Ferdinand and Isabella expelled Muslims from Spain. After that there were three great Muslim empires in India, in Iran and in Europe, the Mughals, the Safavid, and the Ottomans,

but they left no mark of their passing except magnificent ruins, palaces and tombs and massages.

No discoveries, no libraries, no universities, no hospitals, only palaces

and that is why the others have the world and we have the tombs.

Allah subhanaw taala told us very clearly why the Allah will let the NA monomial comb why Moodle slowly hat it is definitely Vanda omphalos

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Iago Iago dune Annie la you should ECO NAVI che woman Guevara bada Liga, eco homall fasea Pol. Allah subhanaw taala said, Allah has promised those of you who believe and do good deeds that we will certainly make them successors in their land, we will give them how coma we will give them solta we will give them control as he did with those before them and will surely established for them their faith which he has chosen for them and will indeed change their fear into security, provided that they worship Me associating nothing with me, but whoever disbelieves after this promise, it is the who will be the rebellious

we understand that success comes from Allah subhanaw taala alone and that is dependent on our obedience to Him. So let's get that sorted out. First, everything begins with that earn Allah halal, eat halal.

Then it means starting out with grassroots social work in our neighborhoods and towns and cities. It means knowing our neighbors, helping them and participating in neighborhood and dam projects. It means being genuinely concerned about others not only Muslims, but others who are different from us in every way but still are our neighbors.

Let me ask you a question. Why is there a Jewish Family Service a welcoming alliance for refugee ministry one a Catholic Charities a parish cupboard but no equal and Muslim organization? Why?

We have care

care it takes care of you and me if we are in trouble

What does care me to anybody else?

I'm not bashing care. I'm I'm a supporter of care not just by words.

I'm giving you the reality of life. How come there is no Muslim organization who is benefiting from Catholic Charities.

I can name people here

who's benefiting from Jewish alliances that that rabbi had breakfast with me just the other day.

Rabbi James James Green

and he told me three quarters of his people or more are Palestinian Muslims

who work for him

brothers and sisters understand one thing

this is not a one way street.

It is not a one way street.

If you want to know where we stand as a community on this index, simply ask how many of us turnout for our interfaith programs

Dr. Bajwa shout out

I'm thrilled I that all of you give me so much of trust

that one me alone is enough.

Ask how many of us come for the hunger walk?

How many of us come for the tongue cleanup program?

Even how many of us know the names of our neighbors this

housing right here do we know the names?

Do we know even what I'm not talking about the Muslim neighbors? Did you know not the non Muslim people living there? Do we know even one name?

Why?

The guy is living right opposite the Masjid. Do we know their name?

Please understand one thing very clearly I don't make the rules I'm telling you the rules.

You can only change something from within.

Not from outside, you can only change the system from within, which means to participate.

Today, perhaps the biggest problem we have is that we are misunderstood by others. And we face Islamophobia and hostile media. The surest and most powerful cure for that is to let people see us see the real life Muslim everyday in our daily transactions.

This is a philosophy of interfaith work, it is not to convert anybody. It is the reason it's so important. It's only when people meet us face to face and get to talk to us and ask questions and clarify doubts and misunderstandings.

Then things get resolved.

I go for a walk with the Unitarian minister every couple of days a week we go to actually there's a why we walk six miles

and you don't know the number of questions which he asked me

wish he has no one has rust. But because now we are friends and we work he asked me those questions.

He invited me to speak at their at their ministry at the at the church last Sunday.

How many community members came came with me.

I'm sure the genuine that.

There was some chairs which were warm, they look like you know, red glow. So maybe just sitting there

what you need is for the others for non Muslims. When they see stuff on Fox News, when they see Islamophobic comments, you want them to say no, no, no, hold on second. Hold on a second. I don't believe that. I have this Muslim friend. I have 10 Muslim friends. I have 10,000 Muslim friends.

I'm going to take you to talk to that Muslim friend of mine. Right? Say what you're saying to them. They're not like that.

This is lies I don't believe that you want them to say that.

You know when that's going to happen

when we get out there and participate when we do some work

Muslims got consists of 1.1% of population in this country 1.1%

You know what the problem with population counts is it comes everybody.

So, a baby is also in that 1.1% Do you think you will ever become influence? Influential with 1.1% of the population is it just do the madman

just do the math

isn't going to happen.

Even if the baby's Ward you still won't get elected, forget Viva for God's sake 1.1% of the population

the only way you will get influential become influential, the only way your needs will get taken care of is when others are rooting for you.

And the only way the others are going to root for you is if you get out of this insidious, insular way of life and get out there on the street. Meet people be nice to people do things for people for the sake of Allah subhanho wa Taala

David, David

is your car

and if it takes another 100 years there will be somebody standing here saying the same thing and another 100 years.

Holy Holy has asked for Hola Hola. Hola, como si le Muslim festival in the whole world over here.

hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen

wa salatu salam ala

Sally and Mohammad Rasool Allah is Allah Allahu Allahu Allah Allah He was able to send them to Steven cathedral cathedral from Abbado.

My brothers and sisters

we have to develop ourselves.

First and foremost, we must train ourselves and develop im control on our emotions.

Because it is intellect, not emotion that is necessary to solve problems.

It will, it will require the ability to think clearly. Learn to think clearly. It's not a natural ability you don't get born with it. You have to learn strategic thinking critical analysis has to be learned.

To communicate powerfully,

you don't have to answer me. But tell me there are people here who have lived in this country for 30 years 40 years. How come you can't speak one single sentence of English grammatically correct

Am I exaggerating?

Why

How are you going to communicate with the others? I'm not talking about your there are people there Arabs Arabic speakers here who other Arabic speakers cannot understand because you only speak in Suri or Iraqi or Lumina Annie

when I speak fossa they don't understand me somebody told me this to a difficulty to speak in English

how will you communicate? How will and anyone understand you when you say I want to bark

then he gives you a ticket

please

wake up. And if the Pakistanis think that I'm letting them off, you are not the same thing applies to us

learn to communicate, it doesn't come by magic. It doesn't get downloaded it doesn't you're not born with it you have to learn. I speak like this because I learned how to speak like this

Learn

for our youth, it means you need to study law and political science and sociology and Mass Communication and Media Studies and history. It means learning more than one language. It means developing social skills and manners May Allah protect us from our people in Allah when Allah Allah do I have seen more Jehovah in this place or anywhere else on the face of the planet? Zero Adam?

Zero Adam

doesn't work miracles it just does not work.

You must see when when we have interfaith groups, white Christian girls and boys who come into the masjid the way they behave

and our own people, our own youth the way they behave. It's embarrassing, it is embarrassing.

It means we have to stop living in our echo chambers and start participating.

It means making tough choices after getting a good education and not taking a plus job in Microsoft but enter politics. It means the community then must chip in and say we will support our son and daughter and pay them what they gave up by not taking that job because to have one of our people in the Senate is more important than having one of our people in Microsoft you got to put your money where your mouth is

right

but if you want your children and you say you must have advice

I will tell you this I must have my fancy car I must have my holidays

I must go for Oh Mirage 10 times a year

you know how other people get to the you know how other people got to where they're by doing exactly this. They put their money where their mouth is they do it to this day

they do it to this day.

Allah does not drain dollar bills on their heads.

They take it out of their pockets

how many of we make it we are doing all these protests for Philistine very good humbler? Please continue to do that. Ask me ask. Let me ask you how many people did protest for black lives matter?

How many Muslims did you see on the street apart from the African I forget them?

I'm talking about how many of us took posters drive all the way to Washington, whatnot, whatnot for black lives matter why and why not?

It means attending Senate and House sessions as a spectator with at least as much interest as you attend Superbowl.

It means attending local

court sessions and looking forward to jury duty not running away from it.

Because you How else will you understand how the system works? If you have never been inside the house even you can go sit there as a as a spectator no problem and go, How many? How many people have gone to have attended a senator house? Session?

How would you learn?

It means volunteering your for your local police stations volunteering for local hospitals volunteering for local fire stations, Mayor's office, it means volunteering in your local schools and getting elected to school boards and city offices. Many of you here have children going to local schools, not only many probably everybody's got children going to the public schools, you've got grandchildren going to the public schools, right? How many of you are on those boards

and then you complain, my child has won't get time for Salah there is halal food, their place. The Hawala hotel, if you are on this board, you will be taking those decisions

not moaning and groaning about it.

No one I must run my gas station.

So what I'm the guy says Stop complaining.

All this takes time, it takes consistent effort. It takes funding according to a plan

that keeps saying all the time you need to put your money where your mouth is.

It's a long haul strategy. And so the sooner we start, the sooner we'll get there.

It will need the ability to work with people who are different from us, but who share our concerns and problems.

Right, I'm not saying change your Arcada. I'm saying work with somebody who's deaf who thinks differently from you, who believes differently from you because the problem is the same. If there is a drug addiction problem, your kid will get it that guy's good. Also, we'll get it it's a common problem for both.

Learn to work with people who are different from us, learn to work, inclusively learn to work across boundaries.

It requires great confidence in our religion and culture and the ability to teach others about that in a non defensive, non apologetic and respectful manner. It means to remember that Islam doesn't need to be changed. We need to change and live by Islam. Islam is a way of life that's totally irrelevant. Today. If anybody's got any argument about that come to me, I'll convince you.

It means setting up Islamic schools have a global standard where children of all communities will be welcome and will study a global curricula in an Islamic environment, atmosphere practicing Islamic ethics and values. That is the most powerful way to showcase what Islam means in your life.

My brothers and sisters The truth is

that we Muslims are not the first and we are not even the most oppressed of people

will let us work to ensure that we are the last. That oppression is wiped off the face of the earth because of us.

We are very good at firefighting and mobilizing disaster relief, but not when it comes to investment in initiatives that operate on the principle of Never again.

Firefighting is unnecessary but fire prevention is much better.

Please understand that from entry to the corridors of power where you can take a decision is a 30 year journey. That's two generations. That means that if you want to save your children from slavery you need to start now.

The truth is that the world is saying to us put up or shut up

stop talking about Islam show us Islam

and therefore my submission to the time to the thing to ask

ask yourself if not now. Then when?

If not me, then who?

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