Mufti Menk – Don’t Mess with The Qur’an

			Assalamu alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. I have a very important topic to discuss this evening,
my brothers and my sisters, the Quran is sacred to all those who believe to the Muslims. We believe
it's the word of Allah subhanho wa Taala. He spoke it, he spoke it and revealed it to Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. So we believe that part of our worship would be the recitation of the
Quran. Allah Almighty has instructed us that during the five daily prayers, these prayers would be
incomplete if we didn't recite a portion of that revelation known as the Koran within every unit of
prayer. So we consider it totally sacred, we believe in its authenticity. And we would be very, very
		

			hurt. If someone were to desecrate the pages of the Koran, or if someone were to do something that
would be disrespectful to the Koran. The same applies to the Hadith, although the Hadith is not the
word of Allah subhanho wa Taala. But it is the word of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, and
he is relating it from Allah subhanho wa Taala. And the Hadith is a term that is not as broad as the
term sooner. When we say sooner it refers to many things. But when you say Hadith, it's the
statements of the prophets of Salaam, it's the deeds of the prophet SAW Selim, it is the
confirmations, it is the reiterations of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and so
		

			on. So, this is considered to us sacred, we believe in the sooner we believe in the Hadith. If
anyone were to actually say something nasty, it would hurt us. Let's talk about the Koran for a
moment.
		

			In the Quran, Allah tells us as Muslims that
		

			while at the Sorbonne, Medina, the owner, do Neela if I assume Bala had one BYD in, Allah says,
Don't mock at or swear at those who are calling out to deities besides Allah. So you have people who
worship anything and everything. Allah says, Yes, we know you disagree with them, we do disagree.
But Allah says, Be respectful in your disagreement, don't mock them, and don't swear at them. So if
you find someone worshipping a pole, or worshiping, maybe,
		

			whatever it may be, you know, this, the thing that we may consider really absurd, I mean,
worshipping, a shape made of the dedication of an animal. And that, I mean, I've seen it with my own
two eyes. Is, is to me crazy, but that's very dear to them. So Allah says, You disagree, we will
disagree. I do disagree, but
		

			offer them a certain level of consideration when talking to them when talking about them, when
inviting them towards what you believe is right? Simply because in that verse, Allah says, Don't
mock those who according to date is besides Allah because they will market Allah out of hatred
without knowledge, guess who would have caused it, your initial mocking would have resulted in a
Skittle effect, it would have you no reaction, and that reaction has another reaction, and that has
another reaction and so on. So Allah says, Wait, when something is very close to the hearts of
people, be careful how you address the matter. So this is a very powerful teaching in the Quran. And
		

			Allah spoke it and told it to us through Muhammad Sallallahu Sallam if you were to read the Quran,
it definitely stands out from all other books that are in existence. It stands out totally and
completely. It's very unique. It's a different book, I've read a lot of the Scriptures have a lot of
faiths, in some cases, whole scriptures and in some cases, parts of it. And I tell you, I'm so so
glad to be a Muslim and to be one of the members of the Koran, or unmeaning. May Allah make us from
the people of the Koran you know those who give importance to it. So, why am I saying this because
when we are taught as Muslims not to laugh at mark at joke about abuse, desecrate you know,
		

			disrespect the those who are calling out to deities besides Allah simply because of the reaction
that will happen, because it's too close to the heart, we expect to reciprocation as Muslims which
means
		

			We also would like others to be equally human, to not to mock at, scoff at abuse, desecrate the
Koran, if they did it would hurt us tremendously. And what happens you look at the Quran Allah says
they will be a reaction when you do something, every action has a reaction. So you may think you're
secularly free to do an action, but you may not be able to control the reaction when it comes from
general human beings. Not everyone is going to be on a specific level, not everyone will be able to
take a punch and just keep quiet. You know, people will react differently. So the Quran tells us be
considerate of the reactions of people, by behaving yourself when it comes to talking about your
		

			differences. Allah says Be respectful. And this is why I've always said that you know, have a level
of respect even with those you disagree. And some people say how can I How can I respect you know
that which is in transgression of Allah. Respecting doesn't mean you agree, nor does it mean that
you are condoning it. It only means the way you speak is respectful. The way you address the matter
is respectful. The way you come across is absolutely mature. You are considerate of the feelings of
the people who may consider that very dear. I give you an example Abu Bakr Siddiq of the Allahu
anhu, considered to be by the Sunni Muslims, the best person to tread this earth after the prophets
		

			of Allah subhanho wa Taala. When people swear him curse him, that's where a problem arises. You
don't like him, you don't want to agree with him, you think he wasn't a good guy? Well, we think the
opposite. But if you think that you can express your thoughts and you can believe what you want. But
be respectful about it. That's where it is. The same applies to Omar Abu Dhabi, Allahu anhu, or
Chateau de la hafsa of the Allahu Allah auth man or the alarm and or any one of the companions of
the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, all the prophets themselves, all of them, even a pious
person. I mean, how many of us would ever just sit down and relax when our mothers are being sworn
		

			at taunted and so on? I think there is a limit beyond which people would react violently, may Allah
protect all of us, because that's not healthy at all. But sometimes those who act don't consider the
reaction. And sometimes they calculate it, and they want it. And sometimes they, they actually would
like to see something happening. You know, I was recently reading something very strange, which
said, certain people do certain things because they want you to react in a certain way that your
brain has been tuned to react so that they can go ahead with an agenda that they have. And I'm like,
Subhana, Allah, blah. And I mean, may Allah protect us. So we have to be very respectful. And we ask
		

			others to also be respectful to that which really we consider sacred. And when we disagree, we
should disagree respectfully, and when others disagree with us, we expect them to disagree
respectfully. So if someone were to be disrespectful, my brothers and sisters, I know that it pains
the heart, but bear patients, Allah says it in the Quran, we know that it pains your heart what
they're saying about you.
		

			He tells Muhammad peace be upon him. So Allahu alayhi wa sallam, we know that it hurts your heart,
but be patient. Worship Allah, and find yourself from among those who are prostrate, meaning who
prostrate often. So May Allah subhanho wa Taala protect every one of us. I'd like to call on those
of other faiths as well, to take a page from what I've just said, Now, regarding the message of the
Koran, which says, Don't mock at or abuse or desecrate or disrespect those who worship others
besides Allah, because of the reaction that will happen. We're taught that so we want you to also
take a page from that and offer us similar respect to each other. I know it's our duty as leaders
		

			also to inform and to instruct those who look up to us never to engage in hooliganism to try and
solve a problem that's existing. So you find someone has desecrated the Quran, like I said, people's
reactions will be different. I don't have control over the people but I will say don't ever react in
a way that would help
		

			create two problems out of one. Always engage people always try to speak to them always try to
convince them, I have found it very beneficial. In fact, many countless people have actually turned
to Islam after their hatred of Islam simply because of a beautiful reaction to what they did or
said. And they then began to ponder. And they then started learning and reading. And they then were
given guidance by Allah subhanho wa Taala. So, recently, there is something that has happened, and
it's not the first time, I'm sure things like this will continue happening every now and again,
let's react in a positive way. It's a moment where people are going to open up the internet and
		

			various books and libraries and so on, to research more about Islam. So let's seize that opportunity
to portrayed in the correct sense, which is the most beautiful, beautiful of teachings that Islam
has. So my brothers and sisters, may Allah subhanho wa Taala make us from those who can protect
revelation. And at the same time, may he make us as human beings, those who can respect one another,
even when we differ. And I want to end off by repeating something. Some people don't understand what
is meant by respecting the difference. They actually think it means we agree or we're condoning or
we don't, or we're watering down. It's none of that. It is just to address the matters respectfully,
		

			and to be able to react in a respectful way. That's all we're saying. May Allah subhanho wa Taala
grant your goodness Apolo colada, or sallallahu, wasallam mobarak and anabaena Mohammed